Sony ICD-B500 (256 MB, 150 Hours) Handheld Digital Voice Recorder

I bought this product to help in university lectures and classroom research. It has proven invaluable. It has the option to change the range sensitivity of the in-built microphone and has four folders to organise your recordings. It will also hold upto 99 recordings per folder and is relatively easy to use. Each message can be re-arranged with a press of a button and the buttons can be locked so there will be no accidental recordings or erasing whilst in your pocket. It comes with batteries so I did not need to go to the shops straight away and the manual was easy to follow. It is light-weight, and very slim-line, about the length of a mobile phone and half the width. It has the options to attach an external microphone, but I have not seen it as necessary. It is easy to play back and has an option to save recording space with the voice detection option. With this option, it will not record during a period of silence which is great for play back as you do not need to find your next place of recording.
If there were to be any negative aspects, I would consider the lack of back-light on the display panel, although, the screen is large enough to see the text anyway. It could also be recommended that you buy a sock or case for it as I worry about the screen scratching, but so far so good on my behalf.
A great product at a fantastic price!

I chose this model for the long battery life, the high storage capacity and it's small size. I am very pleased with my choice as it is so easy to use and produces excellent quality recordings, even in poor/noisy surroundings. I use it a lot for quick notes and reminders especially when in the car, playing it back and dealing with my comments when I get home. Recordings can be organised into folders and, although I have tried this out and it's very easy to use, it's not a feature that I need but I can see how it could be very useful.
I haven't yet found any bad points and I've used the gadget extensively so far in the month I've had it. If you're looking for an inexpensive (I paid £20 on eBay for a new one) but dependable recorder this is it.
How did I manage before I bought it??

Better than I expected. I received the newest model, it is grade. The delivery time was ok and the packing was very good.

A small compact well made digital recorder,the controls are easy to use and the mic and earphone sockets are standard 3.5mm and easy to get to .The down side as far as I am concerned is that the batteries are AAA I would prefer AA (longer lasting and I use alot of rechargeable AA batteries)but this would mean the recorder being bigger.All in all I am very happy with this recorder,which I am sure will be great for recording notes in the field.What made me buy it,the reviews that I read on the internet and the E-bay price also knowing that the purchase was protected by paypal.....

We bought the digital recorder. But the batteries don't last very long. We have bought rechargable batteries for it but still no luck.

Really small and light compared to older cassette recorders. Easy to use with good clear sound.Not the most rugged construction, probably sacrifices sturdiness for weight but probably more than strong enough for normal use