I've bought a few programs from the app store, but I'm still looking. For me, the ideal voice recorder has yet to be produced. Here's some advice for would-be developers for the features I'd love to see offered in a single program:
1. Launch to a Quick Record Screen.
The program should be optimized for making quick recordings. This means it launches on the recording screen. I like the way SpeakEasy provides the tab bar at the bottom for easy screen switching. Make the "Record" tab the default on launch and I'm happy.
Many current app store apps get this right, but too many of them launch to a "Recordings List" screen and make you tap a tiny button somewhere on the screen to get to the "Recordings" screen. They sometimes make you tap yet another tiny button to start the recording. Are you listening, Dictaphone?
2. Big Buttons.
You're usually on the go when you're making a recording, otherwise you'd probably use a computer based app, or a pen and paper. No time to fumble after tiny buttons. Make the common operations accessible with BIG BUTTONS.
Again, SpeakEasy seems to get this right.
3. User Selectable Audio Quality.
Don't pick a quality for me because the files *might* be too big. I should be the one who makes the decision about how much room I want to devote to recordings, not the developer.
Several programs now available get this right, some offer only a single quality.
4. Easy Speaker Switching.
Usually, I want to listen to recordings from the "Speakerphone" speaker. But when other people are around, I want to listen through the regular "Phone" speaker. I want to switch regularly and often, so make this easy to toggle -- An easy to push button on the playback screen, NOT a program setting accessible only through three layers of menus.
I don't know of any current program in the app store which gets this right. If they have the option at all, they disappoint by burying it far away in settings.
5. Synchonization, Without Installing a Program on the Mac/PC.
The program "iDicto" solves this nicely. You put the program on your iPhone into "sync" mode then just boot up your usual Mac/PC browser and visit a URL on your iPhone. Just downlink the files normally. Brilliant!
6. Email Recordings.
Don't tell me the files are too big so I can't email them. How do you know how big a file my email program can manage? Give me the abilty and put a warning in the docs about big files.
7. Don't Put the Time Into the Filename!
Yes, recordings should be time / datestamped, but don't confuse this with the recording's name. They should be separate. The program "iDicto" gets this right.
8. Quick Alternatives to Filenames
When you're making a recording, you usually don't have time to type in even a short filename for your recording. Most programs supply a default, which is fine, but they're useless for distinguishing one recording from another "Record 001" , "Record 002", ... Give me a quick and painless alternative to typing.
The program "iDicto" has some good ideas along these lines, such as pre-built icons you can associate with your file. SpeakEasy lets you associate a picture, which might be even better.
