Sony ICD-MX20 Memory Stick Pro Duo Digital Voice Recorder
by Sony
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Our Price: $369.87 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $149.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sony ICD-MX20 Memory Stick Pro Duo Digital Voice Recorder
Customer Review: Sony icd-mx20
Summary: 3 Stars
product was better than expected. however, i was told that there would be software to convert the voice files to a file that can be used on the computer or by a transcriber. that wa not present and i had a difficult time finding one, i have not yet found a solution. so while the product is great, it leave out one important part which renders it only 3 stars.Customer Review: Good Product
Summary: 3 Stars
I like this product. However, it does not allow you to name the folders. The model I purchased two years ago will do that. Also, the memory stick is a proprietary item. I wanted to use an off the shelf memory stick. The best part is the reliability of Amazon. The order arrived when they said it would.Customer Review: This is unbelievably bad
Summary: 2 Stars
As I watched the video on the Apple web site regarding the new iphone and its elegant simplicity, I could not help but ponder the last 3 months I have spent trying to understand how to use my new ICD-MX20 digital voice recorder. Several months before that I asked my secretary to review digital recorders and order me the best of the lot. She and our IS team came up with this recorder and I have come to dislike it intensely. I have no complaints about its operation. It is small, easily transported, has excellent acoustics, and seemingly will do many things. The problem is that it is a challenge to understand how to make the recorder do the simplest of tasks. For example, during the dictation of a document it is common to rethink a sentence after it is dictated and to rewind the dictating device to a specific point and redictate the section. In my mind this should be no more difficult pushing the rewind button and dictating over the text to be replaced. Sony, of course, thinks otherwise. In order to dictate over a segment it is necessary to activate a separate process. Let me read you the text in the instruction book to give you some idea of this process (and this is verbatim!).
"You can add a recording to the message being played back.
Notes
*At a factory setting, you cannot add a recording not to erase the message by accidental operation. To add or overwrite a recording, set the "Add/Over" in the menu to "Add REC" or "Overwrite".
* The added or overwritten portion of a message will be recording in the same recording mode (ST, STLP, SP, or LP) as the original message, regardless of the current recording mode setting. For more information see "Troubleshooting".
How's this for clarity? A double negative in one sentence would appropriately be interpreted as it is possible to erase the message by accidental operation. Fortunately, I had a hunch that the writer (if one can describe this as writing) did not really mean the double negative. So I spent the next 10 minutes searching the menu for either the "Add REC" or "Overwrite". After pushing almost every choice in the menu I found the correct button. Once this was activated I was actually able to overwrite a section of a previous dictation. However, the only way that I have found to rewind is to go back to the beginning and listen to the entire dictation. That is not a problem if the dictation is 30-60 seconds (although even that is inefficient), but more commonly my dictations are extended 10-20 min documents. So I am still trying to figure out how to make the device go back a short distance.
I would suggest that you not bother reading the instructions, but in fact it is virtually impossible to understand the thought processes of the people who designed the device without the instructions - there is no escaping the pain.
This brings me to my major point. This device, while a wonder of technology, was designed by someone who was intent on torturing the user by creating an interface that is at best unfriendly. To continue the process of torture, he (this could only be a male) then convinced his best friend to write the instruction pamphlet for this device. I can only imagine the glee they must have experienced as they concocted the perfect way to drive the unsuspecting purchaser mad. Caveat emptor.
Customer Review: Device great but don't buy if you only have Macintosh
Summary: 2 Stars
The device is great, audio quality and features fine, but their proprietary audio format and lack of ANY Macintosh software that can read it is infuriating. Fortunately I use boot camp but it is a pain. Sony should give you the option to recording uncompressed WAV or AIF, and not just their lousy MSV format. I knew before the purchase that the software they provide was not Mac compatible, but didn't know that the audio could not be read by ANY Mac software. Sony, get your act together.Customer Review: Unbelievably Difficult to Use
Summary: 2 Stars
Technical devices are usually easy for me to navigate. That is until I met the Sony ICD-MX20. It is unbelievable! I have now owned this device for 3 months, have made multiple efforts to read the incomprehensible instructions that came with the recorder, and am now looking for a replacement. It is hard to comment on all the great features every one comments upon when it is not possible to get to first base! This product is only for super techies. Normal people should look elsewhere.