need to find a compatible usb voice recorder!

Hello,
I'm an education student and it is a program requirement this semester that we have a voice recorder to record our student teaching lessons for review. It must have some sort of importing function like USB so we can turn in our lessons in the major accepted formats.
Now, I've found only one that even mentions the ability to hook up to a mac, but it only works with wma files. I'll go to that if I really have to, but I prefer starting off with .mp3 files and not messing with conversions.
I want easy and I want affordable. Anyone found any success with this?
There are about 20 of us in the program using macs and we all need one, so if I can get a few good options to pass along to the group, that would be great.

Thanks!

Kim

In haste ... check these links:
http://www.nch.com.au/software/voxrec.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92IZpaBUIQs&feature=related

If it's a microphone/headset type of hardware you're asking about, Logitech have a range of implements, nearly all USB.

More about the Question

Kim,

Do I guess right that what you're thinking of is a self-contained, portable recording device which you would use in the field and then bring back and connect to a Mac to offload the recorded files? I came across this forum thread because I am trying to use a specific such device, a Sony ICD-P620, with a Mac. For this device, it looks like the only possibility is to run Sony's software in either Darwine or a virtual machine like Parallels or VMWare.

I have looked for a similar device which is supported on the Mac and it's disappointing that I can't seem to find one. It's also peculiar that these devices don't work essentially the same way as every digital camera out there and just have their internal memory mount as a disk when they are plugged into a USB port. My cell phone, an LG VX-8100, has a voice memo feature and it can transfer the recorded files to a Mac. The only problem is that it's got a 30 second limit and that isn't practical for my present purposes. At work, we have Phillips recorders which have SD/MMC card slots and you can get the recordings off the card onto a Mac and convert them. Unfortunately, the Phillips devices are expensive.

So, to get back to the broader question. Is this, indeed, a case where you really need a separate device and can't just record directly to the Mac?

This one is Mac compatible.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=220666&C=Froogle&U=220666&T=Module

I have it and it works well.

I think the USB speakerphone from ipevo store.ipevo.com has a mac driver that gives wav OR mp4. I'd email customer service to confirm though.
The advantage would be that you could hook it up and then even edit in Garageband if you wanted (supports mp4 and you can export as mp3 if you wanted).

hope that helps

Pam