I do not know what type of a recorder I need. I just looked at Best Buy and they all look like small cell phones, and with all types of GB's. Is this the type of recorder I am in need of? Please any info would help. I am in a warm climate and would need to put it in my purse, or carry it around in my hand as it would look like a cell phone. But it does get cold here also and would need to put it in my purse. Any info would be helpful. Thanks!

I use an Olympus that I got from Radio Shack. It is a little bigger than a cell phone. But you can buy a microphone to go with it and put it in a pocket etc. Good Luck

Need more info

Radio Shack

[www.radioshack.com] You can read all about it including the guide.

Charlene, we've discussed digital voice recorders quite a lot. I'm not sure if you've tried the Search feature, or if you did, if Search returned results that would help you. Several shoppers have given their opinions and models - pros and cons.

No Mert, I have not tried that. Thanks so much for the info!!! Have a nice holiday.

I bought a cheaper one at first that worked well for certain things. I found myself having to go back and replay an entire shop though if I missed a name or phrase while distracted at all. I recently invested in one that will hook up to the puter with a USB cable which hopefully will let me replay and fast forward while listening from the computer. Haven't had time to test it out yet. It's a Sony and was about $70 at Best Buy.

I have a small Olympus as well. Works great. Just don't have an upset stomach or your conversation...well...you know.

I have an Olympus also. Several times, the recording was not clear due to background noise. I always take notes as a backup. I need to buy a different
recorder.

I just used the recorder by putting it in a small tote bag. It worked without a problem.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2010 10:39PM by kittybratt.

There is another long post somewhere. I bought mine based on good tips that were posted by Flash, Mert and a few others here.
Perhaps you can do a search by author.

Mine is great. It's a Sony ICD-UX 71 Recorder that I bought at Office Depot.
It was a closeout, so it may not be available, however another similar unit will be available.

This one has everything I need. It's USB, so you just stick in your computer, and it came with an adapter and headphones -- for ??? Hmm, not sure, never used them.

The best part is that there's no need for an external mike. It picks up every sound, and there's a background noise shut off.
If you position it so the mike's not blocked, you're good to go.

I just put it in my outside zipper portion of my purse and zip it in place with the mic sticking out. It's so small and sleek that it looks like a cell or an MP3.

My last suggestion is don't get a ton of memory unless you're doing a route and can't download every 3 or 4 shops, or doing all day shops. The memory is what seems to drive the price up.

There's plenty out there for $40-$50 bucks.
I would check Office depot, Office max, and Staples websites. They'll have more closeouts and they'll ship for free over $25.

1 more suggestion. Get a coupon. I saved $10 bucks on mine.

Happy shopping.

The headphones are to listen to playback directly from the DVR so you can actually use it as a music player if you want.

My older Sony has two settings for the built in microphone--directional or everything. I did not have that great a luck with the directional.

I am of course a very big fan of an external microphone. When I do phone shops I flip it over the earpiece of my glasses, tuck the cord over my ear and stick the little microphone in my ear. I then can get a crystal clear recording of the phone call and can concentrate on the conversation knowing full well that I won't miss anything I can give the associate credit for.

The feature that allows you to plug directly into a USB port, rather than using a USB line, is worth its weight in gold. I have had USB cords that failed to make a secure conection after only a short useful life, and others that have gone AWOL while I was on the road. Also, once the audio is on the computer, you can fast forward, revease, etc, to your heart's content to find what you need.

Overstock.com is your friend for DVR's.
I use mine all the time, but also take notes immediately on finishing a shop. If you will do long shops (dining) be sure to get one that records at least 90 minutes at high quality. My Olympus VN-240 is a little light weight for this, but my wife has a new one that records several hours. USB is very nice, and I intend to get one of those. I am getting tired of having to listen to entrie shop to get some bit of information. The files on DVR are MP3's I believe.

Different DVRs format files differently. Sony saves as .MSV but their website offers a converter that quickly and easily changes files to other formats such as MP3 or .wav.