Sonic Youth Gossip - Personal (not professional) digital recording devices

Thanks for the responses so far. Not discounting anything that anyone has said so far, does anyone have enough knowledge / experience of the Zoom H4 to be able to comment? I've read somewhere that it's pretty popular with folks at the BBC, which seems like a pretty good recommendation.

The Zoom H4 Handy Digital Recorder fits in your palm and is ideal for recording live musical performances, interviews, podcasts, meetings, classes and seminars. The H4 allows you to record 24-bit/96 kHz digital audio as well as in MP3 format with bitrates up to 320kbps.

The H4 features two studio-quality electret condenser microphones configured in an X/Y pattern for true stereo recording. It also includes 2 combination XLR-1/4-inch input jacks with phantom power for use with any external microphones of your choice. And the H4 is loaded with on-board studio effects such as compression, limiting and mic modeling. An 1/8-inch headphone jack is also provided for monitoring.

The H4 records on to Secure Digital (SD) media, a 512MB SD card is included with the unit. With a 16GB SD memory card, the H4 provides up to 24 hours of stereo WAV file recording in 44.1kHz/16-bit mode (CD Quality), or as many as 280 hours in MP3 stereo mode. And to move your recordings to a PC or Mac, the H4 includes a USB mass-storage interface.

The H4 provides four hours of continuous recording operation from 2 AA batteries. A back-lit, 128×64 pixel LCD provides the visual interface. An AC adapter, USB cable, windshield cover and tripod adapter are also included.

It’s also a 4-Track Recorder!
Unlike other field recorders, the H4 also has a 4-track recording mode for easy-to-use mobile multi-track recording. The H4 will also render 4-track audio with CD quality, 16-bit/44.1 kHz resolution.

Songwriters and musicians can use the combination XLR-1/4-inch high-impedance phone inputs for vocals, guitars, bass or keyboards. Also on-board are Zoom's most incredible guitar and bass amplifier modeling effects. These effects accurately reproduce the sounds of the most famous guitar amps ever made.

And by-the-way, it’s also an Audio Interface
Recording directly to your computer has never been easier than with the Zoom H4 Handy Recorder. The H4 is the only portable digital recorder that also serves as your USB audio interface, allowing direct recording of instruments and vocals to your computer. And, if you don’t already have a DAW, that’s okay because every H4 comes bundled with Cubase LE, the perfect 48-Track Digital Audio Workstation for easy editing, mixing and mastering of your recordings on either Windows or Mac.

Together, these features make the Zoom H4 Handy Digital Recorder the most versatile portable recording device ever offered.