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Total Recall Digital Voice Recorder
Monday January 22, 2001 - 10:25 AM EST - By Tom Balkos

Conclusion

The Total Recall really impressed me. I love the Shuttle and the editing features in the PalmOS application are above and beyond what I expected. The desktop application is a great touch which allowed me to email recordings to friends and even include examples of the quality of recording in this review. Everything installed correctly and I didn't experience any problems with the module in my visor. Battery usage, while noticeable, was not enough to worry me. I didn't use the module to record a 1 hour reading of my favorite book, so I won't comment on battery usage for extended recordings. However, for quick reminders and notes, the battery usage was at an acceptable level. I also tended to use the Shuttle more often which should cut down usage of the Visor battery.

There were some problems with this module. The 'New' button in the PalmOS application should be made larger so that a stylus is not needed and a finger can begin a quick recording. I also found that using the functional editing controls proved to be frustrating on occasion. I'm not sure why, but there was a lag of about 1 second from tap to execution of the control. I'm assuming this has something to do with the Visor processor speed. However, if it is a programming problem, Targus needs to take a serious look at improving this issue. The last problem I had definitely needs to be looked at by Targus. When I inserted the module into my Visor, after recording messages with the Shuttle, all the recordings had the same time and date stamp associated with the current time (when the module was inserted) and not when the messages were recorded. I'll repeat my feelings for the Shuttle and say that it is a great idea, however, if I make a half dozen recordings throughout the day, or week, I'd like my recordings to have a time and date stamp of when they were actually recorded. Not when my module was inserted into my Visor.

I'd hate to end this review on a negative note, so I'll finish off by saying that this module has answered a need I've had since getting my Visor. It does a good job of adding voice recording to my attempts of staying organized. The Total Recall (along with the Shuttle) is a voice recorder with the added feature of being a springboard module; not a Springboard module with voice recording capabilities.





Criteria 

Rating

Features 5
Ease of Use 4
Set-up 4
Benefit/Cost 5
Overall
(not an average)
Pros
- The Shuttle!
- Extensive editing tools
- Tons of recording time
Cons
- Time/Date stamp problems
- Controls responsiveness
- Small 'New' button

Story Sections
Total Recall Digital Voice Recorder
Settings and Layout
Recording, Playback, and Editing
Using the Shuttle
>Conclusion


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Product Details
Name: Total Recall Digital Voice Recorder
Company: Targus
Weight: 4 ounces 
Height:
2.5 inches 
Width:
2.13 inches 
Depth:
0.5 inches
Price: $99.99


Buy Total Recall Digital Voice Recorder at Amazon.com





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