Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The battery life indicator (in the display) has 3 bars. As soon as the battery life drops from 3 bars to 2 bars. the recorder simply stops working. If a recording is in progress, all of it is lost. Your only option is to replace the batteries, though they are only 1/3 used. I returned the first one they sent, but the replacement is exactly the same. The manufacturer knows about this, but continues to sell them with this defect. Update: After 3 months, the recorder simply stopped working. Since it eats batteries (gets only 3-4 days use from a set of 2 AAA's), maybe it has done me a favor. It is under warranty for one year--I imagine they will just send me another one which will be the 3rd. Update: I called Olympus. I must send in the old one at my expense and open a "service order." I will do this because I am a masochist, after all. They will probably just send some type of "credit" which will be difficult to use. Meanwhile Amazon has hidden my review in some outer universe, so that new purchasers do not see it. Amazon continues to sell this product as if it were something with value.