For dial-in dictation, you simply call, enter your password and dictate. Press two to record, three to rewind--that kind of stuff. The voice files (which are recorded digitally) are then sent to our night-shift transcriptionists. The next afternoon, documents are proofread, lines counted and reports are delivered to your computer. These are e-mail attachments in Microsoft Word format (we'll get you started if you haven't done this before). Since you will have the report file delivered right to your computer, you can make those pesky little changes in the document and then print the report right up--and the report will stay forever on your computer to retrieve for reprints, etc.

Hand-held tape recorders are a little different. If you like these, we recommend the Olympus DS-4000 (but others, such as Sony, Panasonic, etc., will work). This recorder has a little card in it (like in the cameras) and at the end of the day you insert it into a card-reader on your computer, password protect the file and then drag the encrypted voice file with your mouse to us for transcribing.

The advantage of dial-up is that once you hang up, the voice file is in our office, ready to be typed. You don't have to deliver the recording. Of course, you must dictate from a phone.

The obvious advantage to hand-held recorders is portability, but your staff must drag voice files to us with a mouse at the end of the day--so there's an extra step. These digital handheld recorders can record many hours at a time. Also, with the Olympus DS-4000 you can drop one card off with your secretary to be uploaded while you dictate the next day's work on another card--so your tape recorder isn't tied up in the delivery process. Once the handheld voice files are uploaded, delivery time back to your office is the same as though you dialed it in--usually the next day.

Questions? Want to know more? Call us now at 1-888-SmartDoc or click here to send us an e-mail.