RFI: Portable multi-track recorders (cheap/easy-to-use/basic/etc.) - does such a thing exist?

I used to have an old cassette recorder (it looked like a space-age TV from the seventies) where if you held the record button halfway down, you'd overdub without erasing what was there.

But, that's not what you are after...

http://www.korg.com/gear/images/products/info/info_d4.jpg

I have one of these for recording scratch piano ideas, it has 4 tracks but with a rudimentary drum machine. The built in mic isn't as good as that edirol however, but it is easy as pie to use and has a proper mic input.

More info here:
http://www.korg.com/gear/info.asp?a_prod_no=d4

Looking at that photo I should also add that it is very, very light and roughly about the size of a small paperback book.

Zoom H4 - 4 track recording, 1/4 inch inputs with phantom power etc etc
http://www.inta-audio.com/products.asp?partno=pr-zoomh4
i'd get one if i could afford it.

That Zoom looks good. Anyone got one?

I thought Tascam did one of these, but all I can find on their website is a single-track-but-can-overdub portable recorder, which doesn't have the features of the Zoom but is probably not really any cheaper (guessing from US price of one vs UK price of the other, factoring in usual inflation of UK price).

Wow - thanks - that Zoom looks great. I'll start digging around for the best deal. I suppose I should check reviews/user views if I can find any, as well.

The Korg D4 looks cool but is not made any more - there's a bunch on Gumtree for sale but I'm wary of used (and discontinued) recording equipment.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--TASDP02

you would also be surprised how cheap used semi-pro digital multitracks from a few years ago are these days. They don't hold their value at all and have a ton of features. Keep an eye on craigslist, they turn up all the time.

buy from zzounds, people

Can anyone recommend some software that I can put on my shitty laptop PC that I can use to make very basic 4-track style demos? As stated in the thread title, I am a total idiot, and Audacity flummoxed me (Or, since Audacity proved too complicated for me, am I hopeless?). I don't want anything fancier than, say, a couple tracks of vocals and some acoustic guitar recorded with an external mic.

I know there are other threads discussing recording stuff, but they seemed fancier and packed with pro-tools-y stuff. I'm talking REALLY easy. Any ideas? Thank you...

My mate swears blind by Magix music maker http://www.magix.com/uk/music-maker/classic/

It does lots more than you need it to, but he is basically a moron when it comes to technology, so the interface must be really easy.

Plus it's v cheap, and you can download a 30-day free full version to have a go with.

http://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/

I likes this one.

I've been using REAPER
http://www.reaper.fm/
The screenshot on the front page of the website makes it look unbelievably complex, but really it's not like that at all. If you've used a cassette based four track, it can be as simple to use as that. Also it doesn't need a lot of processing power for basic stuff, so it's good for running on an older laptop, and it's a lot more stable than Audacity.

Thanks for all the tips... I'll give 'em a go!

yeah if i was wanting to keep it cheap (KIC!) i would probably consider reaper first