I feel I can speak to this because I use Dictaphone every day, sometimes several times a day (in the summers, I work on contract for the govt. and this year, I'm working as a executive assistant to a lawyer) I was chatting with my coworkers about this very subject (they also use Dictaphone extensively) and we agreed that it's a generational thing. As more and more people of the 'computer generation' start moving up in the heirarchy, Dictaphone will die. But for now, it's alive and kicking. And may I say something in defence (nay, praise!) of the humble Dictaphone? It's soooooooooo much easier to type up a letter from a tape than to read my boss's handwriting. I can spend an hour trying to decipher handwriting, or listen to the Dicta and get the letter done in minutes. In regards to your comment about an administrative assistant 'being able to write a letter,' it's frequently more complex than just putting some bullet points together. Often, correspondence contains technical terms and/or (particularly in my case) legal nuances that an assistant might not have the expertise to compose. I'm a bright girl; I have a graduate degree. But I'm not a lawyer (and my boss is) so I'm happy to have him spoon-feed me the legalese via Dictaphone. It's easier for both of us and I'm grateful for the technology, antiquated as it may be. Viva la Dictaphone, baby!