Yes, this is the same for me with a severe hearing loss also, Christine W. ----- Original Message ----- From: "roger south" <roger.south@xxxxxxxxxx> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 12:45 PM Subject: [access-uk] Re: new accessible mp3 player > J K Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, stipulated the audio > versions must be read by Stephen Fry in the UK and Jim Dale in the US. To my > knowledge no other versions are available at all. > > Out of interest to Andy the RNIB books are now all read by professional > readers. Mainly actors but also news readers and disc jockeys. People who > use their voices in their profession and therefore have more control of the > tones used. > > I have a very severe hearing loss, 97/98%, so quality sound is vitally > important to me but I don't often have problems with either the RNIB or the > CALIBRE books which are the ones recorded in the later years. I understand > they both once used volunteers who may have been a little lacking but those > days are long gone. > > Roger > > Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 12:31 PM > Subject: [access-uk] Re: new accessible mp3 player > > > > Andy, and further to Iain's comment, the version sold by RNIB will > > indeed be the Stephen Fry reading of HP. You see RNIB is allowed to > > DAISIFY commercial books since the changes in copyright law. > > > > Cheers, > > > > From Ray > > I can be contacted off-list at: > > mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On > > Behalf > > Of Iain Lackie > > > > > > Books in the RNIB talking book library are not read by some bloke they > > have > > dragged in offf the streets. > > > > Iain > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Andy Collins" <andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > > > > > Ah! but is the RNIB daisy recording of the new HP narrated by Stephen > > Frye, > > or some bloke they've dragged in off the street as with other of their > > 'recordings? :] - Andy > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 1:28 PM > > Subject: [access-uk] Re: new accessible mp3 player > > > > > > | Roger, I can agree with you about the mark up generally applied to > > | specialist stuff for us, and almost expected by them as of right. > > | > > | Harry Potter audio version? A bit different, or so I contend. > > First > > | off Stephen Fry won't be paid peanuts for his commercial recording > > of > > | it, plus paying for studio time, art work, distribution etc. > > Visually > > | impaired people are not the only audience either for these books. > > OK, > > | so this is a popular title that will be bought by many thousands of > > | people, but don't forget that public libraries are a gaurantteed > > | market for audio book producers, and like a good bit of access tech > > | sales, the price can be wound up to soak the big buyers at a price > > | that couldn't be got otherwise. > > | > > | Synical though that view just (might) be, these are the realities as > > I > > | see them. This said, audio books, particularly unabridged ones, are > > | always going to be more exspensive than print versions. The only > > way > > | this reality can be broken is with the sort of subsidy that RNIB as > > a > > | charity can bring into play when it sells the small number of > > talking > > | books that it does. There Roger, as a blind person, is your way > > out > > | of getting the latest HP at a similar price to your print book > > buying > > | genral public. Buy a DAISY version of the latest HP from RNIB. (No > > | commission on that sale, unfortunately.) No wonder I've never made > > it > > | in the big bad world of business! > > | > > | Cheers, > > | > > | From Ray > > | I can be contacted off-list at: > > | mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx > > | -----Original Message----- > > | From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On > > | Behalf Of roger south > > | > > | > > | I do understand the Milestone and the BC have more functions but not > > | as ;;many as costing £200 more. I'm a firm believer in the > > | manufacturers see the disabled as a means of making more money with > > | the equipment we need. I'm convinced there is a price cartel that > > | keeps the price up because then we can't go elsewhere. > > | > > | When something like the Zen Stone comes along it emphasises just > > that > > | point. Look at the price of audio books. The new Harry Potter is > > | priced I believe at £85. I will be able to buy a print copy a few > > days > > | after the release on the 21 July for around £8.99 if previous books > > | are anything to go by. But for the sake of a few CD's at around 8 > > | pence each and the box to put it in we'll say a fiver I have to pay > > | £85. Now if that isn't ripping off the disabled what is. The same is > > | true of the players you mentioned but I'm climbing on my soapbox so > > | I'll shut up now. > > | > > | Roger > > | > > | Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. > > | > > | > > | ----- Original Message ----- > > | From: Ian Macrae > > | > > | > > | Makes you wonder why the milestone is so expensive comparatively > > | dunnit. any views? > > | > > | > > | > > | > > | From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On > > | Behalf Of roger south > > | Sent: 30 May 2007 11:15 > > | To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > | Subject: [access-uk] Re: new accessible mp3 player > > | > > | > > | I've ordered one of these from Amazon at £27.99 plus p & p totalling > > | altogether £30.12. It arrives tomorrow and sounds from the write-ups > > | very good. But at that price if it's not what I want I can give it > > | away as a present and not lose any sleep. > > | > > | Roger > > | > > | Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. > > | > > | > > | ----- Original Message ----- > > | From: Adrian Higginbotham > > | To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ; bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > | Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 10:50 AM > > | Subject: [access-uk] new accessible mp3 player > > | > > | > > | Just read about the upcoming release of a new screenless audible > > | compatible mp3 player, at under £30 for 1gg version. and no > > | proprietory software like Itunes, just use it like any USB drive. > > | http://accessbrit.wordpress.com/ > > | > > | > > | Adrian Higginbotham > > > > ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- > > ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] > > ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: > > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > ** and in the Subject line type > > ** unsubscribe > > ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the > > ** immediately-following link:- > > ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] > > ** or send a message, to > > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq > > > > > > ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- > ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] > ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > ** and in the Subject line type > ** unsubscribe > ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the > ** immediately-following link:- > ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] > ** or send a message, to > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq > > ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq