Smartphone or voice recorder: which is more convenient?
I decided to compare my voice recorder with the best apps from Google Play.
People often ask me why I carry 2 devices with me when I can only get along with my smartphone. Now I will send everyone to read this article.
Dictaphone for me is:
')
• the basis of my time management (inbox for GTD)
• brainstorming tool
• the main tool for writing articles - I dictate my articles
• my memory, where I can go, for example, write someone's phone number
• the place where I write down all expenses
I never part with the recorder. Even take him to bed. Suddenly in the middle of the night an interesting idea will appear? And this has happened more than once. I will definitely write in more detail about how I will use the voice recorder in future articles.
Here I can only say that the voice recorder has become for me the most real part of the body. Therefore, it should be comfortable.
Please note that this comparison is not the ultimate truth. I just tried on Android-dictaphones on myself, and now I share my thoughts.
Iron
I use a usual inexpensive dictaphone (~ 1500 rubles):
And in the role of a smartphone - Acer E320 compact smartphone with a diagonal of 3.5 inches. Already quite old.
On it, I installed the 3 most popular voice recording apps from Google Play:
Experimental Conditions
I put my voice recorder in the drawer. And the whole week went only with the smartphone. I changed the voice recording application every 2 days.
Next, I will talk about the specific pros and cons of each application. And at the end - about the cons of the whole format.
Appendix â„–1. Smart Voice Recorder
There is no widget on the desktop. So, you need to make an extra click to get into the program. And only from there to write.
If you dropped your smartphone and the battery crashed - no big deal. The current record will be saved. There is no such thing in my voice recorder. There if dropped, that's all! Useful option.
To record, press the huge red key - conveniently, you will not miss it:
My notes. Everything is also convenient and clear:
It is inconvenient that you can not delete all records at once. Sometimes a dozen of them accumulate in a day. It is necessary to delete one by one:
Appendix â„–2. Easy voice recorder
There is a desktop widget, but it is small and uncomfortable:
And who thought of hanging "Record" and "Pause" on different buttons? This is very unusual!
True, you can put one big button, but for some reason it only knows how “Play” and “Stop”, and this necessary “Pause” was forgotten:
There is also no “Delete all records” option, but you can select them one at a time and then delete everything in one go:
It is inconvenient to work with the recording - sometimes the finger pokes past, gets into the slider - and everything gets lost:
In the case of PE Easy Voice Recorder is also able to restore the current recording - this is a plus.
Appendix â„–3. Tape-a-Talk Voice Recorder
Widget is bad. The same minus - "Record" and "Pause" on different buttons:
In general, the widget is weak. Here, he writes or pause? How to find out? Yeah, you have to look at the tiny icon in the upper left corner. It is necessary to think of this!
There is no record recovery mode. Phone must hold tight.
The total recording time is not displayed:
But there is a button "Delete All" - well, finally!
Tape-a-Talk Voice Recorder is the only one of the three applications that gives access to the physical buttons of a smartphone. You can rewind the volume buttons, and the Record / Pause button on the camera button. It is a pity that I do not have such a button. That would be convenient.
Common cons of voice recorders in a smartphone
Results
Sometimes the convenience of the device comes out on top. Every extra touch, every extra centimeter, every extra bend becomes very important. Voice recorder - just such a device.
If you want to record a lecture or interview, then OK. But for me and my tasks, a smartphone is not even close to a competitor to a favorite dictaphone. Uncomfortable!
But in case of a sudden breakdown of the recorder, I now know how to replace it.
PS By the way, I think that in a couple of years I will have to compare my voice recorder with “smart watches”. Who will get the victory is far from obvious.
People often ask me why I carry 2 devices with me when I can only get along with my smartphone. Now I will send everyone to read this article.
Dictaphone for me is:
')
• the basis of my time management (inbox for GTD)
• brainstorming tool
• the main tool for writing articles - I dictate my articles
• my memory, where I can go, for example, write someone's phone number
• the place where I write down all expenses
I never part with the recorder. Even take him to bed. Suddenly in the middle of the night an interesting idea will appear? And this has happened more than once. I will definitely write in more detail about how I will use the voice recorder in future articles.
Here I can only say that the voice recorder has become for me the most real part of the body. Therefore, it should be comfortable.
Please note that this comparison is not the ultimate truth. I just tried on Android-dictaphones on myself, and now I share my thoughts.
Iron
I use a usual inexpensive dictaphone (~ 1500 rubles):
And in the role of a smartphone - Acer E320 compact smartphone with a diagonal of 3.5 inches. Already quite old.
On it, I installed the 3 most popular voice recording apps from Google Play:
- Smart Voice Recorder (113k ratings, average - 4.6) - Free
- Easy Voice Recorder (46k, 4.3) - Free
- Tape-a-Talk Voice Recorder (14k, 4.3) - Free
Experimental Conditions
I put my voice recorder in the drawer. And the whole week went only with the smartphone. I changed the voice recording application every 2 days.
Next, I will talk about the specific pros and cons of each application. And at the end - about the cons of the whole format.
Appendix â„–1. Smart Voice Recorder
There is no widget on the desktop. So, you need to make an extra click to get into the program. And only from there to write.
If you dropped your smartphone and the battery crashed - no big deal. The current record will be saved. There is no such thing in my voice recorder. There if dropped, that's all! Useful option.
To record, press the huge red key - conveniently, you will not miss it:
My notes. Everything is also convenient and clear:
It is inconvenient that you can not delete all records at once. Sometimes a dozen of them accumulate in a day. It is necessary to delete one by one:
Appendix â„–2. Easy voice recorder
There is a desktop widget, but it is small and uncomfortable:
And who thought of hanging "Record" and "Pause" on different buttons? This is very unusual!
True, you can put one big button, but for some reason it only knows how “Play” and “Stop”, and this necessary “Pause” was forgotten:
There is also no “Delete all records” option, but you can select them one at a time and then delete everything in one go:
It is inconvenient to work with the recording - sometimes the finger pokes past, gets into the slider - and everything gets lost:
In the case of PE Easy Voice Recorder is also able to restore the current recording - this is a plus.
Appendix â„–3. Tape-a-Talk Voice Recorder
Widget is bad. The same minus - "Record" and "Pause" on different buttons:
In general, the widget is weak. Here, he writes or pause? How to find out? Yeah, you have to look at the tiny icon in the upper left corner. It is necessary to think of this!
There is no record recovery mode. Phone must hold tight.
The total recording time is not displayed:
But there is a button "Delete All" - well, finally!
Tape-a-Talk Voice Recorder is the only one of the three applications that gives access to the physical buttons of a smartphone. You can rewind the volume buttons, and the Record / Pause button on the camera button. It is a pity that I do not have such a button. That would be convenient.
Common cons of voice recorders in a smartphone
- The first minus I noticed immediately - the need to look at the screen. It is necessary to aim the desired button for recording, for a pause, etc. This is VERY inconvenient. I can control an ordinary voice recorder without looking at it at all.
- In winter, I hide the recorder in my mitten so as not to freeze my hands. The recording is of the same quality. With smartphones, this trick, of course, will not work.
- Even my little smartphone is uncomfortable to hold in my hand. It's one thing if you put it on the table, for example, during an interview. And another thing, if you keep it in your hand all the time, as I do. And what will happen to smartphones of greater diagonal?
- Previously, the battery lasted almost 2 days. When using the voice recorder, the battery was getting low by the end of the first day. And everything would be fine, but I used to, as I already wrote, put the tape recorder near me during sleep. What does pull the wire across the room? Or sleep near the outlet? Of course, you can buy a voice recorder with a large battery, but then the size of the smartphone will increase!
- In general, the need for two-hour charging is a big minus for a dictaphone. I usually just change the batteries. Here I am tied to the outlet for 2 hours.
- I had to remove the cover from my smartphone, which I used for 2 years. To take the device out of the case and put it back several times a day - it was already beyond my strength.
Results
Sometimes the convenience of the device comes out on top. Every extra touch, every extra centimeter, every extra bend becomes very important. Voice recorder - just such a device.
If you want to record a lecture or interview, then OK. But for me and my tasks, a smartphone is not even close to a competitor to a favorite dictaphone. Uncomfortable!
But in case of a sudden breakdown of the recorder, I now know how to replace it.
PS By the way, I think that in a couple of years I will have to compare my voice recorder with “smart watches”. Who will get the victory is far from obvious.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/215075/
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