One vital detail missing from the early info on the PMD670: powering
options and battery life. When I examined the 680 when it came out a
couple of years ago, the power consumption was very high relative to
MD recorders (even compared to Marantz's own 650!), and they were
using outmoded NiCd technology for a rechargeable option. Even
though there were "no moving parts" (at least, no motors), power was
problematical.
Another thing to watch out for as more CompactFlash or other card
recorders come along: the metal pins in the card slot that mate with
the card can get bent. I lost a CompactFlash reader this year due to
unrecoverable bending of the thin metal pins. Luckily it was just a
replaceable external card reader, not the recorder or the card
itself. But as others have said, "no moving parts" doesn't guarantee
field ruggedness.
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