I agree that the quality of the recording on the iPod, used with the
Griffin microphone could be improved, although I have tested it in lectures
and the results, if listened through earphones, are really not bad.

On another point, it is possible to create tracks and it is possible to
name files using an iPod and being dyslexic and dyspraxic myself I find it
ergonomically very easy to use and not as fiddly as other recording
devices.

Also a very important feature of the iPod is that it does work as an
external storage device and more importantly as a personal organiser
synchronising with the student's computer very easily (especially with
Apple Macs), giving reminders etc.. and I have had very positive feedback
on this facility from students.

Although I tend to recommend the Olympus DM20 for PC students and anybody
using Dragon NS, I think that the iPod is a very good solution for Apple
Mac students who have time management and organisational problems.

Dona Diani-Walsha
Needs Assessor

--On 15 April 2005 09:29 +0100 Keith Griffin <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> I had a conversation with a supplier not so long ago about iPod's and was
> advised to bear the following points in mind. The iPod does not have a
> 'track mark' facility and you can not name files, it is evidently quite
> easy to inadvertently turn the machine off, the record quality is not
> strong and there is a tendency for iPod's to pick up background and
> 'white noise'. There is no facility to organise and structure the files
> and perhaps most importantly Dragon and iPod's do no work together as
> supplied, you need a third party converter, which adds further
> complications to the recording process (especially for the non-techie
> minded), as well as additional costs. I was also told the Belkin is an
> omni-directional not uni-directional mic so the record quality is not as
> good. My preference is for either the DM20 or the MZ-B10
>
>
> Keith Griffin
> CELT
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Phil Teare
> Sent: 14 April 2005 18:08
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: i-pods
>
>  I wasn't aware of this problem.
>
> Are the i-pod guys insane? Why not use mic jack socket? are they too thin?
>
> Sounds like the quality could be a problem too?
>
> Of course many pocket PCs will record. My wife's I-paq H4000 does this.
> Again the price may be prohibative, but then it comes with a silly amount
> of other useful features. However just looking at it now, there's no mic
> socket! Its internal mic is not nearly good enough to capture every word
> of a lecture (I just listened to her recording of a nursing lecture, and
> a ot of it is unintelligable fuzz)
>
> So having heard this I'll stick to recommending Sony Minidisk and Sony
> digital Mic. (Mini disks are incredibly cheep now and I've had only one
> die on me after 5 years).
>
> I'm not one of those techno snobs who have to have the best spec
> everything, I just know that if you can't hear your recording, its
> useless.
>
> Extraordinary solutions for extraordinary people
> http://www.Read-e.com
> 0800 849 6760
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Graham Rice" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 5:46 PM
> Subject: Re: i-pods
>
>
>> > The quality is exceptional (good if your not at the front of the class
>> every
>> > time). I especially recommend the mic (which I'm sure could work with
>> > an i-pod.
>>
>> Phil
>> Be careful you can't just plug a microphone into an iPod you need to use
>> either a Griffin iTalk or a Belkin Universal Microphone Adaptor to give
> you
>> a socket you can attach the microphone too.
>>
>> I had problems with the Griffin iTalk when it first came out it would
>> only work with stereo external microphones, Griffin told me that they
>> were working on it and would send me a replacement when they worked out a
>> solution alas I am still waiting. I found the Griffin iTalk to produce
>> better personal recordings than the Belkin voice recorder but there were
>> also some odd problems with it. There is a report about the iTalk on the
>> Amazon webpage
>>
>> See the section on Features and Performance at the sight below
>>
>>
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001WW398/103-2778951-1146
> 221
>> ?v=glance
>>
>> I found the Belkin Universal Microphone Adapter to work with all our
>> microphones and to work better if the speaker is further away though you
>> need to practice to find which the best setting to be used is. Another
> snag
>> is there is no internal microphone or speaker on the Belkin Universal
>> Microphone Adapter which means you have to have an external microphone if
>> you want to make personal recordings as with the Griffin iTalk.
>>
>> Which ever recorder/adapter is used all voice memo files recorded on an
> iPod
>> are limited to 8kHz, 16 bit mono WAV files.
>>
>> Every so often I have another try at recording lectures using an iPod but
> so
>> far every time I do I get better results using other digital recorders or
>> Minidiscs
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Graham Rice, Technician
>>
>> Computer Centre for People with Disabilities
>> University of Westminster
>> 72 Great Portland Street
>> London W1W 7NH
>>
>>
>> ** The Central London Access Centre **
>>
>> Tel: +44 020 7915 5428
>> Fax: +44 020 7911 5162
>>
>> [log in to unmask]
>> http://www.wmin.ac.uk/ccpd/
>>
>> This e-mail and its attachments are intended for the above named only and
>> may be confidential. If they have come to you in error you must not copy
> or
>> show them to anyone, nor should you take any action based on them, other
>> than to notify the error by replying to the sender.
>>
>>
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
>> [mailto:DIS-
>> > [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Phil Teare
>> > Sent: 14 April 2005 16:26
>> > To: [log in to unmask]
>> > Subject: Re: i-pods
>> >
>> > I use the Sony MZ-R70 minidisc and sony ECM-MS907 digital mic.
>> >
>> > The quality is exceptional (good if your not at the front of the class
>> every
>> > time). I especially recommend the mic (which I'm sure could work with
>> > an i-pod.
>> >
>> > Although the price may be a little high, I really would go with this
>> > mic
>> if
>> > poss. (there may be newer versions in the same line out now, though I
> can
>> > only recommend this model as its the only one I've used).
>> >
>> > Seriously, it has to be heard to be believed, and is of practical use
>> > (nothing more annoying than getting home and finding your audio notes
> are
>> > unusable). I actually know professional recording musicians who use
>> > them
>> on
>> > albums!
>> >
>> > Best,Phil
>> > Extraordinary solutions for extraordinary people
>> > http://www.Read-e.com
>> > 0800 849 6760
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: "Michael Trott" <[log in to unmask]>
>> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> > Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 4:07 PM
>> > Subject: Re: i-pods
>> >
>> >
>> > > I recommend the Olympus DM20 and SONY ZM mic pack. This has the
>> > advantage
>> > of
>> > > an indexing feature - I see no point in the student recording
>> > > lectures
>> if
>> > they
>> > > can't find what they want.
>> > >
>> > > The other advantage is that it doesn't raise eyebrows at the LEA,. It
> is
>> > > compatible with both PC and MAC and the 3 suppliers we regularly use
> for
>> > computer
>> > > equipment caryy it and can provide training.
>> > >
>> > > Mick Trott
>> > >
>>



Dona Diani-Walsha, SRAC Needs Assessor,
University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QP
Tel. 01273 678497  email [log in to unmask]