I have to recommend the Tascam D40. It uses three AA as opposed to two in most of the others mentioned. As is, it has much better battery life that my Zoom H4N. I also have the external battery pack which provides you with another 6 AA. It can take XLR and line input. It has one unique feature I really like. It records two stereo files at the same time: one at your best guess at a level and a second safety at -6db (or whatever you set). This is a life saver for me because I record live theatre and it something goes unexpectedly, I'm covered. The Tascam is also cheaper that the Zoom H4N.
