If you ever need to buy a filing cabinet - go to Staples and check out their own brand. The construction quality is great compared to the others, and it's around $20 cheaper.
The sliders are rock solid compared to the others. The test I was doing when choosing one was to pull out the top drawer all the way, then see how much up and down movement you could make. The Staples brand has virtually none.
Another thing I noticed about the stores I visited was that none of them had filing cabinets in stock, you had to order them on the web (they don't even seem to do actual orders either!), so I went home and ordered it on the internet. Free shipping, it arrived a few days later.
I also need a fire safe, but those things are heavy! So I'm going to order that online too. Let someone else lug it around.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Sony ICD-B16 voice recorder
Like a lot of GTD advocates, I collect my information into "inboxes" and process it later. I initially was using a small writing pad when doing this in the car, but found that sometimes I'd start to write a note, then the light would change, or traffic would demand more attention, and the idea would be forgotten because of the interruption. I clearly needed something that only used one hand and that was fast.
A digital voice recorder seemed the likely choice, and I chose the Sony mainly on price. It was the cheapest digital. As it turns out, it was the right choice. This unit is easy to use and small enough to carry everywhere. I leave it on the window ledge when I'm in the shower, and can reach out and make a note when I think it. No more forgotten ideas!
The unit takes two AAA batteries, and lasts for several weeks on those batteries, even with being used 20-30 times a day.
Recording is started by pressing a button on the top right, and stopped by pressing it again. Most people who have tried it have held the record button down, myself included, so it's a little counter-intuitive. There is no off button on the unit, so when it's in your pocket, you can record unexpectedly if it gets activated. To counter this, Sony has a "lock" slider. Why it doesn't simply have an off button if it needs to be locked doesn't make sense to me, but it works the same. Sometimes this button will go into a "double click" mode - you click to stop recording, and it immediately stops and then starts again. This happens several times in a row before it becomes controllable again.
Occasionally, I will get loud screeching feedback instead of my audio note, but it's not often enough to be a real problem. The ability to click back and forth between notes while entering them into my computer is priceless. That's why I dismissed an analog recorder.
Another plus compared to other voice recorders I've seen is that the recording is instantaneous - you press a single button and you're recording. It makes it easy to operate when you aren't looking at the device.
To summarise, I only have minor problems with this device, and it has been a huge boost to my data collection processes.
A digital voice recorder seemed the likely choice, and I chose the Sony mainly on price. It was the cheapest digital. As it turns out, it was the right choice. This unit is easy to use and small enough to carry everywhere. I leave it on the window ledge when I'm in the shower, and can reach out and make a note when I think it. No more forgotten ideas!
The unit takes two AAA batteries, and lasts for several weeks on those batteries, even with being used 20-30 times a day.
Recording is started by pressing a button on the top right, and stopped by pressing it again. Most people who have tried it have held the record button down, myself included, so it's a little counter-intuitive. There is no off button on the unit, so when it's in your pocket, you can record unexpectedly if it gets activated. To counter this, Sony has a "lock" slider. Why it doesn't simply have an off button if it needs to be locked doesn't make sense to me, but it works the same. Sometimes this button will go into a "double click" mode - you click to stop recording, and it immediately stops and then starts again. This happens several times in a row before it becomes controllable again.
Occasionally, I will get loud screeching feedback instead of my audio note, but it's not often enough to be a real problem. The ability to click back and forth between notes while entering them into my computer is priceless. That's why I dismissed an analog recorder.
Another plus compared to other voice recorders I've seen is that the recording is instantaneous - you press a single button and you're recording. It makes it easy to operate when you aren't looking at the device.
To summarise, I only have minor problems with this device, and it has been a huge boost to my data collection processes.
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