Is that like a record player?
Yup.
It's really just a teeny tiny hard drive. Has it's own operating system and everything. Think of it as an external hard drive you can plug into your puter. You know how you can play mp3s on your computer, right? Same thing, only, you detach this unit and take it with you. It has a headphone jack and a battery in there so you can walk around with it or play it in your car stereo. (Geez, I sound like a commercial!)