RE: KeySoft: a modern version under current OS's
- From: "Joseph Lee" <joseph.lee22590@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2010 10:10:45 -0700
Hi Jared,
It's X-Scale PXA272 at 416 MHz. Still, in terms of memory management, it is
not that great - worse than Braille Sense family mostly because it runs
under CE.NET 4.20. Apex uses Freescale i.MX31 at 532 MHz (online articles
mistakenly wrote that it uses Atom processor) with WinCE 6.0.
I'd say porting KeySoft over to newer guys might produce confusion at first
and might generate mixed reviews (which was the case when this whole subject
was brought before members of BrailleNote List). The intention of the
originator of this idea was to make espeak sound more like a combo of KNGMM
(KeyNote Gold Multimedia) and Infovox 230 and to write open-source version
of KeySoft (almost 15 year old code) and rename it to avoid copyright
lawsuits. After talking to an ex-KeySoft developer about this idea, I can
see why - since KeySoft is HumanWare's property, HW would defend it to the
fullest.
Cheers,
Joseph
-----Original Message-----
From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jared Wright
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2010 9:49 AM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: KeySoft: a modern version under current OS's
I'm doubting it could run an X server, which means no Gnome. But once
you take that out you can get Linux distributions downright microscopic.
I've seen some that could run on 8MB of memory, although I don't know if
you could get audio output functioning on those very easily. But the
nice thing about a Braille display is its data is all just text in,
text out when you get right down to it. Basically anything you could run
at the terminal would probably be fair game if you were willing to
tinker, with only applications that require additional hardware support
being sketchy such as music players or CD burners. Supporting the
hardware would be a bigger challenge than the technical ceiling of the
device in general, really. This is all very interesting, I've many times
thought about saying Eff the whole thing and get one of my friends to
try and help me sodder a new microchip into my BrailleNote mPower to do
this sort of thing. It is just an XScale processor if my research is at
all reliable. But I digress.
On 09/09/2010 12:22 PM, Alex Midence wrote:
> I am officially drooling. I based the 1 gb thing on how big the
> distros like vinux seemed to be. How did you get it so small? Does
> it run gnome? Or, is it all CLI? I was shown the icon during my tech
> eval last year but it didn't have a braille display. I chose the one
> I did because the braille display is integrated and it seemed packed
> with features. I didn't know then that the daisy reader couldn't read
> rfbd books, the word processor couldn't pull up pdf files, the wi-fi
> card sucked big nasty rocks and never got reception, you can't use it
> as a braille display for Jaws , and you couldn't import xls files or
> export xls files. Does other cool stuff though. Leave me alone!
> Everyone has a coping mechanism. It does other cool stuff! It does!
> Honest.
>
> Alex M
>
>
>
> On 9/9/10, Ken Perry<whistler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> OH you said one or 2 gb to run Linux if you're running OE Linux you can
do
>> it on much less we have 256 mb flash that it runs on and only 64 mb ram
of
>> course like I said before we have a 60 gb drive.
>>
>> Ken
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alex Midence
>> Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2010 3:44 AM
>> To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: Re: KeySoft: a modern version under current OS's
>>
>> You know, it would be really awesome if someone came up with a braille
>> note taker that ran on linux. I have a braille sense plus 32 and it
>> has 16 gb of on board memory. You just need 1 or 2 gigs to run a
>> vinux distro on a machine. It seems a waste to only have these
>> devices run on windows mobile or, worse, as in the case of the bs 32,
>> windows CE. They could implement their own desktop specifically
>> taylored to the machine with their own apps on it but still give the
>> user access to the command line interface and all the apps and tools
>> that run in that. Wish I had a note taker I wasn't using and the
>> funds not to go all shaky at the thought of experimenting with such an
>> expensive device. Might provide hours of fun tinkering.
>>
>> Alex M
>>
>>
>> On 9/9/10, Joseph Lee<joseph.lee22590@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Alex,
>>> That's my point as well: why spend time on it when there are
alternatives
>>> availible? as it is, the current keysoft.exe was specialized to a given
>>> platform and OS combinations. Writing a modern port of old KS would mean
>>> re-defining programming strategies to take advantage of new CPU's, as
well
>>> as redesigning interface and algorithms to give users a feell of using a
>>> BrailleNote app on modern computers.
>>> From what I read on the BrailleNote List on Wednsday and after
consulting
>>> former and current KeySoft developers, I came to the conclusion that it
>>>
>> can
>>
>>> be done in theory, but creating such a clone is far from reality at this
>>> point. I'd say a word from Jamal, Tyler and other expert programmers
might
>>> resolve this situation.
>>> Cheers,
>>> Joseph
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alex Midence
>>> Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2010 12:25 AM
>>> To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> Subject: Re: KeySoft: a modern version under current OS's
>>>
>>> Now, that's a blast from the past. I used Key Soft in high school
>>> back in the early 1990's. My very first laptop was a Keynote
>>> (predates keynote gold which I drooled over but never got). I can see
>>> that app doing well in linux but am hard pressed to see how it would
>>> be worth the trouble to prot to windows xp or windows 7. There are
>>> many better mainstream alternatives to choose from. Linux, though
>>> would probably be a good place for it since accessible applications
>>> are fewer there from what I've been able to find. MIght be a nice
>>> addition to Vinux.
>>>
>>> Alex M
>>>
>>> On 9/8/10, Joseph Lee<joseph.lee22590@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi folks,
>>>> Someone on the BrailleNote List is looking to port KeySoft for
DOS/Win95
>>>>
>>> to
>>>
>>>> modern OS's such as Linux, Win7 and so forth. I think he is looking for
>>>> someone to help him out with this task, with an eventual goal of
>>>>
>> releasing
>>
>>>> as an open-source product under GPL license.
>>>> If you want to contact him, write to jkenn337@xxxxxxxxxx
>>>> Cheers,
>>>> Joseph
>>>>
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