Rating: 
Summary: Bug-Randomly switches to Recording Mode&No Support
Review: iTalk plugs into the iPod very nicely, and the concept is great.
The bug I found was that in the middle of playing a playlist of songs using the speaker, the iTalk randomly switches over to recording mode from play mode. There is no setting to change this.
I checked the manual for help (it is just a 7 pages in total and no valuable info, just a namesake manual).I checked the FAQ, which is just 3 questions in total and my issue is not covered there.
So then I looked all over the Griffin website for a telephone number or email to contact the support, there is nothing of the sort.So here I am left with a faulty device. Therefore I would not reccommend this device.
Rating: 
Summary: Useful for voice memos
Review: I bought the iTalk to take memos when I'm out in the field. Camera in one had, iPod in the other. I read the reviews first so knew it would be risky but it sounded ok for my uses and I got it cheap.* Files are about 1 minute per Mb, stored as wav.
* Sound quality is understandable but not as good as AM radio.
* For a fully charged iPod, I got about 90 mins recording before the battery showed empty. Pros * Recording works fine, and I can dictate captions for photos as I think of them on site. Typically these are 1-2 minutes at most. I have also made an hour-long recording as a test without problems. I tried recording conversation in a cafe but it picks up too much background to be understandable.
* The best feature for photo memos is that files are time stamped, so I copy each memo to the same folder as my photos (which are also time stamped) making them easy to match up.
* iTalk can take an external mike which cuts out background white noise.
* Files are automatically sync'd to iTunes Voice Memo list and stored in the iTunes unknown artist folder. (If you have this feature set in iTunes) Cons * Software glitches randomly lock up the iPod under almost every condition except for the initial condition (more about this below).
* The iTalk covers the iPod lock. This is a serious design flaw given how quickly the battery drains. It means that you can't carry the iTalk connected to the iPod and easily lock the keys.
* The line that takes a mic also doubles as a line out. If headphones are connected and you try to record, the recording light shows but nothing is recorded. It creates a file but it's empty. Hints Prevent freezing: If the iTalk is in place when the iPod is turned on, it will often freeze. To prevent freezing, remove the iTalk before turning on the iPod every time. Under these conditions I've never had it freeze. If the iPod does sleep, to prevent freezing, remove the iTalk then insert it again (i'm not sure how often this is necessary, but I haven't had to reset the iPod since the first day). Reset: To reset the iPod, remove the iTalk and hold down the iPod's MENU and PLAY '>||' buttons for 10 sec. I used this 5x the first day with the iTalk but haven't needed it since. Locking: Slide a laminated card (my credit card is too thick) between the iPod and iTalk to lock, or carry the iTalk separately (annoying, but not as annoying as rebooting every time). Saving: It's not enough to pause a recording, you need to remember to stop and save it before removing the iTalk. The MENU button will also save files. Finding the files on PC: I have iTunes set to automatically sync files. To find the files in iTunes, look under the Voice Memos list. It's a trifle disconcerting when they disappear from one list and appear elsewhere unless you're prepared for it. On my PC, they can also be copied from
iTunes music/unknown artist/unknown album Battery: I tried letting the battery run out while recording. It ran for ~50 minutes while the battery was showing empty then shut down with no warning. The file appears to have been saved ok. Battery life: Check out the apple web page for battery tips (...) (I know this comment is outside the scope of iTalk, but if you use a voice recorder with the iPod, you're going to be dealing with battery issues.) Summary Despite the glitches, I like having a handy memo system and will keep it til something better turns up. Doesn't sound like Belkin is any better in terms of software glitches or battery life, but it looks like it would be possible to lock the iPod with the Belkin in place which would be a plus. The minus is that Belkin doesn't take an external mic.
Rating:
Summary: Great Product! But...
Review: I have read numerous reviews of this product and finally decided to try it out for myself. The built in speaker is an amazing plus, however Ive seen this noted in only one other review, there is a 4-5 second delay from the time it says recording until it actually starts recording. I assume its a glitch and will exchange it for another.
Rating:
Summary: Griffin dropped the ball with the iTalk
Review: I owned the belkin voice recorder then somehow lost it and then I saw ads for the iTalk. Since I owned the iTrip and was happy with it, I thought this was a blessing in disguise. I'm a college student and record my lectures, for the most part the Belkin voice recorder worked well but the iTalk claimed to have auto gain control etc. I'm buying another Belkin. I've recorder a week of lectures already and not a single one has come out with the iTalk. I know it's not the lecture halls because the Belkin voice recorder worked just fine. I don't know where to even begin about how bad the iTalk has worked so far. All my lectures sound like the beach. I cannot hear any voices at all. Just hours and hours of horrible background noise. It obviously does not work for lectures as claimed. Go with Belkin for once
Rating:
Summary: So-So...It is ok
Review: I purchased my iTalk in an apple store and was thrilled at it. It is sleek and matches the iPod perfectly. I did not experience freezing as some other reviewers did, but I did find one very annoying glitch: you sometimes cant play back recordings. This has been driving me insane because I can't play back any of the things i record. It is not the best voice recorder. My favourite part, which pulled the rating from 1 star to 3 stars, is that it has a small built-in speaker and it has a line in/out jack. The speaker can be used to play alarm clock playlists. Although it has redced sound quality, it works very well and i got used to it very quickly. The line in/out jack is wonderful to have because it means you can listen to music without removing the italk. It also lets you use other microphones. The belkin equivalent has no in/out jack. to get that you need to buy a completely different accessory. Overall, it only is good for the speaker and line in/out jack. The voice recorder picks up every sound nearby, like puffs of air 5 miles away, the hard drive spinning up (which, I might add, you can hear through the headphones too), and can't pick up voices other than your own, which bums me because I can't record lectures.
Rating: 
Summary: Can't figure out why this thing gets bad reviews. EXCELLENT!
Review: I use a Samsung digital recording device to record oral history interviews. My interviewee has Parkinson's and slurs his speech. He also is prone to mumbling. I spend hours trying to decipher what he's said when I use my Samsung voice recorder.
Enter the Griffin iTalk. After downloading the 2.2 iPod software from Apple, it worked without a glitch. I especially like the ease with which one can start and stop a recording session without starting new files each time. It's simple and easy to use and gives the user a great deal of control. The built-in organization when it syncs with iTunes is also extremely convenient.
The playback quality right out of the iTalk itself isn't great. It's about as good as my laptop's speakers. But I always play back through small Sony speakers anyway. The quality here: perfect. It's actually quite amazing. I was stunned.
I haven't experienced any freezing of the iPod. I haven't experienced any problems at all actually.
I never write reviews on Amazon, but I was so excited by the utility of this little (yes, very attractive) device that I was compelled to come online and share my discovery.
Rating: 
Summary: Good...but not Great
Review: I use this device with a 4G 20GB iPod. It works as expected: Plug the device into the iPod, the iPod starts up in voice recorder mode. It works quite well. The onboard mic works okay, and the recordings are acceptable.
The first day I owned it, I realized that the iTalk's speaker was a big plus that I hadn't considered. While not HIFI, it really sounds better than I expected. Now, I don't need to worry about packing speakers when I travel. I just set the iPod's alarm, and make sure the iTalk is plugged in before I go to sleep. It's really a big plus.
Its only shortcoming came up when attempting to use an external microphone. I bought the Olympus OLY-ME-12 noise cancellation microphone to use with the iTrip. This mic is unpowered, and sits right on top of the iTrip. Looks cool, but, it does not work. The iPod goes into voice recorder mode, but it refuses to record. When the mic is removed, it records fine.
Griffin Support claims that powered mics work fine, but that's a little too bulky for my puroposes.
Rating:
Summary: So far.... so good!
Review: Just got my iTalk. Tested it out a few different ways: (1) speaking directly into it, and (2) with the iTalk on a table maybe 3 feet away, speaking towards it. Both times, I was able to playback the conversation and understand all the words; just a matter of adjusting the volume on playback.
My only gripe (so far): I bought an iPod cover (Speck Products "Skin Tight") and I have to remove the cover in order to use the iTalk. I am sure that this goes for most covers too. The iTalk connectors need to be flush with the connectors on the iPod, and when the cover is on, that 1mm space difference is enough to cause error message "Cannot record because there is no microphone attached".
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: Merry Christmas! I just got my new iTalk, and boy, am I impressed. What an improvement over Belkin's cheap little attachment, which I owned for several months. I was satisfied with the Belkin version, but as soon as I started using the iTalk, I realized what I was missing. For starters, it mounts straight on the top of the iPod- the Belkin version was always crooked, and it doesn't look right anyway because it's not the length of the iPod. It also has a line in/out port at the top, which Belkin doesn't have. I wouldn't say the speaker functions any better--both of them make fine alarm clocks. The biggest feature I was missing was automatic gain controll. What a difference!! iTalk doesn't record static whenever the source gets too loud; it adjusts the recording volume automatically. Most, if not all, of the recordings I made with the Belkin voice recorder are marred with unpleasant static from gain breaks. This feature is a remarkable improvement. The iTalk also looks better, matching the iPod's style much more closely. I'd recomend this product to anyone with an iPod.
One interesting thing: The recordings I had made previously without the gain controll are difficult to play through the iTalk. Whenever a gain break is reached in the recording, the iTalk refuses to play static. I'm assuming the gain control chip kicks in or something. When this happens, the program changes to the recording screen. Curious.... I still love the product though.
Rating:
Summary: save your money
Review: this 50 dollar (after taxes s/h etc...) piece of cheap garbage is a big waist of money. distorts even if just recording your own voice talking. griffen advertises that you can use this product to record song ideas. tried that. all i hear is a muffled distorted version of what i played. the sounds quality is horrible. i get better quality recordings on my pocked pc's built in mic. bottom line.... DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM!!! you will feel ripped off... i certainly do. i'd give the iTalk negative stars if i could.
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