I have been using WinRAR 3.0 to create self extracting archives for storage of albums. I find the the compression is ok (780mb>530mb) but the time involved is long. What kind of compression and time can I expect from MAC? Also, what plugin do I need to play MAC in Winamp? Also, do any burning programs have a plugin or .dll to burn MAC directly to audio CD?

Everything you need to know about compression comparisons with Monkey's Audio:


http://www.monkeysaudio.com/comparison.html

When you install monkey's audio, it will set up the winamp plug-in for you & you're set.

No idea about burning MAC straight to CD -- I'm sure something can do it, but I have never tried.