Olympus W-10 Digital Voice Recorder with Built-in Digital Camera

An LCD panel shows recording time remaining, sound quality, folder name, and other non-image-related information (though the LCD cannot be used to review pictures). When the recorder is hooked up to an external monitor, however, visual indexing lets you display an image while playing related audio. The W-10 uses a 0.3 Megapixel CMOS chip for visual indexing (640 x 480 resolution). The W-10 runs on two AAA batteries (not supplied) and cannot run from an AC adapter. Two batteries run about 24 hours. Supported operating systems include Microsoft Windows 98, 98SE, Me, 2000 Professional, and XP Professional and Home editions. Your computer must be running an Intel Pentium II class 233 MHz or faster with 64 MB RAM minimum and a Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 sound board (or 100 percent compatible). Your video card and display must be 800 x 600 pixels minimum with 256 colors minimum. One available USB port is required.

Product Description
The W-10 doesn't just make it easy to record; it makes it easy to manage your audio and image files as well. With two folders devoted to your audio files, each capable of storing up to 100 messages apiece, and a dedicated folder for image files that can hold up to 250 pictures, organizing and locating those important files is simple. You can even move files between folders, or erase a single file or entire folder.

Using the Recorder is so simple that I only use the manual for reference.

The software included is amazing. It was so easy to install and to download wave and image files from the voice recorder to the computer, that I couldn't belive it. I downloaded 4 pictures in less than five seconds!! You can also upload voice files from your computer to the Recorder.

The pictures are not as good as any digital camera, however taking pictures is not it's main function so I think the quality of the pictures is good enough. It doesn't have a flash so you can't take pictures without enough light, however it has an indicator that warns you if the Recorder can take the picture or not.

It also has an alarm associated with any voice record (maximum 5 records) so you can set the alarm to remember a special event and the recording associated can be played after the alarm. The only problem with this alarm is that it is not loud enough.

The best of all is that this product includes everything; batteries, carrying case, strap, USB cable, earphones and software so you don't need to buy anything else.


Very Pleased with the W-10   April 25, 2003
114 out of 114 found this review helpful

I purchased the Olympus W-10 primarily as a general-purpose note and meeting recorder, replacing a micro-cassette. The W-10 generally met or exceeded my expectations in all areas.

Sound Recording -- This unit is extremely easy to use, and the interface software is excellent. Sound quality is very acceptable at the HQ and SP speeds, although I would not count on using the LP mode for anything, as the quality is very poor. I would have much preferred a 2-hour record time that was actually intelligible, instead of a 3-hour time that is not. The max usable record time, then, is at the SP 'speed,' at a little over an hour. The voice-activated recording mode works very well, and has the effect of expanding your recording time by cutting out periods of silence. For my purposes, an hour is find. Microphone sensitivity is very good.

Photo capability -- There have been very mixed reviews about the camera feature, and here are my two cents on that topic: If you are looking for a camera to take on your vacation, you will be disappointed with this product. If you are looking for a solid voice recorder, this is a good product, and the ability to snap a photo or two in situations where you would otherwise not have access to a camera is a real plus. I have read reviews complaining about a lack of sharpness in the image. I don't think that this is a problem, as long as you understand that the photos are only at a 640 by 480 pixel resolution. In fact, I think that the sharpness is fairly good. What is less good is that colors are not very vivid, and high-contrast situations are not handled well. The photo feature is nice as a supplement to voice recordings, as a way to include a visual reference to the audio. When you play back a voice recording on your PC, any photos taken during that recording will be displayed at the appropriate point in the playback. I could easily live without the camera feature, but it is really nice to have.

Battery life seems to be very good, as I have recorded 8-10 hours in all, with no change in the battery level indicator. Some other digital voice recorders are real battery hogs.

In all, I think that this product is an excellent value!


Cute, but don't count on the camera   February 11, 2003
R. Hafer (Ann Arbor, MI United States)
62 out of 65 found this review helpful

Pros: stylish, tiny, lightweight, good audio capacity, voice activated recording
Cons: no Mac support and low res image capture

The blister pack includes...
- W-10 unit
- soft sleeve
- windows software cd
- earphone
- usb cable

I'd hoped that this device would connect as a USB hard drive but it requires pc-based software to download the images. The software is pretty good...I especially like the auto-download-and-delete feature which make connectivity amazingly quick as plugging in the cable switches the w-10 into PC connectivity mode, launch the w-10 software, download the images/audio clips, and delete the images off the w-10.

The camera doesn't have a flash so indoor shots are grainy (outdoor shots are a little better but not quite as good as my first olympus digital camera, which also took 640x480 images). One nice thing is that the unit doesn't have any distinct modes to get into the way...you can switch between audio and image capture seamlessly. One caveat here is that when taking a picture, you need to depress the shutter to the first detent and wait for about a second...once it verifies there's adequate space it gives you a green light, then you can press to the 2nd detent to take the shot.

Summary:
A stylish little audio recorder with quick PC connectivity and limited video snapshot support. Don't buy this unit if you want a true digital camera as the results are not very sharp.


Failed expectations   May 7, 2004
Bryan L Beltran (Tuscaloosa, AL United States)
51 out of 53 found this review helpful

I must admit this was the first voice recoder I had ever purchased and with the features and price I thought I could not have found a better bargain. What I got was a tiny well designed pseudofunctional device. I read a few reviews but figured when the people had said the camera wasn't too bad was an understatement, but then again I had high expectations (don't make this mistake). The pictures even at a short distance showed up relatively fuzzy. In high quality mode the W-10 reproduced recordings exceptionally well, however unless you don't leave your computer or a pc to continually download the files you only get about 47 minutes worth, the reason I got the thing in the first place was so I could record my professors whose lectures were consecutive, making it impossible to use that mode. The Standard mode gives fair sound reproduction with a slight hiss, overall its bearable, howeveryou only are allowed 68 minutes not enough time to complete one lecture for my T,R classes (75 minutes for non college readers). Low quality mode, I'll just say I used it once and that was enough of that setting. Also the recoder saves files from modes lesser than high in a different wave level so you can't put them on cds unless you change the format which i dont have time to figure out. In conclusion, if you don't require a lengthy recording then this is a pretty good buy, I have to also admit that just because I complain of the quality of the pictures the camera option would be nice on rare occasions, also the pc interface is a no-brainer. Hope this helps someone looking for a something better not to be unhappy with their purchase!


Olympus W10   May 12, 2003
29 out of 30 found this review helpful

I am a teacher and I was looking for a digital recorder that would allow me to put audio material on my website and in my email. The W10 with its software is extremely easy to use with a computer. The audio quality is very good. The digital camera is a real plus. I am pleasantly surprised about the quality of the pictures. I have taken pictures inside and outside and the pictures are very clear for such a small camera. The pictures are also easy to download to a computer. To sum it all up, I really am pleased with my purchase of the Olympus W10. It may not be for every application, but it sure works for me.