There are many voice recorders on the market. Prices range from $20 to over $200. You may not even be aware of it but many cellphones and MP3 players include voice recorder functions. Some important points to look for when buying a voice recorder is the size, how long it records, how easy it is to operate, and of course price. If you will be recording long lectures you may also want one that can plug into your computer so you can save the recordings. These units are no longer using micro cassettes or limited to 30 minutes. They use solid state technology and can record for tens of hours, some even hundreds of hours.

Some other uses for voice recorders are, messages left for the family. Why leave an old fashioned note, keep a voice recorder in the kitchen and put it in a special place when you have a message for the family. "Dinner is in the oven, I will be back at 9" that could be written but what if you have a long list of instructions for everyone. A voice recorder becomes much easier than writing ten pages of notes and that 'I love you" at the end has a lot more meaning when it is in your own voice.