[access-uk] Re: RNIB Overdrive IOS app
- From: "Ian Robinson" <ian228@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 19:26:46 +0100
Hi Steve,
I also tried using Overdrive on Android during the trial and found it unusable.
I found an article on the Overdrive Help pages explaining that the software
doesn’t work with Talkback and sent the link to RNIB.
I got a reply saying they would look into it, but didn’t here any more after
that.
The help page is at:
http://help.overdrive.com/customer/portal/articles/1481241-the-overdrive-app-does-not-support-text-to-speech-features-for-android-or-ios-iphone-ipad-ipod-touch-
Regards. Ian
From: Steve Nutt
Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2014 4:18 PM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: RNIB Overdrive IOS app
Hi Paul,
What is worse is that I feel I was pretty much ignored during the trial
regarding the comments on the Android app. I gave feedback, but I see no
improvement yet.
The problem is that it is basically a web view and not a native app like
Audible. If they made it a native app, it would be much friendlier to all
of us.
I think Android L will fix the majority of the problems, but it is a clunky
app, even on iOS.
All the best
Steve
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-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Paul Warner
Sent: 28 September 2014 14:39
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: RNIB Overdrive IOS app
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the info re Android. I do have an S3 and was thinking of
installing Overdrive on that.
As Alistair points out, the problem arises from the fact that Overdrive
is a mainstream library solution whose apps have not been made fully
accessible at the time of adoption by the RNIB as their delivery
platform. These accessibility issues, along with the muddle over
subscriptions, is rather unfortunate to say the least.
I saw your point about the streaming rate of the audio files. What I did
notice with my first title was that there was severe clipping for the
first minute and then that seemed to stop. I've never experienced that
with anything else but I am glad I was patient with it since, otherwise,
I would have stopped reading the book.
Seems that the whole service is still in beta at the moment...
Paul
On 27/09/2014 23:29, Steve Nutt wrote:
> Hi Paul,
>
> You think the iOS app is bad, the Android app is worse. It consists of a
> web view that mostly freezes Talkback. Louisa from RNIB said they had
users
> who use the Android app, but I reckon they must have low vision as opposed
> to being totally blind, since the app is pretty sluggish on Android at
best.
>
> Last Email I got, Louisa said Overdrive had made some ten changes to do
with
> accessibility, but I haven't seen an update yet.
>
> I am using a Vanilla Android Google Nexus 5 on Kitkat, V4.4.4. They don't
> come much more vanilla than that, but I am not impressed with the app so
> far.
>
> Oh yes, and don't even think about trying to sign in with Facebook, the
Sign
> In button doesn't work.
>
> So yes, Audible is way better and they are improving accessibility all the
> time.
>
> I quite like the RNIB service, but I don't like the Overdrive app, no real
> thought has gone into accessibility with it on Android. Other problem is
> there seems to be no way to contact Overdrive re accessibility. I
contacted
> them generally and never received a reply. So how committed Overdrive are
> to accessibility I am not sure at this point. I am also not sure it was a
> great choice by RNIB, but I haven't tried any of the other library
offerings
> except Audible, which is fantastic for accessibility and just proves it
can
> be done and done well.
>
> Challenge to RNIB, if you give me a contact within Overdrive who is
> technical enough to understand the accessibility problems with the Android
> app, I will try to help or at least point them to resources.
>
> All the best
>
> Steve
>
> --
> Computer Room Services
> 77 Exeter Close
> Stevenage
> Hertfordshire
> SG1 4PW
> Tel: +44(0)1438-742286
> Mob: +44(0)7956-334938
> Fax: +44(0)1438-759589
> Email: steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Web: http://www.comproom.co.uk
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of
> Paul Warner
> Sent: 27 September 2014 18:59
> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [access-uk] RNIB Overdrive IOS app
>
> Having received my welcome email with instructions attached, I
> downloaded the Overdrive app from the App Store - and it took me ages to
> get my first book onto my iPod Touch.
>
> The first thing I noticed on my fourth gen iPod Touch running IOS 6.1 is
> that the Overdrive app (which is not made by RNIB) is not fully
> VoiceOver compliant. On most of its screens, you have to explore by
> touch in order to access all of the available controls. You can't always
> swipe from one control to another. That's confusing and it means that
> you can't use a bluetooth keyboard for all navigation.
>
> Unlike the Audible app, where books to be downloaded are listed along
> with downloaded books in the main screen of the app itself, you have to
> navigate to the download section on the library Web page after 'checking
> out' the desired title after selecting the borrow button. This is not
> obvious and, given the fact that the RNIB library is Web based as
> opposed to being presented in a cut-down form within the Overdrive app,
> it can take some time to find the title you want to download. It just
> feels like there are too many steps and that the steps are not presented
> in a logical step-by-step way, at least compared to the Audible
experience.
>
> Anyway, having audio books available for download like this from the
> RNIB is just great and I have already started on my first downloaded book.
>
> Paul
>
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