The Voice It VT90 may have decent sound quality for its extremely slim design, but its usefulness is minimized by a 90-second maximum recording time. That should be plenty for capturing some quick thoughts during your commute or recording directions, but there are plenty of digital voice recorders on the market that offer better features for around the same amount of money.

Simplistic controls also diminish the VT90's overall value, as there is no way to adjust the playback volume or microphone sensitivity. It is possible to quickly skip from one voice file to the next, but once it is being played back there is no way to fast-forward or rewind the recording. If you need to back up a little to hear the last part of a phone number, you are forced to start from the beginning of that particular recording. The only other controls besides the record, play, and file navigation buttons are a pair of buttons used to erase files and a memo button that makes a green light blink to alert users that an important message is waiting.

At least the VT90 was easy to set up. We popped the four included lithium batteries into the back of the device and it was good to go. The recorder can be slipped into the included plastic jacket with belt clip for easy transportation, but it's so thin we preferred to carry it in a pocket. A better option would have been the inclusion of a cover for the front of the device, as sometimes the buttons were accidentally pressed as we moved around.

We had to hold the VT90 relatively close to our mouth to get a decent recording, but fortunately the built-in speaker was loud and clear enough so that we could set it on a desk and still hear everything well enough to transcribe it.

If you really just need 90 seconds of recording time and are in the market for an extremely portable recorder, the VT90 is an inexpensive choice. But we predict most people will end up wishing for better controls and more audio memory than this device offers. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Very small
• Easy to use
• Solid-state components should let the unit easily shrug off drops that would ruin a recorder with moving parts

Cons:

• No volume controls, and you can't rewind or fast-forward during playback
• Have to keep the microphone close to your mouth to get a decent recording
• Stores only 90 seconds of audio