[bookport] Suggestions for Improvements to Book Port
- From: "Jeremiah Z. Rogers" <jzr@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Bookport@Freelists. Org" <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 22:14:43 -0400
Greetings all. I have sent messages to APH over the past eight months
containing most or all of these suggestions, but I'll post them here to
insure that they're considered by APH as they plan the direction of Book
Port's development.
Hardware Improvement: Ability to enter text for find strings and simple
data-entry
While Book Port isn't a notetaker, and I wouldn't want it to be a notetaker,
I'd love to be able to enter short notes on the unit into text files. I
believe there to be two ROM-efficient, , reasonably usable means of
achieving this feature. The first would be to have each of the ten number
keys to toggle among up to five letters, numbers, and basic punctuation
marks, with the star being a backspace and the pound used as the key to
confirm the selected character for entry. If characters two-nine take on
their telephone equivalents, then each key's fourth function would be its
numerical equivalent except for seven and nine, which would require their
numerical equivalents be the fifth of five possible character choices. The
zero key could toggle between space, comma, period, question mark, and its
numerical equivalent. The one could toggle between upper and lower case
characters. Were this system in place, the sentence "The quick, brown fox
jumps over the lazy dog." would be written as follows.
18#144#33#0#77#88#444#222#55#00#0#22#777#666#9#66#0#333#666#99#0#5#88#6#7#77
77#0#666#888#33#777#0#8#44#33#0#555#2#9999#999#0#3#666#4#000#
Another option for text entry would be to utilize a system similar to that
which is in use by NFB's NewsLine system. Each character requires two keys,
the letters of the alphabet being referenced by their relative position
within the alphabet, and with numbers and punctuation being referenced by
other numbers. Characters 01-26 could represent the alphabet, characters 00,
27, 28, and 29 could represent the space, period, comma, and question mark
respectively, and characters 30-39 could represent the numbers. The star
could represent a backspace, and the pound could change case. Were this
system in place, the sentence "The quick, brown fox jumps over the lazy
dog." would be written as follows.
#20#080500172109031128000218152314000615240010211316190015220518002008050012
0126250004150727
In both cases, the one-beep function of the pound key could be a new-line
command. I like both of these ideas because APH doesn't have to bother
programming even a basic translator into the unit, as one doesn't exist now.
All translation is done via the transfer tool. I see no need for additional
editing functions other than a backspace function.
Hardware Improvement: A basic, four-function calculator
As several folks have discussed, the Book Port has, for some of us, become
more of a business tool than any of us might've imagined. I store all of my
emails, travel itineraries, etc. on my BP, and as such, could certainly use
a basic calculator from time to time. For those users who use the machine to
read analytically, such as magazines, school materials, scholarly journals,
etc., a calculator would likely come in more handy than you might've
imagined. I suggest the star as the clear key, the pound as the equals key,
and keys a, c, d, and f as the plus, minus, multiplication, and division
keys respectively. If someone really wanted to be creative, the B and E keys
could even double as left and right parenthesis keys, but that would go
beyond the scope of a basic calculator.
Hardware Improvement: More control over Doubletalk Parameters
I'd love access to the functions of doubletalk that control how much it
enunciates consonants, the pause between words, and its tone. Enabling
Technologies allows full access to these features in many of their
embossers, so they might be helpful in determining how to easily achieve
this control.
Hardware Improvement: Address the issue of the constantly beeping, locked
Book Port
Hardware Improvement: Address the issue of the easily recording Book Port
Software Improvement: Reverse Translator Fixes
While the translator is doing better than it did in earlier software, there
are still significant problems with certain types of text. Given that
virtually all magazines, and many texts, now incorporate web, email, or
other digital and internet addresses, it seems almost imperative that APH
incorporate computer braille recognition into the reverse translator. And,
for books which use textbook page numbering, it would greatly improve
reading continuity if the letter and number combinations which make up
textbook page numbering were properly back-translated.
Software Improvement: Make Alt+C close the transfer tool!
In closing, APH is to be commended for its impressive and thorough beta
process, its excellent customer relations, and its apparent commitment to
insuring that its customers get their money's worth from the products it
produces. I can't think of another product in this field which offered more
than a year's worth of free upgrades to their customers. Great job, APH!
Jeremiah
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