Pearlcorder T1010
Written: Feb 24 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Price and durability
Cons: Noisy stop and start
The Bottom Line: Definitely good return for the price (T1010).
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| lightnin's Full Review: Olympus Pearlcorder T1000 Desktop Cassette Transcr... |
Eight or nine years ago, after working on a Lanier system in the office for a couple of years, the opportunity to take dictation home as an IC arose. I jumped at it! But I needed a machine, NOW.
I went for price. I had no choice because I had very little money to spare. Enter the Olympus Pearlcorder T1010, the least expensive at the local electronics store. Cost: About $165, returned in about three tapes (microcassette).
As I mentioned, that was quite a few years ago. I'm pretty happy with my choice, obviously, since I'm still working with it.
I don't transcribe as heavily as most ICs, but I certainly do a fair share. I transcribe an average of four days per week, anywhere from 30 to 120 minutes of dictation (rough translation: 60-240 minutes of transcription; add another 50% for ESL).
It's a workhorse. The speed control has a good range. The tape speed selection has never failed. The foot pedal and headphones have survived well and the headphones are very light and comfortable. There are high and low tone settings which do help in some cases, and a good volume range, all you'll need.
The foot pedal is easy to work for me, a "right footer". There is an easy-to-work back-up setting, too. It IS noisy--"CLUNK!"--backing up, still noticeable after all these years, but it no longer bothers me. The back-up button is a broad one on the right side of the foot pedal. It's easy enough to use.
One big advantage is the erase feature. I use a magnetic tape eraser, but this machine requires TWO buttons to be depressed in order to erase. (Actually, that was the other feature I required before purchasing.) Yes, I know most machines do, but I have worked on machines that only require one button to be depressed in order to erase. Disaster!!! I have picked up a machine in the past to check its connections and discovered that my tape was partially erased unbeknownst to me, easily and silently, by depressing one button inadvertently. With this in mind, perhaps the noisy start and stop is an advantage here. Some machines don't have erase options for this reason.
I don't need a record feature, and this has none. But my needs are well met with this machine, reliably and inexpensively.
All-in-all, this machine has served my purposes quite well. I have no need, until it finally breaks down, to search for another.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lightnin
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Reviews written: 47
Trusted by: 19 members
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