For my full review…

The size was the reason I waited for this unit. And I’m glad I did. It’s about the same dimension as my iPod but thicker. So it’s easy to handle. And the menu button as well as the scroll wheel (that’s what they call it but it feels more like a rocker) on the opposite side makes navigating through the files and settings easily accessible with a single (right) hand. And as you can tell from the photos, it’s about a fourth the size of the Marantz PMD-660. Here’s a short list of pros and cons for now…I’ll probably add more as I use it in the field:

PROS:

• Size: when you’re carrying other gear…size does matter.
• Menu and “scroll wheel” are well thought out and menus are easy to navigate.
• The stereo electret stereo microphone is pretty frackin’ cool and sounds great (under controlled conditions). Not sure?…here’s my test. (Though for field work, I would still use at least a condenser mic on cable to avoid handling noise.)
• It has the curved edges like the iPod (and Treo) making it comfortable to hold.
• It’s less expensive than the PMD-660.
• There’s some thread on the Net about not being able to record while charging through the USB power adapter. That’s false. You can, indeed, record while charging, you simply have to plug in the USB power adapter while the device is on.

• Boot up time is a bit long. Because you have to hold down the ‘on’ button for three seconds to turn the machine on (and off) and wait around 13 seconds for the firmware to load, I did have to wait around 16 seconds to start recording. Compare this with the five seconds to boot up and start recording with the PMD-660. (Some threads on the Net has boot up time at around 19 seconds). In any case, for me, this isn’t a deal breaker. If I know that I’m about to record something, I’ll just turn it on early.
• It is small enough that I wish it came with a functional case that I can clip on my belt while still allow access to its core buttons. Or have a small area where I can slip a strap (ala phone strap). It did come with a small black baggy.
• Can it be smaller without losing quality. I’m sure it can be done and we’ll be looking at recorders the size of, dare I say, a Nano soon. Considering that my Treo650 is even thinner than the Microtrack, I’m sure there’s a way.
• XLR inputs – I suppose this would be cool to close in on the PMD-660 issue but, for me, this isn’t a huge deal. For the fieldwork at my school, we’ve been quite happy with the 1/8” input on the Sony MiniDiscs. Same goes here. There are also professional balanced ¼” TRS Inputs.
• The recording meter is displayed on the small LCD screen which is difficult to read once the backlight goes out. There is a peak LED meter on the face of the device but I’m not sure if that’s sufficient.
• Rechargable battery is internal. So if the device isn't charged before someone checks it out, that person is S.O.L. I suppose one could invest on external battery boxes, but that defeats the elegance of its size.

• I’m not sure if it’s in my settings but I couldn’t set it to record mono. Maybe I’m missing something here. (UPDATE: Turns out that out of the box, Microtrack can't record in mono. M-Audio website said there's a firmware update but at this time the 1.1.5 didn't fix it. Unfortunate.)
• By touch, it does seem a bit plastic…though not as bulky and clunky as the PMD-660. I do wonder on the Microtrack’s durability out on the field.