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MapQuest (WWW.MapQuest.Com) is very useful for driving directions. Having printed directions is very handy, especially for keeping track of mileage and making comments on the route. Writing notes en route, however, is inconvenient and can be hazardous to my health and insurance premiums. What I needed was a way to take notes without writing.
A visit to Staples (WWW.Staples.Com) brought the answer: A Sony IC Recorder (eSupport.Sony.Com). There's a round, recessed Record / Pause button, an oval Play button, and a raised rectangular Stop button. (There are more buttons for additional functionality, but they're not needed often.) There's an LCD screen, built-in microphone and speaker, plus jacks for external mike and headphones.
It is very easy to use the recorder. The design makes it easy for me to keep my eyes on the road while recording a comment. The screen at the top of the front is smooth, making it easy to orient the recorder in my hand. The Record button being recessed means I don't accidentally start recording. A short beep confirms that recording has begun. The Stop button stops recording (duh!) and a little longer beep confirms that the recording has been saved. The Play button sounds a short beep, the message is played, and another beep says that the recording has ended. Pushing the Play button while recording stops recording and plays it back immediately.
That's the basics of using the recorder. One of the best benefits of the IC Recorder is the USB cable that enables me to upload the voice files to my PC. There's software that helps me to edit the audio, and even convert from the Sony proprietary format to an MP3 file. The quality of the MP3 audio is not as good as other formats, but that shouldn't matter. You wouldn't be using the IC Recorder for serious podcasting anyway.
The downsides of the IC Recorder? Messages are recorded in four "folders", A through D. Each folder can hold up to 99 messages, no matter what length each is. Switching folders isn't something that can be done without watching the screen and pressing multiple buttons. If I'm driving and have just recorded message 99 in folder A, I can't record another lump until I pull over and switch to folder B. (grumble, grumble)
The recorder is not cheap, but isn't expensive when you consider all of its features.
If memory serves, the files uploaded to the PC can be scanned with Dragon's speech recognition software (http://WWW.DragonTalk.Com to produce text. So far I haven't tried it.
What experiences have you had with portable digital voice recorders? Any tips for using them, or fun uses?
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