Customer Reviews:
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 Outstanding January 14, 2006
66 out of 66 found this review helpful
My design requirements were stringent, but voice quality requirements were not, since this will mostly be used for making quick "to do" notes.
Features I needed:
* Compact design - able to fit into a small purse, which holds just a little more than a wallet. Must be able to fit into a pocket also.
* Good, simple layout of buttons, with easy to discern "record" and "stop" buttons. If needed to make a note while driving at night, wanted to be able to record without looking and without having to take concentration off the road.
* Ability to upload files to PC, if desired at some point in the future.
After reading tons of reviews of many brands and models, I decided on the WS-100, but checked it out first at a local store. The dimensions were just right - not too bulky, but no microscopic buttons.
Other reviews have noted the attached USB port and ability to upload WMA files, which is a plus. No need for separate cables (although an extension is included), nor for USB docking stations or extra software.
I took this home and was amazed at the quality of the voice recording. The speaker was fine for shopping list type of notes. Setting the microphone sensitivity to "Lo" (dictation mode) cut out a lot of background and hand noise that was picked up in the higher sensitivity setting. The extent of sound tests was spoken words at the kitchen table. Even so, playback quality was excellent with the supplied earbud headphones - far beyond what I would have considered acceptable.
The menus were easy to learn and the instructions were easy to follow. Within a few minutes it became very simple to turn the unit on / off and make recordings without looking. The recorder beeps to confirm that it is on, that recording has begun and that it has stopped. The beeps are even different pitches. Red and green lights flash at the top of the unit for further confirmation that you have started / stopped recording.
This was the only model I found in the stores that ran on only one AAA battery, which is supposed to last 13 hours. Recording time at highest quality is about 4 1/2 hours. It is nice to know that the capacity is there to record meetings.
My requirements were met and then some. I will be able to carry the WS-100 everywhere and use it on the road, if necessary, without thinking about it.
Well done, Olympus.
Excellent for my needs December 1, 2005
109 out of 112 found this review helpful
I'm part of an Irish/Celtic musical duo, and so many times I've wished I had a recorder to capture those spur of the moment and fleeting "inspirations" when we come up with some good musical ideas that we can't remember at the next rehearsal session. "Let's see....what was that cool guitar part you did last week....?" "I don't know....can't remember." So I bought the WS 100 to record our sessions and it does an excellent job. We usually sit about 6' apart, facing each other, and with the WS 100 placed between us on the LO mic setting, it clearly captures every nuance, note and vocal. Best of all, after the session, I can plug it into my USB hub, download the files to my computer and burn a CD for my partner to take with him for practice or to listen to in the car. No, it's not CD quality, but for the purpose intended, we don't need it. We can go into a recording studio for that. But the audio quality is surprisingly good when played through my computer's Altec-Lansing speaker system (the WS 100's internal speaker is pretty lame). I've run a few of the live musical tracks through Gold Wave editing software, adding effects and EQ, and come up with some surprisingly good sounding material.
I say the internal speaker is lame, but actually, it's ok if you adjust the volume and place the speaker against your ear. Obviously, music played back on the small internal speaker won't have the bass and treble spectrum it'd have when played back through a better speaker, but it's still respectable when the speaker is right against your ear. If you're simply listening to the spoken voice, it's very clear. The included ear buds work pretty well, but I don't particularly like sticking things in my ears. When I want to listen to something closely using just the WS 100, I use a set of Sony headphones.
I've gotten to the point where I take it with me when I leave the house. Often I'll be in a store looking at various products that I'd like to check out online, and with the WS 100, I can verbally record the product information for reference instead of walking around the store looking for something to write on.
The tiny size, quality, versatility, direct USB, features, and price make this a real winner for me.
GREAT PRODUCT September 22, 2005
18 out of 55 found this review helpful
It is very small and compact, which is great. Very user friendly as well.
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