Registered: Feb 2000
Location: Moved to Clie Land
Posts: 331

Birthday time and I get this My-Vox. Really good idea, but I have some observations.

1. This thing sux batteries faster than a modem...Using the battery graph on Launcher, The level drops from 50% to 18% and throws an alarm the minute the unit is in place. I put some new batteries(rechargeable thank goodness) in to put the unit through it's paces.

2. There is additional storage on the module - The included filemover indicates 126kb. Suprisingly this additional storage does not appear to decrease with the # of messages. I'll keep loading it up to make sure.

3. I continually get *Unable to talk to my-Vox HS1, please try again ERRORS. This is highly aggrevating and if it continues, the unit WILL go back.

4. I got the ICE unit because I have no idea what my VISOR will look like from year to year. It looks ok in my Platinum, but looks better in the BVDX. Construction looks strong and fit to the SB slot is snug.

5. Unit can play alarms for the different recordings. It has a bunch of different alarms...maybe too many, but it's possible it automatically picked up all the midis I've collected. In either case, I can see no use for this feature. Granted it could fill in for a regular alarm clock, but at the rate I'm watching the batteries drain, I'd be hesitant to leave the MY-Vox in the unit.

6. Unit has a flush button for starting/stopping voice recording which is highly useful while driving. This eleminates the need to work with the interface and be distracted from the road.

7. Volume is good and tone quality is fairly clear. It does easily pick up noise in the background. After all, it is a recorder.

8. Unit comes with earphones...WHY? I can see a few applications, but I'd rather pay less...

Which brings us to the real rub...
9. This unit is $69. It is a very thoughtful gift and will prove to have business applications, but the pricepoint is (IMHO) about $30 above it's worth. Scratch the myriad of alarms(neat toys?) and the earplug and lower the price. The Backup module is $39 and invaluable, the Flash unit is $89 and doubles capacity...this unit is a diversion that might prove to be useful when we are too distracted to write to our PDA's, but it is in no way necessary and this price is way out of line for a diversion.

Just my opinion....

****BTW - I just returned my Platinum to the Rhodiana case and it is easy to hear the recording through the case, it is however difficult to depress the SB button through the thick plastic that holds the unit in place...this could be easily modified. In my Vaja case, it is also easy to hear and is much easier to depress the button. No modification would be required.

[Edited by MIKE STH on 11-10-2000 at 05:41 PM]

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"Stupid Handspring."

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 106

Mike... Thanks for the review. Very informative. I'm also looking for something that allows for a quick record of thoughts without having to stop and graffiti it in. I thought the unit was pricey and am still hanging on for the 'Total Recall' (if that ever materializes). Let us know what happens with regards to the error message you're constantly getting...looks like it could be a 'show-stopper'.

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www.remain.calm

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: Moved to Clie Land
Posts: 331

after two days....

Well, things have settled down. I can't tell why, but the *Unable to talk to my-Vox HS1, please try again ERRORS have stopped(thankfully) and the unit has actually proved useful several times. This has been most advantageous while driving. I'm really starting to think this is a great application of the SB technology. Still think the price is too high, but at least it's working as it is supposed to. I will continue to leave the MyVox in place and will report on how much more quickly the batteries run down as soon as I replace them.

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"Stupid Handspring."

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Clarksville, VA, USA
Posts: 74

MIKE STH...

Thanks for posting the review. I agree with RJT, your thoughts were quite enlightening. I spend a lot of time on the road in my car. I was trying to hold out for the Innogear SixPak SB module that includes a voice recorder because I was thinking the price point ratio would be better with the combo pack instead of buying the individual recorder. But I guess the SixPak isn't going to make it out this year. I might just have to breakdown and buy the My-Vox, even at $69.

One question: I'm assuming you talk into the mic of the Visor. Is that correct?

TIA,
David

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 106

DT... Hold off. Let's see what the Total Recall brings to the table. It's promises (?!) to be out soon. And if it delivers what it's supposed to, at a fair price, it could be a great SB. It works outside the Visor as well.

http://www.digital5.com/Total%20Rec...0Sheet%20d5.pdf

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www.remain.calm

Registered: Mar 2000
Location:
Posts: 98

According to James from Comdex, the Total Recall is available. Check the link (http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/001113/ny_targus.html) which sends you to port.com. They say it won't be available for 6-8 weeks. What gives???

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Visor Enthusiast and Innogear/Geodiscovery basher.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: Moved to Clie Land
Posts: 331

Yes, you do use the mic in the front of the Visor(which is surprisingly clear)...but the My-VOX must be inserted into the Visor...it will not function independently.

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"Stupid Handspring."

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: at work...
Posts: 736

VisorPhone as voice recorder...

Just in case anyone was considering the VisorPhone, you could use it as a kind of voice recorder by calling your own voicemail and leaving yourself a message. I sometimes do this with my cellphone. Of course, you have to be within a cell tower's signal both when you are recording and when you are listening to a message, plus it will cost you minutes, but it might be cheaper than getting a seperate voice recorder module if you were already planning to get the phone module. Just a thought.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

Well, I own a MyVox, but I've seen both the Remote Solution Word Access and Targus in person. The Remote Solution is pretty much the same as the MyVox. The Targus has one big advantage over the others. It has desktop software to download the recordings to the computer to be emailed or whatever. This is not impossible for the others, but the software comes with the Targus by default.

[Edited by Toby on 11-13-2000 at 08:41 PM]

Registered: Jun 2000
Location:
Posts: 594

I'll again recommend the Olympus DS-150 ($199, I think?), which records up to 2.5 hrs. (long-play) or 1.5 hrs. (standard, which allows speech-to-text) and lets you download the files to your PC, where the bundled IBM ViaVoice can convert it.
It's feather light, slim, and audio quality is excellent. Not as cheap as I'd like, or a SB, but you can't have everything (otherwise I'd no longer have to carry a pager, too).
I give this even more detail on some thread in one of these forums, but forgive me for not hunting it down right now.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: Moved to Clie Land
Posts: 331

I'd agree....but since it was a gift, I didn't pay for it. My 8 yr old does think it's the coolest thing on my Visor though. Wonder if that's a sign????

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"Stupid Handspring."

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 9

My-Vox HOW does it work?

Mike (or anyone): how does the My-Vox work? Do you press and hold the button to record? After making several recordings, how do you move between them? How do you erase one? Etc.

Also, I have a Rhodiana case. It looks to me like the microphone hole is covered by the case. Where exactly is the record/play button, and can the unit be used in the case?

Thanks.

Fred

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: Moved to Clie Land
Posts: 331

Re: My-Vox HOW does it work?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by fbrack
Mike (or anyone): how does the My-Vox work? Do you press and hold the button to record? After making several recordings, how do you move between them? How do you erase one? Etc.

Also, I have a Rhodiana case. It looks to me like the microphone hole is covered by the case. Where exactly is the record/play button, and can the unit be used in the case?

Fred, You can press the button to record (no need to hold down...just press again to stop recording) or use the interface with the module on the screen. The same interface generates an entry for each seperate recording that you can edit and name anything you like...this is also where you would apply the alarm etc. Erasing is accomoplished in the interface by using the edit function and deleting.

The Rhodiana case will work fine with the MYVOX in the unit. It doesn't seem to affect the workings of the mic but it does make depressing the button on the MYVOX difficult. It can be done, but the interface or a small cutout would be easier. You can also hear the recording...it is a bit muffled, but not much at all.

Hope that helps...It will work fine with the Rhodiana as I have used it in mine. The VAJA is a little easier as the record button is exposed.

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"Stupid Handspring."

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

Re: My-Vox HOW does it work?

quote:

---

Originally posted by fbrack
Mike (or anyone): how does the My-Vox work? Do you press and hold the button to record?

---

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: bright side of the moon.
Posts: 996

How have things been on the battery drainage side of things?

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Stealth-Mod.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hoser_in_USA
How have things been on the battery drainage side of things?

---

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: Moved to Clie Land
Posts: 331

Battery Drain

Not enough changes to confirm, but here are the results of my only change since getting the My-Vox, which I use sporadically, but the daughter insists play "the hampster dance" several times each day in the car.

Using rechargeable alk replaced around 40%, I went from 6hrs 10min to 4hr 41min. or in more useful termsm, 8d 17:50 to 6d 13:44 according to RUNTIME.

This is while leaving the unit in the slot unless I'm on the modem or moving files in-out of the 8flash SB.

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"Stupid Handspring."

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 1

my-Vox is totally useless!

For $69, I expected great functionality from this unit. After all, if it can only store a few minutes (8 min I think)then it's not really a stretch to make it work well. But no!!! It is a battery hog. Even if the Visor has been turned off for long periods, it drains the battery. At a certain point, like halfway, it will keep causing my unit to turn off by itself, and after you turn on again, will tell you "unable to talk to my-Vox"

What good is this unit if it is not available to jot down your thoughts? Why should I have to keep putting fresh batteries just to make this work? And what would be the point if I had to remove it from my Visor to save power? The point of a PDA is convenience, and having this unit attached to the Visor makes the Visor worth nothing.

Although I haven't contacted their tech support at my-Vox, I should still give them the benefit of the doubt. I may just have the unfortunate situation of being an early adopter of this unit (ordered it right away after it became available), and did not really put it to a good test before the 30-day return period. I am hoping that my-Vox does something about fixing this problem.

Another thought: Is there a particular battery type and brand that works better with Visor and my-Vox. Reason I say this is I'm finding out that many devices now are finicky about battery brands. My Canon Elph camera kept turning off at crucial times, and I had to take out battery and reinsert it before it starts working. Thought the unit had gone bad. Not only had I exhausted the battery and got another brand, and it started working great again. Ditto for my digital camera Agfa CL18. Changed to another brand and started working well again.I would not be surprised if my-Vox is like this. I am currently using an Energizer AA Alkaline battery.