Okay, so I would like a digital recorder for classes. I have spent hours poring through Amazon et al., but I'm not finding what I want. I am beginning to wonder if what I want even exists. What I want is pretty specific:
I would prefer not to have to buy a USB cord thingie, so would like the recorder to plug into USB.
Would prefer that it records in .mp3, since I don't really want to fiddle with a converter.
Would prefer that it had enough storage to record about 8 hours, but if worse comes to worse I can dump my lectures after classes every day.
Since it's for lectures, it HAS to have good pickup. I usually sit in the front of the class, but I do get stuck in back sometimes.
Would prefer something around $40-$60, although if I find the right thing, I have as much as $100 earmarked for it. The only reason I can afford this is financial aid, so I'd prefer something of good quality that will not break before the end of the semester. If this means spending a bit more money at the outset to avoid having to replace the thing once or twice a year, so be it.
I actually thought
this little thing was cool (would loooove an mp3 player) but it doesn't really have to be as complicated as all that (and that device is really darn cheap, difficult to use, and just crappy according to the reviews)... just needs to record lectures, at the base of it.
... any suggestions would be wonderfully welcome.

(Edit: Moved to Help forum instead of Off Topic because it just seemed more appropriate.)