Olympus T1000 Pearlcorder Transcriber

Author's Rating:

Pros: Lightweight, easy to use.

Cons: Does not have a record function.

The Bottom Line: 
We are very pleased with this transcriber and happy we bought it.  When this thing finally does fall apart, we will surely consider another Olympus.

Author's Review
I bought this transcriber about 9 years ago and have literally beat it half to death, but it refuses to die. It gets used five days a week and never fails to get the job done. I couldn't even guess the number of times we've used the backup feature, and it continues to do its job flawlessly. It handles micro cassettes (playback only, it does not record), and comes with power cord, headset, and foot pedal. Features include automatic backup (adjustable), tape counter, speaker, dual speed, speed adjustment, tone, volume, and also comes with a dust cover.

The headset is very light and comfortable, and although you can't expect to get stereo quality sound out of it, the sound is only going to be as good as the tape you're listening to. If the dictator is eating lunch while talking or walking around the room with the recorder propped up in his desk drawer, then sound quality is going to be compromised.

I originally paid $200 for this machine and although I don't see it listed in the inventory of my local office supply store, it's still frequently listed on eBay and other online stores.

It has never given us a problem (in fact, we bought another one for backup). Olympus offers an inspection/repair service for $80 that will also get you a six month warranty. We sent one of our other Pearlcorders back to them and were very impressed with how clean and new looking/performing the transcriber was upon its return.

Although this transcriber is several years old, it has proven to be reliable and able to handle the workload. It is not for you if you require something that will record. This is a playback device only.