leanne's+expanded+criteria


 * NOTE-** I know that the word count is way off and that there is no referencing yet.

Portability of the devices is key for spontaneous or location shooting. The portability of the devices is judged upon weight, dimensions and power source. The weight of the products needs to be considered as it determines the mobility and ease of use of the device. The iPod touch comes in at the lightest device at 101 grams. The Zoom q3hd and Sony bloggie come in at a similar weight at about 125 grams each. The Zoom q3hd claims to be 105 grams without batteries but realistically you will need batteries in the device or you will need to be carrying batteries separately, so claiming it to be 105 grams is quite unrealistic. The dimensions of the devices are also important as these determine how well the device will fit in a pocket or small bag. The iPod touch is the slimmest of all the devices at only 7.2mm thick, however it is also the widest which means it may not be pocket friendly. The Zoom q3hd is the tallest of the devices because of the fixture of real microphones caged in at the top of the recorder. All of the recorders run without needing a power point connection however the Zoom q3hd works on 2 AA batteries while the iPod touch and Sony bloggie need to be charged via an adaptor or USB connection. The zoom q3hd using AA batteries can be an advantage as you can recharge by walking into almost any store however AA batteries often have less battery power than inbuilt ones.

The price range between the devices is approximately 90 dollars which isn’t really that much considering the diversity of the 3 recorders and the quality of the video they produce. The price is important as libraries have a strict budget that must be adhered to and also need to justify their expenses. The iPod touch came in at the cheapest at 237 dollars at Kmart. The Sony bloggie was the middle of the price range at 279 dollars at the Sony store while the Zoom q3hd was the most expensive at 329 dollars at all to edge. The Zoom q3hd gave the best quality audio and video, however the library budget and the other functions of the device will determine which of the recorders is perceived as the best value. The iPod touch has the most features as it has internet access and a heap of other features such as TV streaming, Ebooks and maps.