Saturday, October 14, 2006
Adventures in Tech-Land
So I've been on the search for a microphone to stick into my computer's microphone jack. My voice recorder is full from all the homework I've been doing, and (dumb, cheap me) I didn't spring for the digitally convertible one when I bought it in the spring. Solution: record them onto my computer through a mic. It would also be helpful to be able to speak to Kevin over the web so we're not wasting precious cell phone minutes.
So on my way to class on Thursday, I stopped by a Circuit City and picked one up. There were few options - two desktop ones with stands and one small one with a clip. I bought the small one. $12.99. What a rip. I get home from class at around 10 p.m., plug it in and...
nothing.
I rifle through the printed material included, but turns out it was just the same warranty card - one in English and one in French. Looking online, I find that this model isn't even marketed to the U.S., but is a Canadian product (the company operates in a number of foreign countries). Craptacular, eh?
Friday. I'm off to an interview straight from my internship. I turn on the recorder...see the red light. start talking. Ten minutes later I look down and there's no red light. I pause the interview for a sec to figure out my recorder, and turns out the thing is full. Woe is me. For reals. I end up scribbling fanatically for nearly an hour.
As planned, I stopped by Circuit City and returned the mic (since the interview was in the same area). Walked a block down to the closest RadioShack (online, they have a much larger selection). Find only one microphone not attached to a set of headphones. $11.99 (other than that weird internet phone one on clearance for $1.99 but that's just shady). But it's RadioShack brand so I'm trusting it a little more than that last one. Buy it, sigh, head on home.
Get home, plug it in...
nothing.
And, unlike that last one, this one had absolutely no printed materials included. I know these are plug and play attachments, but there has to be some sort of instruction. At least tell people "plug in. Open program. Use." I don't even need another piece of paper for that. Print it on the back of the package or something.
I call up RadioShack tech support. Here's how it goes.
A: "It doesn't work, but I think it's me. What am I suppose to do?"
RadioShack Guy: "Does it have a 1/8" plug for the back of your computer?"
A: "Yes, well it plugs into my microphone jack."
RG: "Ok. Well now open up your recording software and start recording."
A: [fumbles to open up software] "Um...ok." [stalling for time so I can try it out while he's still there]
RG: "Do you have any other questions today?"
A: [still stalling] "Um...no"
RG: "Thanks."
A: "Wait!"
But alas, he was gone. The RadioShack guy hung up on me! I don't think they're suppose to do that. And his advice totally didn't work. Kevin suggested that I try for a USB one, since my mic jack is apparently jacked up (pun intended). His advice works.
So I spent my Friday night transcribing old interviews so I could erase them. What a waste. Lesson learned: RadioShack tech support sucks, and don't wait six months to transcribe a two hour interview while it takes up space on your recorder.
So on my way to class on Thursday, I stopped by a Circuit City and picked one up. There were few options - two desktop ones with stands and one small one with a clip. I bought the small one. $12.99. What a rip. I get home from class at around 10 p.m., plug it in and...
nothing.
I rifle through the printed material included, but turns out it was just the same warranty card - one in English and one in French. Looking online, I find that this model isn't even marketed to the U.S., but is a Canadian product (the company operates in a number of foreign countries). Craptacular, eh?
Friday. I'm off to an interview straight from my internship. I turn on the recorder...see the red light. start talking. Ten minutes later I look down and there's no red light. I pause the interview for a sec to figure out my recorder, and turns out the thing is full. Woe is me. For reals. I end up scribbling fanatically for nearly an hour.
As planned, I stopped by Circuit City and returned the mic (since the interview was in the same area). Walked a block down to the closest RadioShack (online, they have a much larger selection). Find only one microphone not attached to a set of headphones. $11.99 (other than that weird internet phone one on clearance for $1.99 but that's just shady). But it's RadioShack brand so I'm trusting it a little more than that last one. Buy it, sigh, head on home.
Get home, plug it in...
nothing.
And, unlike that last one, this one had absolutely no printed materials included. I know these are plug and play attachments, but there has to be some sort of instruction. At least tell people "plug in. Open program. Use." I don't even need another piece of paper for that. Print it on the back of the package or something.
I call up RadioShack tech support. Here's how it goes.
A: "It doesn't work, but I think it's me. What am I suppose to do?"
RadioShack Guy: "Does it have a 1/8" plug for the back of your computer?"
A: "Yes, well it plugs into my microphone jack."
RG: "Ok. Well now open up your recording software and start recording."
A: [fumbles to open up software] "Um...ok." [stalling for time so I can try it out while he's still there]
RG: "Do you have any other questions today?"
A: [still stalling] "Um...no"
RG: "Thanks."
A: "Wait!"
But alas, he was gone. The RadioShack guy hung up on me! I don't think they're suppose to do that. And his advice totally didn't work. Kevin suggested that I try for a USB one, since my mic jack is apparently jacked up (pun intended). His advice works.
So I spent my Friday night transcribing old interviews so I could erase them. What a waste. Lesson learned: RadioShack tech support sucks, and don't wait six months to transcribe a two hour interview while it takes up space on your recorder.
# posted by ange : 11:29 AM
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