Best Recorder in the market, lousy software
Written: Feb 27 '06
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Pros: Replaceable memory card, Sound quality, Small,
Cons: Expensive, buggy software, Battery life
The Bottom Line: Replaceable memory card alone makes this the best player. It does what it supposed to do really well.
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| wc201's Full Review: Sony ICD-MS515 (8 MB, 2.5 Hours) Handheld Digital ... |
This recorder is great for anyone who doesn't need high end features. I use this to record my class lecture. I used to have one of those microcassette recorder. It was really annoying to use tape. I constantly have to buy more and more tapes. And the only way to listent to them was through the player itself. This device eliminates all that.
There are some other digital recorder out there that does similar thing for a lot less. However, there is one major difference. Here, you have an option to replace memory stick memory card. Other recording devices have memory built in. As a result, you cannot replace it. Currently, I have 4 128MB Sony memory sticks. I have never needed more than one to record. I think at the lowest setting, it will record over 10 hours easily. I do record my lecture at its highest setting and I do not use the feature that record only when someone speaks. I actually don't like that feature. It often start a few seconds after people start speaking. Anyway, at its highest setting, I can record probably around 6-7 hours easily. I have never needed to record more than that, so i can't tell you exactly how long it will record.
Another convenience factor is that you can name your folders. Unlike the tape, I can organize my classes.
Size is tiny. it will fit anywhere.
Sound quality. This is the biggest difference i noticed since I moved up from the tape. There is no distortion or static coming through especially at its highest setting. It's really clear.
Battery. For this device, get a rechargeable batteries. It's a must. I used to use regular batteries. You need two AAA batteries. They usually last about 10 to 12 hours. The battery meter goes down pretty fast for digital recorder. So, if you need record something for a very long time, buy a brand new battery before recoring. Otherwise, rechargeable will save you a lot of money.
Features: There are many features, but i never needed until now.
Software. You will experience this problem with any SONY product. They insist on using their own software. Most often they are bad. This is no exception.
Format:
This recorder has its own format(no surise here). It saves space but it's not compatible with others. You must convert them through SONY software. It's a hassle, but you could make you software to convert it to your favorite file format, but your storage space will suffer because they take up more spaces than sony format.
Sony media player:
It's very simple. There are two windows to see what's on your recorder. Another screen shows your computer file system. On the botton, there is a player. You can adjust volume, playing speed and so on. There is also a bookmark feature. You can make the file start from a certain point. If you type while you listen, listen carefully here. You must constantly update your bookmark if you don't want to lose where you were. When some other programs like Word saves a file, the media player go back to the beginning.
This media player does not have a mini player, so you will have to deal with the full size player all the time, so switching between two application is annoying. There is, however, keyboard shortcut available so that you can control the player while doing other things such as typing on your word program.
If you purchased a higher end series, then you would have a dictation software built in. It's not all that great. Your software will be already several updates or versions behind. You need to train the system very well to recognize "YOUR" voice and no one elses. When I try to use this feature for my class lecture, it didn't work out so well. It will slow down your computer while this is being performed. It's not exactly SONY's fault, but I don't think there is any great dictation software out there. So, don't get this recorder just because you thought you could use this for that purpose. You will be disappointed.
Conclusion:
This is the best recorder I have ever used so far. I haven't tried many digital version, but you can beat the option of changing memory card.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 170
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Epinions.com ID:
wc201
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Location: Jersey City
Reviews written: 34
Trusted by: 1 member
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