I needed a digital recorder to replace the bulky tape machines I had been using for the magazine article interviews I had done in recent years. I was concerned about the quality, performance and integrity of switching to digital but after reading some of the other reviews, I gambled on getting this Olympus unit. When it arrived, I was sure I had blundered in choosing it because of its diminutive size. Bottom line. It's probably the best piece of modern technology I own. Completely dependable and remarkably sensitive in its ability to pick up two way conversations even in a somewhat noisy environment. Disregard what others might have commented on about battery life. I've made about 40 files in three different indexes and I'm still on full charge. This is a worthy recorder even if your professional life depends on it.

We did a lot of research and found this product to be just what we wanted. We bought it to capture information in a large envirement and it works well. It does not provide concert hall sound it captures a speaker or someone provideing information. Direct mic it is wonderful. We will buy some cables or plugs to met our spicific needs even better.

The recorder is what I wanted. However, I haven't had time to use it yet. Therefore, No Real Rating.

Finally moved to digital with the Olympus WS-321M. What a wonderful tool! Easy to learn and use. Controls are accessible even with my less than dainty fingers. LCD panel lights up and helps me monitor recordings. Very light. Fits comfortably into my shirt pocket. I was able to record sound from audio cassettes that I've recorded on earlier. Transferring files to my Mac was incredibly easy with the built in USB connection. Five folders with plenty of files within each is more than enough for my current recording purpose . . . with room to grow. Looking forward to applying my speech recognition software (iListen). As an educator, with reflective tendencies, I can now collect random thoughts (my own or others) on the fly with minimal distractions. The Great American Novel is still well around the corner but I've moved one step closer.

While I originally bought this to use as a recorder, I have found that using it for MP3s and as a thumbdrive to move files have made it even more useful. The sound quality is excellent with all applications, and the built in USB connector keeps me from having to fumble around looking for a connector cable every time I want to hook up to a computer. Well worth the price.