OLYMPUS DS 5000 –

A DEVICE FOR DICTATORS

Nicholas Newman 10 June 2008

 

Being an office dictator is not the fun, portrayed in the films. Actually, if you are a lawyer, doctor, researcher or investigator who generates large volumes of case notes, medical reports, letters, messages etc., then the DS 5000 digital voice recorder and its associated AS 5000 transcription kit, will make the work of creating accurate records, a lot easier for professional users.

Why should people buy the DS 5000?

 The DS 5000 is a digital voice recorder designed for those people who not only need to passively record the occasional event, but for the professional, who needs to record large volumes of content generated by the author. The main attraction of this machine is that the user can edit, delete, insert comment, bookmark different places in a recording and review the recordings made. Its side slide switch makes it easy to switch between record, play, stop and review in one easy action with the hand, without the bother of looking for those fiddly hard to find control buttons, popular with designers of most devices.

 However, what will persuade many organisations including the police, NHS and universities to purchase the DS5000, is its advanced security features, memory storage capacity, rechargeable batteries and in its high quality player mode up to 38hrs 45mins of recording space with an SDcard.

 This recorder can classify and store recordings in any of seven different folders that can be programmed on the device, and each folder can hold up to 199 files.

 The DS5000 enables users to create up to 32 index marks per file during recording and verbal annotations, which allow the user to add notes and ideas to specific sections of previous recordings, a feature, especially valued by creators of complex data.

 What will particularly please the user is the ease of transferring the recordings from the DS 5000 to the PC for further processing using the DSS Player software provided. The software enables the voice file to be converted into a variety of audio formats including DSS, WAV, WMA, and MP3. The DSS Player software enables further editing, storage, and encryption and decryption of files to take place before transmission over the Internet or intranet using perhaps Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes.

 For those responsible for transcribing the voice records, the high sound quality of the voice files made, available in 2 different recording formats, will make life easier for those planning to use ‘voice to text’ transcription software or make use of audio typists, using the excellent Olympus AS 5000 transcription kit to transcribe the voice files into word files.

 Its advanced security features

It's always an organisation’s nightmare when their staffs loses their portable equipment or has it stolen. The DS 5000 boosts some reassuring features that should assist an organisation's pro-active security strategy.

Access to the device can be restricted via a password in the DS5000 and or via fingerprint verification in its brother version the DS5000iD. Moreover, specific files can be encrypted as a further security measure against unauthorized access, especially useful for doctors who seek to keep patient's case notes confidential. For offices where several people will have use of the DS5000, then this device enables the setting up of multiple authors, each with their own dedicated password protected memory space. In addition, the DS5000 memory can be further extended using either the SD or microSD memory cards.

Is the DS 5000 easy to use and learn?

 This product is designed for the time starved professional user with little time or interest to waste learning the ins and outs of some over complicated gadget. Its ergonomic design, with its logical and simple layout means learning how to use the basic features is picked up very quickly.

 As for the advanced features, the accompanying manual should answer most questions, but for further questions there is online help available.

 What issues should you keep in mind when making a recording?

 Professional audio typist Lesley Ann Saunders suggests that users of digital voice recorders like the Olympus DS 5000 should bear in mind the following facts.

1.      For every 10-15 minutes of recording it usually takes about an hour to transcribe. Therefore, a 60 minute recording could take between 4-6 hours to transcribe. That's so long as the recording is clear. Other factors, such as background noise, thick accents, poor diction and several people talking at the same time can add to the time that it takes to transcribe.

2.    As for users of voice to text software, even without these problems, accuracy is a significant issue; similar problems would make it even more difficult for such software to attempt an accurate transcription.

 Is the DS 5000 reliable?

 Olympus has a long highly regarded reputation for producing quality, well designed and reliable products. So far none of the Olympus products I own has proved unreliable.

Is the price right?

 For high volume users in the corporate, medical or legal fields, where security concerns are vital, then the Olympus digital voice recorder the DS5000 and its transcription kit the AS 5000 are certainly value for money.

Possible Improvements

 As for future improvements that Olympus might consider:

1.   The information on the screen should be made simpler.

2.    The DS-5000 should have had a built in USB plug for connecting directly into the PC for both file transfer and recharging the device. Also, some would appreciate if it had blue tooth capability for transferring recordings. .

3.     It should be available in a range of bright colors, so that it is easier to find.

Overall, I found the Olympus had met all four of the criteria I set out to test. It’s a very handy and useful device, unlike many of its rivals in the market.

I would recommend Olympus to any office dictator!

Score 8/10.

For further information about the:

·        Olympus DS 5000 digital voice recorder        http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/2578_pro_line_ds-5000_18783.htm

·        Olympus AS 5000 transcription kit http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/2578_pro_line_as-5000_18784.htm

·        For a professional audio typist service that has Olympus DSS transcription technology Lesley Ann Saunders - Secretarial Services Oxford - Oxfordshire Secretarial Services - Audio Transcription Service http://www.lesleyannsaunders.co.uk/

See also the  OLYMPUS DS-30 Review