Memo to self: Check out the goVox Voice Recorder
Pros:
Same size as the original Palm flip cover. Sensitive microphone and quality playback. Easy to use. Gives you the ability to capture thoughts and ideas - without having to use graffiti. Holds up to 99 messages or 8 minutes of messages
Cons:
Does not work on the Palm Pilot Professional. No display to tell you which memo you are on. No volume control.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Digital voice recorders aren't exactly revolutionary pieces of technology. However, LandWare's goVox Voice Recorder presents this technology in an intuitive manner.
The goVox voice recorder replaces the ordinary plastic flip cover on the Palm Pilot. On the front of the cover are recording and playback buttons, a sensitive microphone, and speaker. On the inside is a handy Graffiti and punctuation chart. All of these features reside on a cover no larger than the original. It is designed for the Palm III series, with a special model available for the Palm V series. Palm Pilot Professional owners are out of luck.
The recorder is a stand-along piece of equipment. It does not interface with any of the Palm's applications, nor does it suck away its valuable battery life. The recorder is powered by two 3V 2032 lithium batteries (included) that should last for a couple of months. I should note that you could keep recorded messages on the recorder for as long as the batteries last. However, LandWare recommends frequent deleting of messages to conserve battery life. The recorder can store up to 99 messages, the total of the messages not to exceed 8 minutes.
goVox performance is superb. The microphone is plenty sensitive and playback sounds really good. I use it a lot while driving to capture important ideas as they pop into my head. One thing I have noticed is that the microphone tends to record some wind noise if you are recording while driving with the windows rolled down. However, the sound is still very good.
The controls on the recorder are relatively straightforward. They sort of resemble VCR buttons. To record, push the Record button. To stop recording, push the Record button again. To play back messages, push the play button. To skip through messages, push the forward and backward skip buttons. One of my peeves with the controls is that pushing the Play button does not play ALL the messages - only the last one recorded (or the message you have skipped to). To play all the messages, you have to push the Play button, then hold down the forward skip button for 2 seconds.
Another peeve was that you have no idea which message you are on. The recorder has no message counter. The device also lacks a volume control. Keep in mind that none of these shortcomings are showstoppers. Including them as features would probably increase the size of the recorder.
In closing, I highly recommend the goVox voice recorder. It is great for people on the go who need a quick way to capture thoughts and ideas. The learning curve for the recorder is about 60 seconds and it is a great companion for your Palm device.
