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Rating: 
Summary: Not perfect, but good for lectures and seminars!
Review: I just list the major points to save your time:1. Only one recording model, there is no LP/HP function.
2. Good shap, endurable, light weight.
3. No background or static noise like tape recorder or Olimpus ditigal recorders.
4. Price is fair, affordable for student.
5. Can't record good when distance is over 10 feet. Place it on the table which close to the speaker or preacher, the recording is almost perfect. I record my sermons when I preach, it works great.
6. Files transfer b/w PC and recorder is extremely fast.
7. Doesn't support any music format, and not a good recorder for music events. Averagely, 85-90% satisfaction. Hope this help.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Unit for the Money - By FAR
Review: I've had the last two versions of this voice recorder (lost the first one) and have watched the features evolve...as well as my use of them. This is by far the best value for the money. At this point the higher end Sony VRs haven't created the incremental value to make it worth it. The cheaper VRs (Sony's and others) leave out features that you will probably regret if you're using this for any lecture records, interviews, notetaking, interviews, etc. Here's my take: 1. you will want to transfer the recordings You WILL want to archive something, email it, or you just clear out some space in memory but haven't listened to/transcribed what you last recorded. If you buy a VR that has no means of getting the files off, I'm pretty confident you'll find yourself frustrated within the first few weeks. The only exception might be if you're just logging a bunch of little personal notes. I have a memory stick version, which simply means it's a less easy (more expensive) device to transfer the files than this USB model. USB is the right solution by far at this stage in the game and it allows you to get the data off from almost any computer...the alternative is dragging around a 6-in-1 card reader if you need to transfer something in a pinch. 2. this recording time is plenty This is more that 4 hrs of recording time. Even in very intensive use (multiple, sequential interviews) I've never run out. Given that the transfer to computer is so easy and quick, you simply get in the habit of moving this file(s) after your recording. You're not losing anything by not having removable/upgradeable media. 3. good usability on the device They've simplified things from the earlier models -- buttons and function are B+ intuitive (it's no ipod, but close). Key functions are well thought out and not-so-obvious ones are also there. Comfortable, lightweight form factor means you can slip it into a sports coat, small purse, shirt pocket (it will slip out if you lean over, trust me). It's solid state and 'throw it in the briefcase tough'. 4. mic/device is best for proximate recording Dictation, lectures (if you can put it on the podium or near a speaker), songwriting, etc. Other folks have noted that meetings can be a little muddled. Agreed. Sound quality is VERY GOOD for this kind of recording. Listening through the speaker is fine for general use, but you'll get a notably better sound of you use even a cheap earphone. 5. get rechargables If you do any regular recording (say, more than 2x per month) you'll end up spending more that you realize if you don't. Sony makes a great set for their digital cameras that seemingly last forever. 6. ignore transcription/speech-to-print software As much as I'd want this to work, it just doesn't seem to cut it. I've trained ViaVoice (more than 3 hrs) and played with Dragon, and even-learned-to-talk-so-the-computer-can-understand-me-more-clearly. Useless. No time savings correcting things, and you appropriately feel like a idiot for make a simple thing way to complex. I wish it was different, but I think most reviewers for these packages will agree. OVERALL: You'll probably have some regrets if downgrade for this unit and you'll probably be frustrated with units that are more expensive -- the more expensive ones are a bit overstuffed with some odd features. This is right about where the device should be. Good luck, enjoy, hope this is helpful.
Rating: 
Summary: Totally Inadequate for Lectures
Review: If you are looking for a DVR for recording lectures, don't waste your money on this piece of sh**! The sound quality is very poor compaired to the LPEC units and the record volume is extremely low. It is unfortunate that a good company like Sony would release such a poor quality product and advertise it as being useful for lecture recording.
Rating:
Summary: Ideal for students
Review: Pros:
- Large 278 minutes recording capacity at the highest (and only) recording quality mode
- Good recording quality
- Lightweight, but feels substantial
- Small learning curve
- Informative LCD display Cons:
- Does not include software for Mac OS X
- Play/stop toggle button is not very tactile
- Memory not expandable
- No carrying case, batteries not included After looking at digital voice recorders in similar price range and feature sets (USB connectivity, long recording time), I chose the Sony ICD-P17. While it's not among the smallest recorders out there (Olympus takes that honor), it has a *usable* recording capacity of 4 hours and 38 minutes (keep in mind that each recording takes up minimum of 9 seconds worth of space). The ICD-P17 has one and only one recording mode (mono 150 to 3,500 Hz), optimized for 16 MB flash memory capacity. Almost all other recorders specify the LP (long play) recording capacity, which in most cases sound poor. Their SP (short play) recording capacity is often less than half the LP capacity. The ICD-P17 is not tiny (about as tall as an average-sized palm and about half-an-inch thick), but it fits comfortably in anyone's palm. Located at the top side are connectors for external microphone and earphone. To the right side are record/stop and pause buttons, rewind/play/stop/forward toggle switch, hold slider (sliding up disables buttons and turns off LCD), volume knob, and USB connector. Located on the front face are microphone, speaker, LCD display, folder button to toggle between 5 folders (each folder can have up to 99 recordings), divide button for dividing/combining recordings, display button to toggle between elapsed time/remaining time/date/time, menu button, microphone sensitivity button (high for quiet environment, low for noisy environment), and erase and stop buttons. The ICD-P17 takes two 2 AAA batteries (not included), which are good for about 10 hours of recording and about 8 hours of playback. Included are USB cable and Digital Voice Editor 2 software that runs on Windows. Connect it to your PC's USB port and you can download recordings for archival purpose (or convert them to MP3 or WAV format). Since ICD-P17 is a USB 1.1 device, transferring 1-hour worth of recording will take 36 secoonds or so.
Rating:
Summary: Great product, great software!!!
Review: Sony ICD-P17 omes with USB cable and PC sofware to download and review the recording. There is ONE recording mode. It provides over 4 hours (278 minutes) of recording capability at great quality! It has five folders for you to store your recording and a timer to remind you. You can also add recording to an exisiting recording - can't think of the need for it to record lecture : ) Check it out. I am sure you will find it worths the money.
Rating: 
Summary: Audio quality leaves a lot to be desired
Review: This is a nice-looking little recorder, and it is certainly cheaper than the $150 Sony ICDST10, but the audio, while generally OK for dictation, is, in my opinion, just not good enough for recording meetings or lectures. The ICDP17's audio quality is approximately the same as the Sony ICDST10 in "LP" mode. The difference between this unit and the Sony ICDST10 is that the ICDST10 will record around two hours of VERY good audio (in "SP" mode, using Sony's LPEC Codec), or a bit over five and a half hours in "LP" mode (compared to a little over four and a half hours for the ICDP17). The Sony ICDMS515 has even better sound quality (and with Memory Sticks available up to 256MB, can record hours and hours of audio), but at $250 (not counting the extra you'll spend to upgrade the woefully inadequate 8MB Memory Stick Sony includes), this is way out of the ICDP17's price range. In my opinion, $150 for the Sony ICDST10 is a much better deal than $99 for the ICDP17.
Rating: 
Summary: PERSONAL recording only
Review: This is my first digital voice recorder, so I can't compare it with others. I use an old Sony MD player/recorder to record class lectures. The quality is excellent, however, there's no usb connection, so I'd have to play back the lecture into the PC to record it. I bought this recorder as a refurbished item, but I assume the recording/playback quality is the same as new. If you use this device for personal memos, it will work just fine. The device needs to be a few inches away from the mouth. However, when recording from a distance (ie for a lecture), the recording quality diminishes greatly. You can still hear the content, but it comes across distant and a bit fuzzy. I'm gonna stick with the MD recorder for now.
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