There is, if anyone didn't know, a way to unpack ZIP files onthe BN without needing a software upgrade. It might even work on the classic, in which case downloading books will be as simple as just renaming the filetype.
Kelby"Oh Adam's sons, how cleverly you defend yourself from all that might do you good."
--Aslan the Lion
----- Original Message ----- From: Ann Parsons <akp@xxxxxxxxxxxx To: blind-x@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date sent: Sat, 10 Jan 2009 07:55:31 -0600 (CST) Subject: [bookshare-discuss] From Jim Fruchterman
Hi All,
I don't know what on earth SAMN is doing with forwarded messages,
but
here's the message from Jim Fruchterman.
Ann P.
Subject: BuzzWe've been working on this,Ann . Here's the answer. Feel free
to
forward widely. Jim Fruchterman
Bookshare wants to thank our users very much for their commentsresponding to our email regarding the new site upgrade. We
thought it
was important to answer some of the questions that have arisen
about
our move to the new zip format. These questions mainly affect
people
who have hardware access technology devices such as notetakers.
Once our new website goes live, our books will be compressed as standard zip files instead of our former proprietary compressiontechnology for packing books. After much consideration, we
decided to
make this change because zip is a common technology built into
the
operating system of most computers. If your computer does not
have zip
or the Macintosh equivalent, we have links on how to get free
software
to unzip files on the new site.
Access technology vendors also preferred we go to a standardcompression like zip, which is easier to support and has some
exciting
enhancement possibilities (like AT working with a single zip filewithout needing to unzip). We began working months ago with
access
technology vendors regarding the transition to zipped files. We
expect
that the transition will go pretty smoothly for members who use
PCs and
Macs for downloading our books, either for use on their personal computer or for transfer to other devices. For example, the new version of Victor Reader Soft provided with the new website willsupport the zipped files without needing them to be unzipped, as
well
as lots of other cool improvements.
Hardware devices that used to handle our packed files by
connecting
directly to our website need to have software upgrades to support zipped instead of packed files. Note taker vendors are alreadypreparing upgrades to their software to handle zipped files.
Many of
the vendors have their upgrades ready, and others are expected to
be
ready in the coming month. The Wizard that you'll see on the new
site
on your first visit has contact information for your vendor.
The only people adversely affected will be those with obsolete
devices
that used to support packed files and cannot be upgraded. You
can work
around this problem by using a computer to download the books you
want,
unzip them and then copy the book files to your note taker.
The change affects the following hardware vendors and note
takers:
HumanWare
BrailleNote and VoiceNote mPower
BrailleNote PK
The BrailleNote Classic will not be updated, since HumanWare no
longer
maintains or updates their proprietary software for these models
Freedom Scientific
Pac Mate and Pac Mate Omni
Level Star
Icon
American Printing House
Braille Plus
Springer Design
BookCourier
GW Micro
Braille Sense and Voice Sense
The Bookshare team
Date: Friday, January 9 at 10:29 PM
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------------
-- Ann K. Parsons Portal Tutoring EMAIL: akp@xxxxxxxxxxxx web site: http://www.portaltutoring.info blog: http://www.samobile.net/users/akp/blog Skype: Putertutor
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