Review of the Olympus Digital Voice Recorder VN-2100PC

I've had this Olympus digital voice recorder for a solid 4 months at the time of writing. I didn't have a clue about voice recorders before I did my two days of research looking for one with good sound quality at an affordable price. The reviews at Amazon.com helped me take the plunge and I've experienced the many good and the minimal bad (which is not really bad so much as potentially annoying, depending on your needs and how you'll use it). I'll just give a rundown of the good and the bad, along with some things you might need to know...

The Good

- You can organize your audio files by folders. There are 4 folders available marked A, B, C, D. You can use each folder for a specific purpose. For example, you can use folder A to dictate interesting tips you find online, folder B for audio files to use in video clips, folder C for reminders and to-do lists, etc.

- Sound quality playback on computer speakers is very good, as long as you record in high quality. This recorder will pick up every sound in the highest mode, even the sound of tires on the pavement when you're driving in your car with the windows up.

- You can download the audio files to your computer via a USB cable and simple software that comes with the recorder. Some people have said the software looks a bit antiquated, but it gets the job done.

- This voice recorder is very affordable and is one of the best (if not THE best) dvr you'll get for the price. On Amazon, at the time of this writing, you can purchase it for approximately $50.

The Bad

- You can't download individual files in folders, it's the whole folder or nothing. If you organize your folders like mentioned above and you don't record a whole lot of audio to save for downloading later, then this shouldn't be too much of a problem.

- You can't use the original files in a compressed format because they're wav file, not mp3 files. The good news is that you can easily get around this problem with iTunes: just import, convert to mp3, select the file (hold down the Ctrl while selecting to highlight several files at one time), then right-click and choose "Copy", then go to the place you want to save your new mp3 files and right-click and choose "Paste". You can also use mp3 converter software like Wavepad to convert the files.

- This is not necessarily a bad thing, but something people might want to be aware of: the erase button is the smallest one of this device, and it may be a challenge to press for people who have pudgy fingers.

Some Other Things You Should Know

- Don't let the light weight of this recorder fool you, or the playback on the recorder itself: you need to hear the audio on your computer speakers to get the real quality sound.

- You can store up to 99 different audio files in a single folder.

- There is a place for you to insert a microphone if you don't want to speak directly into the recorder.

- The recorder comes with 2 AAA batteries, and a USB cable and Digital Wave software to download your files

- It says you can record up to 36 hours in LP mode, but unless you want a muffled, low quality playback I don't recommend you use this mode.

- In my experience, the batteries last a good long while, as long as you're not recording constantly (when I first got this, I recorded a few things every other day).

All in all, the Olympus VN-2100PC is a great device to have when you're on the go and you get hit with an idea you want to record as a reminder. I've used it in the car and in the grocery store. I've used it to make audio recordings for videos I submit, as well as to-do lists for the week. I even have my positive affirmations recorded on it to playback every morning, and future ideas I might want to use stored up and ready for me anytime I'm ready to listen. My verdict? More than adequate.