Mac <=> Windows filename transfer question.

[randomness]

I have a newly acquired external 300GB USB2/Firewire drive, formatted so that it will mount on both Macintosh and Windows computers. As a matter of fact, I've transferred files from both Windows and Macintosh machines onto the drive using both USB and Firewire. This works fine.

I also have a stack of CDs I burned on a Windows machine.

I'm sitting in front of a Mac OS 9 machine. Said machine truncates filenames longer than its 31 character limit.

I want to transfer files from the CDs to the drive without having their filenames truncated. I believe my options are to upgrade the machine to OS X, or to find another machine.

Am I mistaken?

Thanks in advance for answers.