This is from the May 1995 Issue of PC World. Guess when Voicelink (not mentioned)is implied to be in use???
From the May 1995 Issue of PC World
Handheld Digital Recorders Let
You Speak Your Mind
I do my best thinking when I'm driving. The clouds inside my brain lift, brilliant
ideas flood my synapses, and I suddenly remember I forgot to pay the gas bill.
Yet the moment I get near a pen or a keyboard, all that brilliance clouds over
again. Fortunately, I've discovered three digital devices that let me record
these fleeting insights as they strike and make them easy to find later.
Voice It Worldwide's Personal Note Recorder - a gizmo the size of a credit
card - holds from 20 seconds to 2 minutes of voice recording in its internal
memory chip, capacity depending on the model. The 20-second VT-20 sells
for about $50; the 2-minute VT-120 goes for about $100 (there are also 40-
and 90-second models).
Like Voice it, Norris Communications' Flashback also works just like a
microcassette recorder, but this cool-looking device uses removable
30-minute or 60-minute memory cards, called SoundClips, instead of tapes.
The $249.95 Flashback lets you search for entries, tack new thoughts on to
the end of previously recorded items, and insert new recordings anywhere you
want.
Sycom Technologies' Voice Input Planner (VIP) 9000 Plus looks like your
average handheld organizer, with a two-line LCD, a dinky alphanumeric
keypad, and the usual organizer functions - memo pad, address book, and
scheduler. But the $399 VIP Plus lets you record 11 minutes of voice notes
and then set alarms so the notes play back at specified times.
To check out these gadgets, I carried them around for a few days, recording
bits of wisdom.
Geek on Wheels
For my first test, I took the devices mountain biking. In short order, I recorded
my first brilliant insight: In my bike helmet and shorts, with a fanny pack full of
digital recorders, I looked like a complete geek.
Voice It's VT-20 fit easily in my hand while I rode, and its record, play, skip,
and erase buttons were all within thumb's reach. But 20 seconds of storage
proved far too brief; even 2 minutes wouldn't be enough for a long ride.
Norris's Flashback also operates with one hand, though its two-button
controls are less intuitive than the VT-20's. Still, the Flashback is probably the
safest choice for someone on two wheels, thanks to a handy wrist strap that
leaves fingers free for braking and shifting.
While Sycom's VIP 9000 let me record voice entries using one hand, trying to
do anything else proved perilous. For example, to set an alarm I had to press
the buttons with my nose, narrowly missing several unwitting pedestrians.
After that, I switched to four wheels, cruising down the freeway in my 1981
Honda, recording pithy observations, and listening to ZZ Top's "I'm Bad, I'm
Nationwide." Insight number two: The recorders differ noticeably in sound
quality. The VT-20 produced consistently crisp recordings with minimal
background noise. Flashback's entries were crackly yet audible, but Sycom's
VIP 9000 made it sound like I was trapped in a fire at a cellophane factory.
Even in a quiet setting, the VIP had the poorest sound quality of the lot.
Now What?
Next, I had to do something with my digitized thoughts. With the VT-20, my
options were to transcribe them manually or erase them to make room for new
entries. By the time you read this, the Flashback and the VIP 9000 will be
able to download voice files to your PC's hard disk - the Flashback
SoundClips card will plug into any PC Card (formerly PCMCIA) slot; the
VIP will transfer voice and data files via a serial port link.
You'll be able to save the downloaded recordings as WAV files and play them
back using a sound card - useful if you want to transcribe an entry in your
word processor, attach a voice comment to a Windows document, or simply
store a recording for reference. Me, I didn't have any thoughts worth saving,
though I did record a wicked vocal on "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide."
- Daniel Tynan
Norris Flashback, Sycom VIP 9000 Plus, Voice It Personal Note Recorder
A trio of digital devices that record your thoughts.
Norris Communications 619/679-1504. List price: $249.95; 30-minute
SoundClip $69.95, 60-minute SoundClip $99.95
Sycom Technologies 800/773-2503, 610/660-5770. List price: $399
Voice It Worldwide 800/999-3522 ext. 40. List price: $49.95 to $99.95
Jim
P.S. I did not want to take the time to format it.
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