[bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
- From: "Sarah Cranston" <cranston.sarah@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2005 14:33:42 -0600
For the same reason you don't use cucumbers to make orange juice. <Grin> It
just wasn't designed with MP3s in mind, they hadn't even been invented yet.
Besides, the BookPort has speech that is more than a million times better than
that of the BNS, or pretty much anything else, in my not-so-humble opinion.
Sarah
-----Original Message-----
From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Josh Kennedy
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 2:30 PM
To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
I can't wait to get one! Also, if the braille 'n speak has more memory and
processor power, then why can't it play mp3s also?
Josh
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sarah Cranston" <cranston.sarah@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 2:07 PM
Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
> If you're like me, or a whole bunch of other people on this list, you'll
> never regret purchasing the BookPort. It has proved to be the single-most
> valuable reading tool I have used in the last two years. It completely
> changed the way I read, at least with speech.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Josh Kennedy
> Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 12:05 PM
> To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
>
>
> ok. I understand now. I still plan to get a bookport as soon as possible,
> so
> I can read books and play mp3s and record and take text notes.
>
> Josh
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Sarah Cranston" <cranston.sarah@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 11:57 AM
> Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
>
>
>> Josh,
>>
>> I don't know why no one, especially from APH, hasn't addressed this.
>> Perhaps there is a good reason not to, so I apologize if I'm stepping out
>> of bounds here. I also apologize for expounding on this longwinded and
>> pointless thread, but I feel there is one point which has been neglected
>> and should be addressed.
>>
>> The "1992/1993 Braille 'n Speak technology" of which you speak is
>> completely irrelevant to the BookPort. The two devices were designed
>> entirely differently, with different functionality in mind. I think the
>> main reason the BookPort isn't a Braille 'n Speak, or an equivalent
>> thereof, is because of it's very small amount of firmware. If I remember
>> correctly, the BookPort only has a few hundred K for storing and
>> manipulating the firmware. This is because it doesn't need a whole lot
>> to
>> handle text files and MP3s. The BNS contains quite a bit more memory,
>> and
>> possibly a faster processor. There simply isn't enough room to turn the
>> BP into a BNS. Besides, the BNS, while handy for reading, was originally
>> designed as a notetaker, and does its best work as a notetaker. The
>> BookPort, on the other hand, was designed to read books, hence the name,
>> and the notetaker was a nice little add-on which APH generously provided.
>> I don't know how they got it in there, and I'm very impresse
>> d that it works as well as it does. I'll feel the same about a
>> calculator, when and if it comes along.
>>
>> In order to turn a Book Port into the equivalent of a BNS, you would need
>> a whole new board, with more storage space for firmware, and a faster
>> processor. We would all have to send our BookPorts back to APH for
>> upgrades--sounds like a certain PDA manufacturer, doesn't it?--and I
>> won't
>> be doing that any time soon. For one thing, I can't imagine sending my
>> BP
>> away and living without it for however long it would take to upgrade it,
>> and second, spending more money on top of what the unit already costs.
>> Most BP owners I know of found the current price just barely affordable,
>> and a price hike, like that which would become inevitable were the BP
>> turned into a BNS equivalent, would push it right out of a lot of
>> peoples' budgets.
>>
>> So, what I'm trying to say, is that you are taking a perfectly delicious
>> orange, and asking it to be a banana, or maybe even a cucumber. <Smile>
>> Both foods have there values and uses, they both have the right to exist,
>> and anything anyone can do to further perfect either should be
>> appreciated, but they can't be substituted for each other, unless someone
>> has some very interesting tastes. <Smile> Oranges make the best Orange
>> Juliuses, and cucumbers do great things for a green salad. But can you
>> imagine a hybrid? Yikes!
>>
>> Just three and a half cents from a happy owner of a BP, and a former BNS
>> user.
>>
>> Sarah
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> [mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Josh Kennedy
>> Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 8:44 PM
>> To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
>>
>>
>> yep, another reason why we should implement some of that 1993 braille n
>> speak technology in there.
>>
>> Josh
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Wstephan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <wstephan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 9:07 PM
>> Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
>>
>>
>>> Certainly yes, size is an issue, but over and above that, it's entirely
>>> possible to use a Bookport while walking, or doing any number of other
>>> things. A Pac mate doesn't lend itself very well to being used under
>>> many
>>> conditions, especially where inclement weather is a factor.
>>>
>>>
>>> Bill Stephan
>>> Kansas City, MO
>>> (816)803-2469
>>> Email: Wstephan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> .From: "Josh Kennedy"<jkenn337@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> .Sent: 11/10/05 7:24:05 PM
>>> .To: "bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx"<bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> .Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
>>> .
>>> .but if you have a pacmate or pda then why have a bookport?
>>> .Well a bookport is smaller, guess it's all personal preference.
>>> .
>>> .
>>> .Josh
>>> .
>>> .----- Original Message -----
>>> .From: "Wstephan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <wstephan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> .To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> .Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 7:23 PM
>>> .Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
>>> .
>>> .
>>> .> Well, my suggestion is a bit different.
>>> .>
>>> .> I'd like for someone to develop transfer software that could run on a
>>> Pac
>>> .> Mate. Bill Stephan
>>> .> Kansas City, MO
>>> .> (816)803-2469
>>> .> Email: Wstephan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> .>
>>> .>
>>> .> S -----Original Message-----
>>> .> .From: "DanFlasar@xxxxxxx"<DanFlasar@xxxxxxx>
>>> .> .Sent: 11/10/05 2:34:08 PM
>>> .> .To: "bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx"<bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> .> .Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
>>> .> .
>>> .> .I'll have to agree with Dave here. I love my Bookport - it's
>>> versatility
>>> .> .keeps showing up in unexpected ways. I was working out yesterday on
>>> a
>>> .> treadmill
>>> .> .when the I finished the book I was reading ("Vancouver" - available
>>> from
>>> .> .Bookshare - a Mitchener-esque history of the city of Vancouver -
>>> .> excellent!).
>>> .> .Instead of having to change a tape (assuming I'd had the foresight
>>> to
>>> .> include
>>> .> .a tape for another book or magazine, I just went to the index and
>>> chose
>>> .> from
>>> .> .among 20 other books I'd downloaded from Bookshare. I chose "Me
>>> Talk
>>> .> Pretty
>>> .> .One Day" by David Sedaris. It's like having a little library with
>>> me
>>> .> at all
>>> .> .times.
>>> .> . I have a Parrot Voicemate as a PDA which works fine for me.
>>> I'm
>>> .> fine
>>> .> .with the Bookport providing the functions it does. I see it as a
>>> .> portable
>>> .> .reading machine. I'd love to have better voice capabilities, and I
>>> do
>>> .> get a
>>> .> .little annoyed at hearing St. Louis pronounced as Street Louis, but
>>> I
>>> .> get what it
>>> .> .means. If anything, I'd like to see it take on some Kurzweil
>>> .> .characteristics. For example, I'd like to have a dictionary
>>> on-board,
>>> .> which could be
>>> .> .automatically cross-referenced to a book I'm reading.
>>> .> . For example, if I heard a word that I'm not familiar with, I'd
>>> like
>>> .> to
>>> .> .be able to key to the word, hit a key combo and get a definition
>>> for
>>> it.
>>> .> . Not asking for much, am I?
>>> .> .Dan
>>> .> .
>>> .> .
>>> .>
>>> .>
>>> .
>>> .
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
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