 Do you use a microcassette recorder? Tell us about it in the "Reviews Discussion" conference.  |
For the most part, microcassette recorders are about as stylistically different as pods in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". Small, black, battery-powered bricks that have pretty uniform qualities. The Panasonic RN-502 stands out from the rest because of its smarter battery technology. Which isn't to say it's a bad looking unit. It has a slight clamshell-like bulge, which gives it a nice feel in the palm of your hand; the microphone is a contoured nub. It has the all-important tape counter, built-in speaker, headphone and microphone jacks, and it's not too switch happy: you get variable speeds and voice activation.
The RN-502 is certainly lightweight. A measly 134 grams (4.7 oz) means that you can carry it around in your jacket pocket all day without it feeling like a high-tech Albatross. It slips nicely into the side of your computer bag, too. I quickly traded in my daily routine of lugging the PowerBook around for an absent-minded pat of my breast pocket, in search of the RN-502. The microphone technology is very good, but everything still winds up sounding like a speaker phone. The further audio subjects are from the microphone, the more they sound like they're in the back of a cave. Though it has a built-in "Sound Level Equalizer" for "recording in classrooms," the true test is outdoors on a windy day. The RN-502 didn't let me down when I dictated long emails to it while walking around downtown, and it certainly worked fine for indoor meetings over a coffee table. The built-in speaker isn't going to win any awards, but it's more than adequate. What sets the RN-502 apart, and turns it into a real workhorse in the world of microcassette recorders, is the battery tech: it comes with a combination AC adapter/battery recharger. Panasonic thoughtfully includes a set of rechargeable AA batteries. Nothing tricky. No special stand. No odd-shaped batteries. No "ape law" conundrums where you can't use the adapter when it's being used as a recharger or vice versa. There's also a small plastic case for holding the rechargable batteries when they're not in use. Battery life is over 13 hours of recording and 9 hours of playback. Since microcassette recorders are one of those devices where you're bound to spend a certain amount of time "off the grid," and therefore gobbling up conventional batteries, the RN-502 eliminates a major headache. Over a six-month period, the RN-502's survived at least two dropping incidents, though I wouldn't want to call it durable and push any karmic barriers. Even if it were to be destroyed, you'd still wind up with a pair of rechargeable AA batteries and a recharger (but maybe that's looking a little bit *too* far on the bright side). - Jason Salisbury [9/23/98]
|
