Philips VT780052 Digital Voice Tracer

by Philips

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00000K0FN
• Item model number: VT780052
• Batteries: 1 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #445,208 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The Philips VG780052 Digital Voice Tracer is more than just a voice recorder. Its 4 MB of RAM can store any type of file--not simply voice recordings--and when plugged into a notebook computer's Type III PCMCIA slot, it is recognized as a 4 MB hard drive.

We can imagine a time when gadgets like the Philips VT780052 Digital Voice Tracer will be truly useful, but right now there are far superior and less expensive devices for capturing short voice recordings. The device is a PCMCIA card with a plastic case, built-in speaker and microphone, and controls on the front for making quick recordings. The Digital Voice Tracer is designed to be used with a notebook computer and works fairly well in that regard. Adding and removing files is straightforward, but unfortunately this device isn't the solution for people who need to transfer files from a notebook computer to a desktop PC, as most desktop systems don't have PCMCIA slots.

Philips is banking on the fact that people will use the Digital Voice Tracer to send their voice messages via e-mail attachments, but the technology is ill-suited for this purpose. This product records WAV files, which are notorious for their storage inefficiency. The designers tried to get around this by using more efficient 8,000 Hz, 4-bit mono WAV recordings, and it doesn't work well. Those settings require only 4 Kbps of memory for storage, but the sound quality is abysmal. Couple that with the device's tiny, weak speaker and it's nearly impossible to hear the recording without holding the device close to your ear, unless you happen to be in a room that is completely silent. Piping the sound through your PC's speakers helps, but does nothing to improve the sound quality.

The Digital Voice Tracer is useful in certain circumstances, but we feel its concept is ahead of its time. Until products with better sound quality and more memory are available, a standard minicassette recorder still is the best way to quickly capture your thoughts, and typing your e-mail still is the ideal way to communicate via a computer. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Extremely compact
• PCMCIA interface features are a nice touch
• Includes a nice carrying case

Cons:

• Minimal documentation
• Poor sound quality
• Doesn't interface with a desktop PC

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars great way to get your point accross in email-include voice!, September 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Philips VT780052 Digital Voice Tracer (Office Product)

The digital voice tracer is a pretty cool device. It works well with my laptop, which I keep with me while I'm on the road. I can record stuff I would normally have to type into an email, and when I later sit down with my laptop, I add my voice (wave file) with the other information I need to send along in a an email. Neat idea.

2.0 out of 5 stars Clever, not Mac compatible, August 17, 2002

By 

Andrew Marshall (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Philips VT780052 Digital Voice Tracer (Office Product)

Clever design, but would not work in my Mac laptop PCMCIA slot.

18 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sucky-sucky, February 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Philips VT780052 Digital Voice Tracer (Office Product)

This is a pretty useless product - got it as a present - trust me, just type your email... much easier than this