Great way to record!!

I have been doing a lot of guest presentations and lectures and needed some way to record them in an mp3 format so that I could upload them to my website and podcast them. This iTalk Pro is a great way!

Cost
I bought the Griffin iTalk Pro from the Apple Store for $49.95, but you can buy it from Amazon.com for just over $22 (which I found out after the fact).

Specifications
16-bit audio at 44.1kHz
8-bit mono at 22kHz
3.5mm stereo input jack
Compatible with iPod + Video 30/80gb

How to Use
To be used with the iPod + Video, the iTalk Pro is simple to use. Just plug it in, the round button lights up on front to let you know that it is active. When you're ready to record, just press it again. The button lights up to let you know that it is recording. To turn it off, just press it again. It's that simple!! When you're finished, just disconnect it.

Recording Time
The iTalk Pro doesn't store the recording. This means that the length of time recording completely depends on the amount of space you have free on your iPod. The good part is that when you sync your iPod with iTunes, it downloads the recording to your computer, completely freeing up the space on your iPod to continue recording new material.

Battery Life Effects
On a new iPod + Video 30 gb, I've used the iTalk Pro for a 45 minute seminar I conducted. The battery level was still more than 3/4's full when I completed the recording. It appears that the iTalk Pro doesn't suck the life out of the battery, which is helpful for longer recordings.

Sound Quality
You can record this in high or low quality, which can be determined on the iPod itself. I usually use it in HIGH quality and the sound is quite impressive. Low quality is good for class lectures or personal use, but if you're going to use it for music recordings or podcasts, the high quality is very good. There is no volume control on the iTalk Pro. All the volume control can be handled in 2 ways: on the iPod itself or if you download the mp3 file to your computer and then adjust the volume through editing software, such as Audacity.

Features
If you're wanting to use an external microphone, the bottom of the iTalk Pro does have an outlet for a 3.5mm jack. However, I find the mic on the iTalk Pro itself is more than satisfactory.

Once you sync the iPod to your iTunes, the recording is downloaded (as opposed to sync'd) to free up space on the iPod.

Drawbacks
The only drawback I have found so far is that I cannot use the iTalk Pro with my case. The iTalk Pro has to be flush with the bottom of the iPod in order to activate the components to make it work. Any case will prevent this from happening, so you have to take the iPod out of the case, which for me, is a pain because it's a hard case.

As far as compatibility, the iTalk is only meant for the iPod. If there is other connections (via USB, etc.) the packaging doesn't acknowledge it, so I'm assuming it is limited to the iPod.

Overall
This is a great addition to the iPod. Well worth the money and is easy to utilize.