[bksvol-discuss] Re: Optaconon eBay
- From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:54:09 -0400
My Optacon has been out of service for about a month. I expect to have it
back this Wednesday. I'm excited about that. I'll be able to read my
computer monitor to see why an app that should talk is not. And I'll be
able to look at a book I'm scanning and fix errors in recipes, or find
pages that didn't scan well and fix them. I'll be going to a harp
festival in about a month, and I'll be able to use my Optacon to fix
scanning errors in the music I get.
It may be slower than braille or speech, but it gives me access to things
I couldn't otherwise get. It's a lot easier to whip out the old Optacon
than to round up that mythical sighted reader we're all somehow supposed
to have access to.
Tracy
> Back in 1989 when I was in rehabilitation soon after I became blind I
> noticed that there was an opticon in the rehab center that no one ever
> touched. I was kind of expecting to be taught how to use it, but my term
> in
> the center was winding down and with just a few days left I was
> interviewed
> about my experiences at the center. I had been something of a fanatic
> reader
> before becoming blind, so I was interested in any means by which I might
> continue reading. During the interview I happened to casually mention that
> I
> wish I had been taught to use the opticon. Apparently they considered the
> machine to be obsolete even then, but since I had a few days left they
> decided to give me an evaluation on it. I tried it out and my first
> impression was that it gave me an unpleasant sensation on my finger and I
> could not make out any letters at all. At the time I was learning Braille
> and having a difficult time of it. I realized very quickly that learning
> the
> opticon would be at least as difficult as Braille and because I already
> had
> enough to struggle through anyway I decided that I was glad that they had
> not tried to teach it to me after all. The discussion here reinforces the
> impression that even if I had applied myself to learning it I would likely
> have found it a rather unsatisfactory means of reading anyway.
>
>
> _ _ _
>
> "The time to speak the truth has come.... The government of the United
> States cannot be on the side of peasants because it is an ally of the
> landowners. It cannot be on the side of workers anywhere in the world
> because it is an ally of the monopolies. It cannot be on the side of
> colonies because it is an ally of the colonizing powers." - Fidel Castro
> 1960
>
>
> Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rogerbailey81
>
>
> The Militant:
> http://www.themilitant.com
> Pathfinder Press:
> http://www.pathfinderpress.com
> Granma International:
> http://www.granma.cu/ingles/index.html
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Julia" <julia.kulak@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Monday, June 13, 2011 12:57 AM
> Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Optaconon eBay
>
>
>>
>> Hi Evan and list. That's such a disappointment! I'd very
>> much
>> love to have one, but as I've never been taught to use one, don't see
>> the
>> point of acquiring something that I wouldn't be able to use, smile.
>> Julia
>>
>> On 12/06/2011 8:05 PM, Evan Reese wrote:
>>>> From your question, it sounds as though you are not familiar with the
>>> Optacon. If that is the case, you might not want to buy it. I don't
>>> know
>>> whether it is possible to get much use out of it without training, but
>>> I've never heard of anyone who did.
>>>
>>> Evan
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charisma" <wishfulfish@xxxxxxxxx>
>>> To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2011 6:35 PM
>>> Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Optaconon eBay
>>>
>>>
>>>> Is that little unit all that is needed?
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, Jun 12, 2011 at 3:29 PM, Valerie Maples
>>>> <vlmaples@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> Just wanted to let people know there is an Optacon (not mine) on
>>>>> eBay,
>>>>> item
>>>>> #120735157413. It is supposed to be in used, working condition. So,
>>>>> if
>>>>> someone is hoping to snag one of these, it might be worth more
>>>>> questions to
>>>>> the seller. It is guaranteed to not be DOA.
>>>>> Take care!
>>>>>
>>>>> Valerie
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Charisma
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>>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>
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>
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