A few words on the R1:
* I confirm that the stereo imaging with the built-in microphones is not great,
* I also confirm that handling noise is very important when using the microphones,
* Finally, one last point, apparently Transcend brand cards do not work. I've tried both (512MB and 1GB) and none worked .. so beware! (Especially the 45X 1GB card is recommended on some sites ..)..

Here, apart from that the R1 is a good plan for me, extremely convenient and a good quality / price ratio.

ciao,
have fun