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Looking beyond the DW-90’s interesting features, I noticed that it did have some setbacks. For one, it does not have the ability to convert speech files into text documents -- a major setback. I was very disappointed to know that the software only allowed for my PC to playback recordings and not have them automatically typed out for me. This feature is only found on higher models, like the Olympus DS-320 and DS-3000, which are shipped with IBM’s ViaVoice 8.0.

Also, the DW-90 is specifically stated as being incompatible with Macintosh machines. Sorry, Mac users!

In addition, the DW-90 has no ability to expand storage. It’s advertised as having a 90 minute capacity. However, they don’t tell you that this is at the lowest sound quality mode until you break open the box. At this mode, the recordings I made were horrible. The sound was really muffled and the quality seemed close to the level of a conventional tape recorder. You’ll most definitely have to use the highest quality mode for speech files. Doing so allows for only a measly 22 minutes of recording time, which is really nothing for a decent lecture or interview. Moreover, there’s no option for storage expansion. Again, this is only available on Olympus’ higher models.

Lastly, the DW-90 player had some other little things that bothered me. Its LCD screen is really small, making the display cluttered and unintuitive. You’ll definitely have to read the instructions, especially to figure out how the file folder system works on the player. The DW-90 allows you to make folders on the player to store different sound files, but it really took me awhile to get used to it. I also wished the player had a capability to plug a microphone into it. It would’ve helped with the recordings at low quality mode.

Conclusion

In all, the DW-90 has some really interesting features, but it also has some limitations. The sound quality is very good, but you’re limited to only 22 minutes in high quality mode, which really isn’t enough for a decent lecture or interview. Also, there isn’t room for any additional storage capacity, unlike many higher models. The DW-90 has the ability to transfer recordings to a PC, allowing for easy organization. However, these files cannot be converted into text.

Personally, I would recommend the DW-90 to only certain users. These will be people who make many short voice recordings (maximum 22 minutes), want to manage all of them on their PC, prefer high quality sound and a compact unit. The unit is about $99, so it’s one of the cheapest digital voice recorders out there.

However, I would not recommend the DW-90 to the occasional user -- someone like myself. The unit contains some great features, but the capacity of 22 minutes is somewhat abysmal. At that capacity, I would need 2 players to record my class lectures or interviews, which range from 1 to 3 hours in length. As well, regular recorders, at the local electronics stores, range from $30 to $70, so the $99 for a DW-90 is not very competitive. To the occasional user, I’d remind them that digital voice recorders are a fairly new item on the market. As such, they really should consider waiting until more capacity is available at a competitive price before they decide on a purchase.

Overall Score: 70%