Member Avatar for onauc

Hello,

I am not much of an expert in home electronics and I was wondering if you can be just a little kind to recommend me the right product for my needs.

You see, I was actually looking for a voice recorder so I can record dictates. I was searching for "audio bugs" because they are small, light and secretive and may become handy one day but then I came across "pen hard-drives" and "mp3 players-recorders" and I thought the latter is better because not only can I record voices but listen to music too downloaded from the internet via my pc.
This is even better for me.

Anyway, now I have come across "mp3 players-recorders" that have their own "internal radio" so now I can listen to music from the radio and record them too aswell as record voices and download music from the internet via my pc !
Recently, I have come across Ipods on ebay and quite frankly I don't understand the difference between the Ipod and an mp3 player-recorder.
I don't have Apple Macintosh but a regular PC running Windows OS.

So may I tell you what I want and you can kindly recomend me the BARGAIN best for my needs ?
I want a small gadget that will:

* allow me to download music to it from my PC's
hard-drive and/or CD
(I want to listen to music and audio files downloaded
from the internet)
* play music and audio files from it's internal
hard-drive/memory
* plays mp3 (better if it plays any other formats too
such as wma)
* play radio (so I can listen to the radio when I am
out on the streets and don't have access to my car
radio or home radio or walkman)
* records voices and sounds near it (via built-in
michrophone so I don't have to attach a michrophone
and speak into it unless I want to attach such)
* records music/voice direct from it's own radio system
* let me attach ear-peace (so I can listen to things
with-out distrubing others near me)
* has replace-able or 'built-in internal"
battery that is rechargeable (so I don't have to
spend money buying batteries every so often when
batteries run-out of charge)
* is small, light-weight (suitable to reside in shirt
pocket or cling to shirt-collar)
* look "un-notice-able" (secretive) so I can secretly
record conversations with persons whom I engage in
conversations.

Please recommend me a low cost, bargain gadget and then recommend me a brand and model on that gadget.
I don't know what this gadget should be (Ipod, Mp3-player-recorder, pen-hdd, anything else which I never heard of, etc.).

Thank You

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by mikeandike22

Dani AI

Generated

A short, practical update for (and to acknowledge and ): the thread is nearly two decades old and the easiest way to meet your checklist today depends on which you value most — convenience or audio quality. For convenience (download music, play back files, record voice quickly, stream or listen to radio via apps, use headphones, rechargeable battery, tiny size) a modern smartphone already covers almost everything with built‑in apps (iPhone’s Voice Memos, Samsung’s Voice Recorder and equivalents) and simple export/sync options. Apple Voice Memos Samsung Voice Recorder. (support.apple.com)

If you need better capture quality for dictation/interviews, or prefer a tiny dedicated device you can clip to clothing, consider a small digital voice recorder. The Zoom H1n is a compact, professional‑grade handheld with line/mic input and high‑quality WAV options; Sony’s ICD‑PX series is very pocketable and simple to use for dictation. Most modern dictation recorders (including popular Sony models) focus on mic/line recording and will not include an FM‑record feature, so check specs if radio capture is essential. Zoom H1n Sony ICD‑PX470 specs. (zoomcorp.com)

Two quick, practical tips: 1) If you must record FM broadcasts, either buy a device that explicitly lists “FM recording” (rare) or feed the radio’s headphone output into a recorder’s line‑in for the cleanest capture (many recorders like the H1n support a mic/line input). 2) Always check legality before any covert or secretive recordings — federal law and state laws differ (federal one‑party rule vs states that require all‑party consent). Read 18 U.S.C. §2511 and a current 50‑state survey before you hit record. 18 U.S.C. §2511 50‑state survey. (zoomcorp.com)

Bottom line: for a single, low‑cost, low‑hassle solution use your phone; for clearer dictation or interview work, pick a dedicated recorder (Sony for pocket price and simplicity, Zoom for quality).

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Member Avatar for mikeandike22

the best mp3 player out there right now, contrary to common belief which is that ipod is god it isnt that great. the best value for an mp3 player is the 30gb dell dj for $230, it has 48hrs of battery life, is supporetd on windows and linux, it has a usb dock and cable, comes with slip case, and it has very good sound quality, it plays every format that an ipod can, so u dont have to convert all your mp3s for this, it also has a drag and drop feature it is a lot easier to put your songs onto this than with an ipod. In my experience ipods are very overrated and have poor sound quality. That is pretty much all I have to share about cool gizmos.

Member Avatar for alc6379

I would like to know where you read that DJ has Linux support...

Member Avatar for mikeandike22

Umm i have one, it cant run linux like an ipod can(or i have heard but never seen), but u can load songs from linux(but i recommend u stick to the windows interface). And if i am wrong that it cant do it out of the box(i have some extra stuff i installed myself on it), then it is still better than an ipod so w/e.

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