suggestion for a PDA for long voice recording?

[dancray]

I hope you can help me...I am looking for a PDA that uses compactflash so that I can record voice at really long times (lectures 3-6 hrs). Is there a PDA model/brand (cheapest $$)that can record that long (using a 128mb flash card for example)? I think it would be important for it to achieve this to use a codec like mp3....any thoughts?





regards

[spoogenet]

Haven't heard of one....but why not just use a regular voice recorder? I don't know if they support the lengths you desire, though.

b

[VJ]

The Psion 5mx uses compact flash (type I, no microdisk) and supports voice recording (convertible to wav !). The control keys for the voice recorder are on the outside, so there is no need to open the 5mx for record/playback.

http://www.series5mx.com/

I have one, very happy with it (on www.symbian.com you can head for devellopers and find an emulator of the EPOC operating system, requires the installation of eiter the C++ or Java devellopement kit).

pros :
- keyboard
- applications (java !)
cons :
- older system (Epoc5, current version is 6, no upgrade possible)
- mono display (640x240)
- Psion has "suspended" their PDA's
- serial connection to PC (slow)

The Nokia Communicator runs Epoc6, and probabely also supports voice recording (is a gsm-combination)

But I would think the Compacq iPAQ also support voice recording (some models do have a CF-slot I believe) ? Or maybe the Casio Casseiopeia ?
(both are WinCE devices)

Some cellphones (I believe Siemens) also support voice recording, the newer models store this on a multimedia card (if I'm not mistaken). And I do believe there are multimedia card->CFI converters (just as there are converters to put smartmedia cards in CF slots).


Jörg

[VJ]

I forgot :
The Psion uses a proprietary compressed format (mono, 8 bit), and has no limitations wrt CF-cards (I believe there are 512 MB and even 768 MB cards). The StrongARM should theoretically be able to handle MP3, but it is a very tight squize; and due to the low quality speaker (for music), there is not that much pressure on making it. The Psion has no other audio-output, but the format can be transferred to PC and converted to wav (using the PsiWin software), after that, it can be converted to whatever you want).

You ought to check what the Compacq's and Casio's can do, I do believe they have a stereo audio output and that they can be used as an MP3 player. So all they'd need is a microphone and appropriate software...


Jörg

[VJ]

iPAQ supports voice recording :

http://www.compaq.com/products/handhelds/pocketpc/features3.shtml

Cassiopeia has a microphone (so will probabely support voice recording) :

http://www.casio.com/personalpcs/product.cfm?section=19&product=3553&display=10&cid=3897

Jörg

[agallag]

I have an iPaq 3650 in my hand that has the CF sleeve and a 128MB CF card (Lexar Media 8X). In order to make it record to the CF card directly, you have to create a new "note", move it to the card (new notes are always created in the internal memory by default it seems), then add voice to the note. From then on, it looks like it records straight to the CF card.

I haven't tested how long you can record, but I see no reason why you'd be limited by anything other than storage space.

One thing I'd be worried about is the sensitivity of the microphone. It seems a little weak even when talking directly into it (although it does have automatic gain control that may compensate). There's no way to attach an external mic, so you may want to borrow someone else's to test if it can successfully record a lecture.

It also records only in various PCM modes, the lowest quality uses up 8KB/s. There may be third party utils that can record to MP3 format, but that would probably be very taxing on the 206MHz processor.

Another option would be to get something like a Creative Nomad Jukebox. They have 6GB or 20GB of space, and a line input that'll let you attach an external mic. It records at very high quality (44KHz 16bit stereo wav), but there's so much space available that it should go for several hours. Battery life would be a problem though, so you'd have to sit next to a power outlet.