iPad App Review: Voice Memos for iPad

Voice Memos for iPad is essentially a voice recording application. I haven't spent much time using it so take this review with a grain of salt and you should spend some time reading reviews of others in the App Store. But what I have learned. This app costs $.99 to download. Okay, cheap enough considering the iPad doesn't come with a free pre-installed voice recording program. BUT, in order to export the recordings you have to pay ANOTHER $.99 in an in App purchase. I refused to do this as this can only mean the beginning of future inApp purchases for additional features as the app creators decide. Check out a recommended alternative at the bottom of this review (Evernote for iPad).

FEATURES:
- Multitask while recording
- Unlimited recording time
- Add text notes to memos
- Records audio in high quality
- Tag memos
- Pause a recoding
- Play memos
- Audio level meter
- Recording duration timer

IN APP PURCHASE FEATURES:
- Email or export memos

Design and usability of the app seems fine. No issues, no crashes (again, I haven't used this long so crashes might be possible for long recordings). Audio exports into .m4v files which many people have commented that they don't like because it's a file format not easily used with things other than iTunes. However, for those at the University of Minnesota this file format works well with Media Mill functionality.

APP DETAILS & SPECS

Price: $.99 (plus $.99 inApp purchase for exporting audio)

Version reviewed: 1.3.1

My overall rating (out of 10): 5/10

Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later

Current rating from the App Store (out of five stars): Current version: 3.5 stars; All versions: 3 stars

Good for: Audio Recording lectures, presentations, taking notes

RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE:

Evernote for the iPad is an awesome, awesome application that is not only FREE, it syncs with the Evernote application available on your phone, your computer and your iPad. No cables required to transfer to devices AND, you can export directly from the iPad into an email for FREE! Why is this cool for audio notes? Because alongside typed notes, Evernote for the iPad has a built in audio recorder that allows you to not only voice record what you're hearing (be that a lecture, or giving a presentation) you can type notes attached to the same file and add photos in text. Origianall only 20 minutes of audio recording was allowed but this has been increased recently to 1 hour and 30 minutes. AND, if you happen to run out of space, just create a "part 2" note to finish up the audio. This note "package" of text, etc. is then synced across your Evernote account so you can open your computer, phone, etc. and open the file there. The written text, photos, AND audio (.wav format) are sitting in one great package. The uses of this are ENDLESS. And best yet, for those who already use Evernote you don't need to download or buy another program and get to use what's familiar to you.

Check out a review of Evernote

But, why wait, download Evernote now, you'll love it!: Download from iTunes

In case you're still on the fence: Evernote was inducted into the Apple "App Hall of Fame", NY Times "Top 10 Must-Have Apps"