I am looking for a very-small-form-factor voice recorder that can xfer
the voice notes to my PC.
I currently use the VT-90 and VT-300 by VXI corp.
http://www.recordersplus.com/html_doc/voiceit/vt300/vt300_home.html
It works great, and it tiny, and super fast to start a recording, but
doesn't xfer. I use it in the car, and while walking around. I
always have it in my pocket.
Is there a voice recorder that is tiny like the VT series, but lets
you beam the voice notes to a Palm, or has a card (e.g. compact flash)
that you can take in/out and put in a card reader, or a USB xfer.
I know that VXI's VT-3200 does it, but it is way too big. There is no
way anyone is going to be carrying around that in their pocket.
I know that some of the newer Palm PDAs have a voice recorder feature,
but they tend to require to many taps on the screen the take a note.
Not the simplicity of a big record button on the unit itself.
Several cell phones have reasonable fast-to-get-to record buttons, but
they have no way to transfer the note over to your computer.
I know that gamin will be releasing a Palm with a Record button on it,
but that will be over $500. We were looking for something closer to
$150.
Does any product ring a bell?
Thanks much |
Request for Question Clarification by
bobbie7-ga
on
02 Jun 2003 10:50 PDT
At ThinkGeek.com they carry the following USB Digital Voice Recorder:
4-hour record time with up to 396 files of messages.
USB connection is capable of downloading 1-hour recording in less than 1 minute.
Dimensions: 4.3" x 0.67" x 1"
Price: $89.99
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/5ec3/
It will fit in your shirt pocket as it appears to be shaped like a pen.
Would this voice recorder fit your requirments?
Thanks
--Bobbie7-ga
|
Request for Question Clarification by
snapanswer-ga
on
02 Jun 2003 19:53 PDT
Are you interested in a list of a few of the very small MP3 players
that also accomodate voice recording? These MP3 players generally
offer connections to the PC.
As far as "beaming" the information goes, does the device you want the
recorder to "beam" to have either Blue Tooth or 802.11b WiFi? I
suspect that I won't find built-in wireless connectivty, and have an
even stronger suspiscion that I won't find "IR beaming" connectivity
in a small recorder. But, if your devices support a wireless
standard, it is worth a look.
Finally, do you have any requirements for this device to be compatible
with voice recognition software, such as Dragon Dictate. I've seen
devices from some manufacturers that are supposedly "tuned" to work
with voice recognition, though I suspect it is more of a marketing
collaboration rather than a technical collaboration. However, if that
is of interest to you, I can note those devices, as well.
If bobbie7-ga's device serves as a complete answer, I will give up the
further search on this.
|
I have found some great products with characteristics that match your
request:
1. As small, or smaller than the VXI product you listed
2. Have USB transfer
3. Around $150
The Kiiro Muze products would be my top picks to meet your needs based
upon their size and Amazon UK reviews. The T100 model might be of
particular interest to you, with it's ability to use both USB and
SmartMedia to transfer files. Unfortunately, I cannot find the T100
model in stock.
The two Pogo Products listed below are pretty remarkable, with
built-in FM tuners, the ability to encode MP3 files on the fly, voice
recording, and the ability to use the USB port to transfer files and
recharge their batteries. These are about the same size as what you
are currently using. Personally, I would choose these since they seem
small enough to me and pack in added features. (The Pogo RipFlash
PRO-2 offers multiple playback speeds and extended voice recording
times of over 100 hours).
The Kiiro Muze and Pogo products have a loyal following. I can't
claim the same for the others.
The others listed are all basically USB "Pen Drive" MP3 players with
voice recording. They all have slightly different form factors and
differ in whether they have a rechargable battery or use disposable
batteries. Once nice thing about "pen drive" models is that they have
a built-in USB connector, eliminating the need to carry a USB cable.
128MB is listed as 2-8 hours of recording time depending on file
format and quality. You can find similar devices with lower
capacities on eBay, as well.
$109 Kiiro Muze CA128S 128MB
2.68" x 1.8" x .52"
http://www.mp34less.com/CA-128S(128MB).html
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3028181468&category=11024
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006GNO2/
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/shoptronics/muz12mp3jukw.html
$140 Kiiro Muze T100 128MB
2.68" x 1.8" x .52"
http://www.mp34less.com/CA-T100(128MB).html
$150 Pogo RipFlash TRIO 128MB
2.32" x 3.30" x 0.37"
http://www.pogoproducts.com/ripflash_trio.html
$200 Pogo RipFlash PRO-2 256MB
2.2" x 3.5" x 0.35"
http://www.pogoproducts.com/ripflash_pro2.html
$75 Muzic Aera 4-in-1 128MB MP3 Player
4" x 1.28" x .32"
http://www.odmo.com/M4-in-1.htm
$99 Star Combo P505 128MB
3.56" x 1.12" x 1"
http://www.audioexchange.com/magstar12por.html
$150 I-Bead 128MB
3.4" x 1" x .64"
http://www.mp3playerstore.com/buy_it_now__/ibead.htm
Search Strategy: Find small MP3 players with voice recording
functions and USB file transfer.
Search Terms: MP3 voice recorder USB drive
://www.google.com/search?q=MP3+voice+recorder+USB+drive
I hope that this information is useful and easy to understand. If you
have additional questions, please do not hesitate to post a
clarification request prior to rating the answer. |
Clarification of Answer by
snapanswer-ga
on
03 Jun 2003 21:54 PDT
I was able to find a USA source for the "Kiiro Muze" by searching for
model CA-T100, finding it rebranded in various ways. Also, note that
it seemed odd that the original web site had the CA-128S and CA-T100
with identical dimensions, given how different they appear in their
pictures. I have used the updated measurements from this site. Note
that the device is still quite compact.
$150/$180 CA-T100 64MB/128MB
($150 for the 64MB, $180 for the 128MB. Small quantity discounts
available.)
2.4" x 2.08" x .56"
http://www.gotodvr.com/new_product.asp
http://www.gotodvr.com/product.asp?product_name=CA-T100(128MB)
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
sherpaj-ga
on
06 Jun 2003 21:38 PDT
I previously had bought a CA-T100.
It was very cheap. Plastic and poorly made. It broke before I even
got to test it out. It is far to flimsy to last more then a few
weeks. I also got a pogo player. It seemed nice (a bit big) but the
problem was that the record button was ver difficult to work while
(for example) driving. You had to hold down the button for a while...
and even them you never got any feedback if the recording was
successful.
I tried and tried to use this as a voice recorder but eventually got
frustrated with the amount of work (button pressing) that it took to
do a simple voice memo.
When I saw the post from bobbie7-ga, I went right to ThinkGeek.com and
bought one of those. I'll let you know how it does as soon as i get
it. - sherpaj
To answer the questions from snapanswer-ga:
>>>Are you interested in a list of a few of the very small MP3 players
>>>that also accomodate voice recording?
Maybe a voice recorder that happens to be(or happens not to be) a MP3
Player might yeild better results.
>>> As far as "beaming" the information goes, does the device you want
the
>>> recorder to "beam" to have either Blue Tooth or 802.11b WiFi?
Any of the above. Palm IR format might also work (i guess you would
then need a Palm that has audio. My Treo 180 does not)
>>> does this device need to be compatible with voice recognition
software
No.
thanks again...
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
sherpaj-ga
on
06 Jun 2003 21:44 PDT
Opps...
When I said that the Kiiro Muze was cheap and broke I was wrong. it
was actually the "$75 Muzic Aera 4-in-1 128MB MP3 Player" that I had
bought and that had broke right away.
Could post the links to any reviews of the Kiiro Muze. Also does any
of the places to get it offer a 30 return policy? I don't want to get
burned again. I already have a pogo device just sitting in the
drawer.
By the way. Thanks to all who posted and contributed to the answer
and thanks to "snapanswer-ga" for the official answer.
|
Clarification of Answer by
snapanswer-ga
on
07 Jun 2003 03:28 PDT
Sherpaj, thank you for the feedback regarding the devices you have
used. I am anxious to hear how you like the product from
thinkgeek.com and hope that it meets your needs.
I have pulled together the information regarding the Kiiro Muze/CMTech
products. I have determined that CMTech appears to be the current
name.
I have also copied the link to the Amazon.co.uk reviews into this
clarification, to make it easier to find. The reviews are for the
Kiiro CA128S MP3 Player.
Amazon UK: Kiiro CA128S Reviews
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/electronics/B00006GNO2/customer-reviews/
I also read various postings at an Australian MP3 site, though I'm not
sure they are useful. They seemed odd to me, since some were looking
for USB drivers, while others were persuasive that no special drivers
were needed and that the device is automatically recoginized as a USB
drive for Windows, Mac, and Linux (note that the process for firmware
updates requires a Windows PC). While it may not be useful, I post
the link in case you are interested:
MP3.com.au MP3 Hardware Reviews
http://www.mp3.com.au/forum/topics.asp?fid=40
The USA retailer for these products offers a 15-day "No Questions
Asked" return policy, and a one year warranty (the details of the
warranty are not explained).
gotoDVR.com Return Policy
http://www.gotodvr.com/returns.asp
There are three CMTech products that I would draw your attention to.
The
CA-T100 is notable because it allows the use of Smart Media cards in
addition to USB. The CA-128S is notable because it is incredibly
small and receives such glowing reviews at the Amazon UK site.
Finally, it is worth noting that a third device the CA-1000 appears to
be one of the newest products in this category from CMTech. All three
are available at the gotoDVR.com web site.
Note that the CA-T100 and CA-1000 are listed on the "New Products"
page, while the CA-128S is not listed as new and still has the Muze
branding (reference number SVR-M805).
gotoDVR New Products
http://www.gotodvr.com/new_product.asp
gotoDVR Music Players (see SVR-M805)
http://www.gotodvr.com/music.asp
I hope that helps. Please let me know if I can be of additional
assistance.
|
,
2 Comments
)