This is one area where the technology is mature and cheap. You can find REALLY cheap junk (under $10-20), that is a waste of money, and expensive stuff (say $75 and up), where you are paying for features you may not need (extremely long recording times, microphones capable of picking up a lecture from the back of a large hall, or fidelity suitable for recording music). In between, you will probably find that any "name brand" device will do a good job. Focus on the features you are looking for. The differences between devices are likely to be things like ease of use, size, battery life, message organization (e.g., how many folders), etc. Check the user reviews on the retailers' sites. BTW, many digital music players and cell phones...