Digital recorders - sometimes referred to as memo corders - are tapeless recording devices that use a microchip instead of a tape which can hold personal messages for up to 100 minutes on the most expensive models. Most are in the 30 second to two-minute range.
These memo reminders which range in price from $20 to more than $200 come in a variety of sizes and styles from credit card dimensions to key rings with flash lights, pen corders that write, photo frames, and portable "message centers" that can be clipped to a car visor or magnetically attached to the refrigerator.
The lightweight digital wonders initially weren't meant for long messages, and even now most available rarely exceed a couple of minute of recording time.
Colleen Nakasone has used The Sharper Image Memo Manager, $100, that can record up to two minutes of self messages for a year.
"I use it to remember chores and for a shopping list," she said. "I used to use pieces of paper for reminders and I lost a lot of those."
Nakasone even bought one for her 15-year-old son, Ryan. The Memo Manager is simple to use with its four buttons, and the blue backlit screen gives it a high tech look, she said.
"He uses it to record homework assignments and the chores he's expected to do after school," mom said. "I think he also uses it to remind himself who he might owe money to after he goes shopping with friends."
While Machina's new Cardcorder 90 - $80 - records 90 seconds of multiple memos, its Cardcorder 1500 has a 25-minute message capacity, fast forward at double speed to review memos, or slow to half speed to listen more carefully with no loss of tone. If you have a special appointment, you can set an alarm to remind you with either a soft tone that builds in volume, or a message in your own voice. Each memo also is referenced with a time/date stamp.
Machina has led the way in digital memo recorders since their introduction in 1991.
The Cardcorder 600 - suggested retail $120 - features a "Flash Memory" which stores memos until they're erased even if the batteries are dead or removed. Four channels allow related recordings to be filed and labeled by name for easy retrieval. (On several Machina corders even accidentally deleted memos can be retrieved.)
Machina's new two-ounce Pencorder 60 - $70, 6-inches long, 9/16s in diameter - can record up to 60 seconds of memos and also functions as a writing pen. The Pencorder 60 is even programmed with audio cues for major functions so it can be operated easily while driving without taking your eyes off the road.
The Sharper Image sells several digital recorders including "the first visual" voice memo pad from Memo Manager 120, $100, which features a four page graphic LCD screen that visually displays every message for easier retrieval. Each 10-line page represents 30 seconds of recording time for 120 seconds total, about 100 words a page.
The Keycorder 20 is a 20-second - about seven sentences - voice recorder-keychain-mini light, $50.
The Total Recall 23 with PC Link, $200, not only organizes memos, reminders, and appointments in three on-screen Voice Folders but with the included PC Audio Link package you can transfer up to 23 minutes of recordings to your personal computer.
All microchip recorders are controlled by simple finger-operated buttons, including skipping forward or backward, repeat, and deleting memos selectively. Some memo-corders use LCD display tracks to label memos by number, length, and channel, and show the amount of available memory being used.