Voice recorder / dictaphone – reviews?

[Confusicus]

If any of you are using dictaphones, I’d like to hear your experiences.

I bought a cheap Chinese voice recorder and I’m trying to build a habit of using it. I get thoughts and ideas that appear in an instant, often five at the same time and on totally different topics. And they disappear as quickly as they came, and then I spend a long frustrated hour trying to remember what it was. At best I recap two out of five.

Let’s say I’m talking work with a colleague. Out of nowhere I get an idea for how to get my kids more involvede in the household chores. Here is where I want to pull up the dictaphone, record “small post-its, Sunday, chores” and then keep on talking work.

Now the problem with the voice recorder I bought is getting it started. If it’s not already on I must turn it on and wait for it to start. If I left it on, pressing REC will sometimes start recording, but other times it just wakes it up, and then I must press again for it to start. Unless it has auto turned off – then I must first turn it off, and then on. Aaargh! And the thought had disappeared.

Phone apps could do it, but… If I pick up my phone I’ll see I have a message from my girlfriend, and there’s been an earthquake. And there’s a special on canned peaches. Thought gone.

So I think a dictaphone might be the answer for me.
But when I look at the specs I can read about all features they have, except for how quick and easy it is to start recording.

Please share your experiences and recommendations for voice recorders

[willbyers]

How about using a cassette recorder – it will start recording as soon as you press record

[Author]

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