Customer Reviews

Targus PA600U Total Recall Digital Voice Recorder for Handspring

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Total Recall met all expectations of what I would be using it for when it arrived. I use it to record notes while driving for later use, and in meetings to review in detail those items that may not have been noted with the conventional pad and pen. The 90 minute time limit should be able to last through most meetings. The stand alone unit is small and fits into a pocket easily, and will detach and insert into the Visor readily, notations about content can be attached to "tracks" when in the Visor. I have tried using the Total Recall with only the built-in mic for recording music at a concert, and must say, it recorded the sounds, but this type of recording is better left to an MP3 type unit. I view my purchase of the Total Recall as a sound investment for my intended use.

I bought the total recall voice recorder for the university classes. When I started using it I found that you need to be very close to the subject that you are recording, if not is going to be very hard for you to understand it. For taking personal notes is excellent.

The Targus Total Recall Digital Voice Recorder is a neat little gadget that adds to the usefulness of the Handspring Visor. (...) it will allow you to digitally record personal memos, lectures, etc. at the tap of the screen. It slides into the module expansion slot of the Visor, but can also be used independently as a stand-alone digital voice recorder. It's easy to use, has good sound quality, and makes life easier, though it is a bit expensive and bulky.

Personally, I find that I under-utilize my Visor. There are always moments when I want to jot down little notes or reminders, but find that writing things out using the Palm graffiti is sometimes more effort than it's worth. This situation is ideal for the Total Recall Voice Recorder. It's always easier to record a verbal message for yourself than it is to write out a long memo. And the Targus Digital Recorder is nicely designed to meet these needs. It's incredibly easy to use and install--just slide it into the back of your Visor and you're off and running. The recording quality is excellent (even on the lowest quality setting or in noisy environments) and you can record digital voice memos for up to 90 minutes (far more than I ever found the need for). Each verbal message is time and date stamped and is well-organized on the Visor screen for accessibility later. I was additionally impressed with the range of Voice Recorder. For recording personal messages, it is always loud and clear. But to my surprise, it was additionally usable for recording lectures from some distance.

There are numerous little features that I had not expected with the Voice Recorder. For one, the unit could be better described as a stand-alone Digital Voice Recorder that happens to also be a Visor module. Just pop it into its "shuttle" and you can record memos for yourself even when you don't have your Visor handy. There are four buttons that allow you to control the unit and record without the Visor. The shuttle operates on 2 AAA batteries. The upside to using the Total Recall as a stand-alone digital recorder is that it's a lot smaller and easier to transport. It can be later attached to your Visor for easy playback and editing. Moreover, using it in this manner will keep it from draining the batteries in your Handspring. The downside to the stand-alone mode is that the same time/date stamp is applied to all of your recordings (i.e. the time it was attached as a Visor module). The other big problem here is that it makes for one additional thing to carry...as if we didn't have enough.

The fact that it can be used with the Visor creates greater functionality and makes it more useful than a conventional digital voice recorder. For example, it is easy to edit messages. At the touch of the screen, you can insert new recordings into the middle of voice message, add to the end of a message, or even place bookmarks into a recording. Additional features on the Targus Total Recall unit include volume control, voice activation (unit turns off after 3 seconds of silence and turns back on when you continue talking), microphone and headphone jacks, and a PC desktop application that allows you to transfer recordings onto your computer

The biggest downside is the cost. Is it really worth (the price)? Despite liking the Total Recall Voice Recorder, I find the price to be a bit much for my needs as a student. However, for what you're getting in terms of portability, usability, and compatibility with the Visor, the cost does seem reasonable compared to other Digital Voice Recorders. The bottom line is that med students are busy people and have tons of information being thrown at them and the Total Recall Voice Recorder has the ability to make life a little easier. If you're someone that's in the market for a Digital Voice Recorder or if you find entering text into the Visor to be tedious, difficult, and slow, then this Total Recall Digital Voice Recorder might be right for you.

While this is a great idea the execution is somewhat lacking. There are a lot of minor issues which pile up to really weaken the product. One, for example, is that the software fails to disable the "auto off" feature of the visor when appending an already existing recording. I lost about 5 important recordings before I figured this problem out.
The standalone feature is more or less useless to me because it only records at high quality in this mode, limiting recording time to 15 mins. Also there is no way to delete tracks in standalone, so once the recorder is filled up you can do nothing with it until you can get it into your visor.
One more thing to beware of is that if you use a serial hotsync cradle your synchronization time will be approx 15 to 20 minutes when the recorder is full.

Good: plenty of memory for recordings, easy integration with Hot Sync, nice standalone size. Bad: easy to misrecord, notes are time stamped when plugged into Visor not when recorded, big battery drain, Palm software sluggish and cumbersome. Better use of your money to buy a different gadget.

I have 3 Handspring Visors (Deluxe, Prism, Platinum), and I find it useful to be able to turn any one of them into a dictation machine. For the most part, I tape small notes to myself. This is very convenient when I'm shopping in a store or taking notes from doctors about my mother's condition. She's 86. I use the Targus Recorder in any situation where it is awkward to try to enter data on the Visor manually.

I have been unable to use this item as intended. It seems to record when I don't want it to, yet doesn't work when I need it.

The battery compartment is poorly manufactured, and the recording module does not snap in tightly. I must physically push on it when recording, and even then it runs intermittently.

The record button is easily bumped, and there's nothing to protect it from turning on by itself while in a pocket or purse (independent of the visor pda), so the battery drains.

You cannot record while it's installed in the PDA without using the touch-screen, as the buttons are inaccessible.

I have also never figured out how to transfer the files to my PC; there are no clear-cut instructions explaining it.

I have mixed emotions about my recorder module. It is very small and I love the stand alone feature because it is so portable. Unfortunately on three different occasions when I went to use it in the stand alone mode, I couldn't. Apparently while in my pocket, the record button was activated and the unit was full of background recordings. You can not delete these messages without putting the module into your PDA or by using your PC. I also have not been able to install the program on my PC and support from Targus has not been sufficient to solve that problem. Lest you think that is due to my mechanical ineptitude, realize that a staff person from our institution's IT department is attempting to do the installation. I won't truly know the units capability until that problem is solved. Possibly a little flip cover to protect the buttons from accidental activation would be a good new feature to add. The unit records well (assuming you are close to the sound) but the above deficiencies are frustrating. I also assumed I would be able to record using the buttons while the module is installed in the PDA. You cannot. When the module is installed, you can only activate the unit using the stylus.

On the side of the box:
"Voice Desktop Application to transfer you recording to your PC. (requires Windows 98 or 2000)"

The "Total Recall" worked fine in my Handspring and with its stand alone power source. However, I wasn't able to sync it with my desktop. After doing the normal uninstall/reinstall with no results, I wrote Targus. I also asked about the fine print noted above. They recommended I upgrade my Handspring OS, which I did, but to no avail. Customer Service was responsive, but ultimately unable to help me solve this problem. They eventually sent me a new "Total Recall". However, this time neither the stand alone power source nor the actual recorder worked. Unless you have Windows 98 or 2000, you might end up wasting a lot of time.

This is a very cool item. It's fucntional and nicely designed. Sounds good but I couldn't get it to work with my Visor Deluxe. Customers service was fair via email. They got back to me within 24 hrs each time but in the end they couldn't help-but to get them to admit it I had to pointedly ask. They just had no idea why it didn't work for me. I reinstalled the supplied software and the Palm desktop multiple times with no luck.

So, I wouldn't suggest anyone buy this item until they can get it to function properly-or you give it a try and make you can return it for a full refund. :( Very disappointed here.