[access-uk] Re: Book Courier Vs Bookworm
- From: "George Bell" <george@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 16:33:36 +0100
Barry,
There are no hardware changes. All improvements are to the
firmware, hence why users can upgrade themselves.
George.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dj Paddy
> Sent: 31 August 2005 12:50
> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Book Courier Vs Bookworm
>
> Doris.
>
> You've got me thinking.
>
> These developments that take place I wonder how much are
> software changes that could possibly be released as a
firmware update?
>
> I'm trying to establish how much of the firmware is
altered
> in upgraded models and how much is actual circuitry as
well.
>
>
> Dj Paddy
> "It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion,
> It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed,
> The hands acquire shaking, the shaking becomes a warning,
> It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion."
> -- Popular Usenet Sig
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chipmunks" <chipmunks@xxxxxxx>
> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 12:40 PM
> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Book Courier Vs Bookworm
>
>
> > why would someone want to spend $$$ on a book courier to
play text
> > recorded in mp3 if portable mp3 players are available at
> much lower cost?
> >
> > The reason I want a book courier - or rather actually a
> book port - is
> > that it allows navigation of text files byparagraph,
line,
> word or even
> > character and check the spelling and such, something
that
> cannot be done
> > with either audio books or converted text2audio files.
> >
> > I am not a particular fan of Doubletalk as it reads too
> slow IMO, at least
> > it did on the old doubletalk card I had, but I'd prefer
> hardware over
> > software speech any time because of hardware speech's
higher
> > responsiveness and much lesser drain on resources.
> > I've heard somewhere that there is a major rework of
> Bookport in the
> > works, which is one reason that has let me hold off on
looking into
> > purchasing one at the time. From what I remember, this
> revamp was also to
> > include a new voice or voices for bookport. Since book
> courier is a very
> > similar if not related device, I wonder if a similar
upgrade or new
> > version is not also a possibility for book courier.
> >
> > Unfortunately I do not have a written source for the
> Bookport upgrade
> > information but only heard people talk about it.
> >
> > I think the bookworm is intersting for people who are
good
> with braille
> > and prefer braille over speech output. I myself don't
know
> enough braille
> > and have never used any peperless braille device but
know
> that people who
> > are fluent braille readers usually prefer braille
output.
> >
> > Another thing to consider though is the storage capacity
of
> whatever
> > portable unit is to be decided on. The book Courier or
> Bookport is fairly
> > new technology and can use changeable memory cards for
> storage. I think
> > the bookworm is more contempory to the older Roadrunner
> book reading
> > device that only came with 2 or 3 megs of onboard memory
> for storage. But
> > I do not have specifications on the bookworm and do not
> know if it can use
> > flash or other similar storage. I just wanted to point
out
> that this is
> > something else to consider.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > doris
> >
> > At 10:39 AM 8/31/2005 +0100, you wrote:
> >
> >>Hi Mel
> >>
> >>I have never used either product, but I would point out
> that with the book
> >>Courier and Text Aloud from www.nextup.com, you can
convert
> text to mp3
> >>files at high speed using Microsoft's text-to-speech
engine
> or any other
> >>Sapi speech synthesiser that you might have. They also
> sell the A T and T
> >>Natural Voices, Cepstral Voices, Neospeech Voices and I
> believe according
> >>to
> >>their user forums they will have Real speak Version 4
soon
> as well. So
> >>you
> >>could make mp3 files of your texts and then play them on
> the Book Courier.
> >>Obviously this will be a little more work, and will use
> more battery
> >>power.
> >>The reason that the Book Courier's speech isn't that
> brilliant is that it
> >>is
> >>using a hardware speech chip rather than the software
> synthesisers we have
> >>become used to in desktop screen readers. The advantage
of
> this, though
> >>is
> >>that you can read text documents which take up less
space
> in its memory
> >>than
> >>mp3 files and use less battery power because there is no
> decoding process
> >>involved.
> >>
> >>As far as the bookworm goes, yes it has an
eight-character
> braille display
> >>and you transfer texts to its internal memory. I'm sure
> someone else can
> >>step in to fill in the details.
> >>
> >>James
> >>----- Original Message -----
> >>From: "Mel Spooner"
<mel.spooner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >>To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >>Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 10:05 AM
> >>Subject: [access-uk] Book Courier Vs Bookworm
> >>
> >>
> >> > Hi All,
> >> >
> >> > I am looking for a portable solution for reading. I
> know that the Book
> >> > Courier will play Daisy files as well as MP3 files.
I
> also know that
> >> > it
> >> > will read text files using synthetic speech. I've
> listened to the
> >> > sample
> >> > on the web site and wonder how anyone gets used to
it,
> but I guess you
> >> > do!
> >> >
> >> > I know a lot less about the bookworm. Am I right in
> thinking it has a
> >> > Braille display? And what are its capabilities?
> >> >
> >> > If anyone has evaluated the two products, I be really
> interested to
> >> > hear
> >> > your views.
> >> >
> >> > Thanks for your help.
> >> >
> >> > Mel
> >> >
> >> > Mel Spooner
> >> > edIT Help Desk
> >> > Nottinghamshire County Council
> >> > Tel 0115 854 6116
> >> > Email mel.spooner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> >
> >> >
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