Converting

I

know that there's gotta be someone out there who can help me? I friend let borrow a disc with M4A audio files, but of course I can't hear them without converting them... I think. (I use Windows XP.) It will play on Real Player but not on Windows Media Player or Winamp.

Does this mean that even if I burn them to a CD, it won't play on normal cd players? If so, what do I need to do to convert them to WAV or MP3 formats? I presume I would need a conversion program. Any suggestions? This old non-tech old man would appreciate any help...

Oh yeah, I'm still grading.... hehehehhehehehee, really. I'm half way through Advanced Modern Japanese.