[bookport] Re: My Last Word on Feature Changes
- From: Chris Hill <hillco@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:48:51 -0500
I agree with most of what you have to say I doubt, though, that
internal conversion could ever be near as fast as conversion on a real
computer running a chip with lots of mhz behind it and lots of ram. I
also think battery life is pretty important and wouldn't want to see
that cut.
nOn Thu, 15 Sep 2005 16:14:16 -0500 (CDT), you wrote:
>As my very last word ever on the subject of suggestions for new features
>and so on, I wil repost my annotated wish list, lest people like Walt
>think I am trying to turn the BP into something other than what it is.
>After this post, I assure you this is the last you'll hear from me on this
>list about not-yet-implemented changes.
>
>HIGH PRIORITIES:
>1. USB 2-enabled; the speed difference is substantial.
>No functionality increase here, just a difference in speed for existing
>functionality.
>
>2. A true lock mode that doesn't activate the unit every time a key is
>pressed;
>Again, no increased functionality here, just more efficient use of an existing
>function.
>
>3. Seek to time feature; seeking by time is fine for short files, but seek to
>time would still, in my mind, be desirable.
>Yes, it's a new function, but it's well in keeping with BP's mandate.
>Searching
>through a long audiobook MP3 can often be better facilitated by jumping
>directly to a specified time.
>
>4. Direct, no-vonversion-necessary, OGG Vorbis support.
>Nothing new to learn, just a little more versatility in formats that are
>allowable. Well with in BP's current mandate.
>
>5. Option for an externally audible beep to indicate recording. The record
>feature is really nice, but it gets less convenient if you have to put on a
>pair of headphones each time to get the audible varification that you're
>recording.
>Nothing new to learn, unless the audible beep is configurable in the menu.
>Just
>making an existing function more convenient.
>
>6. Independent volume controls for voice and audio.
>The volume differences between synthetic speech and audio are really quite
>profound, and if you have the volume set right for a piece of audio, you might
>miss error or warning messages the machine tries to give you.
>
>7. More memory in the unit and a more modern processor, so that things
>like necessary conversions, grade two translation, etc. could be done in the
>unit and on the fly.
>Offers speed increases and more flexibility for APH programmers. Essentially
>it
>allows the BP itself to do what the software previous had to do. What if you
>don't have an hour to transfer a large book to your unit?
>
>8. 4-GIG CF card support.
>No new functionality here, just more potential versatility for those who want
>it.
>
>9. Correct mapping of the stereo channels to the correct speakers.
>Simple fix of a hardware bug, no new functionality.
>
>10. Still-finer control of volume.
>No increased options to learn, just a finer control over how loud you want
>your
>unit to be for those of us whose ideal volume is between two existing volume
>levels.
>
>11. Eliminate transfer limit of 250 MB
>Just the removal of a restriction that inhibits transfering of DAISY books on
>CD. No new functionality.
>
>12. Ability to sort directory listings automatically so files play in
>correct order.
>
>Again, BP's mandate is served by this, some purchased MP3 books are
>numerically
>named and it is helpful to know what order you're going to hear your book in.
>No new outward functionality, but a smoother reading experience.
>
>Lower-Priority:
>1. Third battery to run the clock.
>This could be a small watch battery which would probably last for years, since
>it's just running a clock, not displaying or saying anything.
>
>2. Ability to write error messages to files so that line numbers need not be
>memorized.
>Handy for beta testing.
>
>3. Memorize latest point read in a file in case that point was
>inadvertently navigated away from; should work for audio and text files.
>
>Not terribly ground-breaking, just a way to get to the last point read in case
>you inadvertently lean on the go-to-top feature or something.
>
>I utterly fail to see what is so outrageous about these suggestions, or how
>these suggestions turn the BP into something other than what it is. With the
>exception of the rewiring to correct the switched stereo channels and a clock
>backup battery, everyon one of these suggestions is directly relevant to book
>reading. I am not asking for PDA functions, for Internet support, or anything
>else that doesn't directly fit into BP's reason for being. My list isn't
>suggesting radios, external speakers, WIFI support, spell checkers,
>dictionaries, blood pressure gauges, dehumidifiers, or anything else like
>that.
>I was very deliberately thinking of the BP's mandate, what it's here for, and
>what its potential, with redesign, could be to improve on its existing
>features
>and purposes.
>
>--
>Bruce Toews
>E-mail and MSN/Windows Messenger: dogriver@xxxxxxxx
>Web Site (including info on my weekly commentaries): http://www.ogts.net
>Info on the Best TV Show of All Time: http://www.cornergas.com
>
>On Thu, 18 Aug 2005, Scott D. Henning wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I only drop in sometimes, this discussion is interesting. The Pocket PC is
>> the machine many are envisioning for raw horsepower and connectivity. The
>> battery life is poor, but they are very mature devices now. If someone
>> wrote a screen reader for it...we could experience true Windows power and
>> frustration. Devices with a focus like Bookport can be more stable and can
>> be easier to use, due to a lack of ambiguity. I actually feel the Bookport
>> may already be too many things. I have hundreds of keystrokes to remember
>> (so does everyone else here, smile), I actually think menu driven software
>> and devices make sense when so many options are availible.
>>
>> The Bookport can evolve, should evolve, but I do not think it should lose
>> it's basic function in a wealth of features.
>>
>> Scott D. Henning
>> Cheif Engineer
>> KSUT Public Radio
>>
>>
>>
>>
Other related posts:
