> If I carry one in my pants pocket will it pick up the other end of a conversation with the other end being as much as 8 feet away? I don't think so if it's normal conversation. You may be able to try some at the electronic stores, BB, CC, RS, ect. Some of the MP3 players are also voice recorders.

The inspection was performed, and other than normal wear and tear, the unit is in very good condition. New AC, air ducts, adequate insulation. All the appliances in working order. The garage is in average shape; the garage door opener appears to the be an older chain driven unit. The exterior wood trim sags a bit, but he says that is normal. The floor is ever so slightly sloping in one direction; again within the "normal" range. I suppose because it's on the second/top floor. Double pane windows all have the airtight seals compromised, unfortunately, including the sliding door and the French door. Fixable but not-so-easy. And the tile tub surround is in bad shape around the knob and has to be repaired, including the backing wall. But hey, for $75K? Not too terrible in my opinion. He says he doesn't see any foundation issue that would warrant me backing out. This post was edited by richardlyon33 on Tue, Aug 19, 14 at 23:46

I bought a couple of these from a scrapbooking store near me...haven't used them yet, but they looked like they had some possiblities. I was concerned that the weight of the pages might trigger them, but I guess they have a thingee you can put in them so that they only talk when you want them to...$l5.00 is about right for the cost.

Passe, maybe, still worthwhile. Dang right, for me anyway. I use them all the time. One is carried on me most all the time. If I don't make a note of things, I tend to forget. Plus it's handy for price comparisons, remembering in what lot you're car is parked and much more. The Sony is a nice unit but the buttons are small. If that's an issue, the Olympus one linked is much better. Buttons are big and easy to figure out as far as basic record/play functions. I have 2 old Sonys that are quite basic by todays standards but they're so user-friendly, they are advantageous. But they're no longer made. I have a newer Sony that is similar to one linked and I have an Olympus that is very similar to the Sony linked. I don't like that Olympus. I also have an Olympus very similar to the one linked and I like it but it's not used too much. Why do I have so many? I had one I would carry on me for work, I'd leave one in the vehicle and left one next to my chair. Got one for free that I couldn't turn down and I bought one for a gift and it was already one received so I decided to keep it since the old ones were starting to show their wear. Much of your challenge will be whether he's willing to do it and if he is excited about doing it, there won't be much of an issue getting him to use the recorder as long as you have one that's pretty self explanatory. I wanted to do a similar thing when my Dad was alive. Didn't happen. Good luck getting it going.