I purchased my Bookport in November, 2004 and it hasn't yet failed
me. Where can I get details of the new Victor Stream and what is
the cost? Can I also download books from the Gutenberg site as well
as audio from Audible?
Francis Khan
----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:wd8ldy@xxxxxxxxxx>David Allen
To: <mailto:bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 3:49 AM
Subject: [bookport] Re: Differences in navigating text files between
Bookport and Stream
Hi Angie and list!
Thanks for the compliment.
Now having been through an update on the Stream today, I can make
another comparison in bookport's favour. Updating doesn't kill
bookmarks you've previously made in books on your bookport's cards.
Since updating my Stream today, I have been unable to find bookmarks
I placed before the update. I'm not saying they aren't there still,
because they very well may be. If I lose all manner of speech now
whenever I attempt to navigate to a bookmark made before the update,
and that is what happens, then they are as good as lost.
Bookport is overall more consistentt. What you can do in a Daisy
book, you can do in any Daisy book, provided Daisy structure rules
have been followed.
In the Stream update that came out today, they have this nice new
feature of being able to jump to a specified time in the book.
Strangely, it only applies to the otherbooks folder and the notes
folder. This is where audible books go, for example as would
podcasts. In the case of talking books, the Stream can tell you how
long the book is, how far into it you are and how much remains, yet
the new jump to time feature doesn't apply to the talking books
folder. Being that inconsistent does not impress me, but that's the
way it is in Streamland.
Cheers,
Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:angie@xxxxxxxxxx>Angie Matney
To: <mailto:bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 6:46 PM
Subject: [bookport] Re: Differences in navigating text files between
Bookport and Stream
This is an excellent post. I love my Stream because I can play NLS
books, and I use it for audible books, too, because of the on-board
variable speed control. (Also, audio files it sound much better at
faster speeds on the Stream than on the BP.) But I still use my BP
for studying, because it's more intuitive to me. Along the lines of
what David says below, it's also quicker to set bookmarks with the
BP. On the BP, you press two keys simultaneously. On the stream, you
have to press three keys in succession. I like the BP way of
utilizing simultaneous key presses.
Angie
--Original Message Text---
From: David Allen
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:04:54 +1300
Hi all!
I noticed someone raised this several days ago, but no one seems to
have responded unless I've missed it, so thought I'd take a stab at
it since I have and use both bookport and stream.
As has been said, both can read text files. Each has advantages and
disadvantages. If, for example, you find the bookport's voice not to
your liking, then you may like the Vocaliser synthesiser in the
stream better. When it comes to navigation, the stream seems
unweildy in comparison with bookport. That is my opinion, which
probably isn't worth any more than you paid for it. I will back this
up though, with a bit of explanation. When navigating text on the
bookport, you only need to press the keys you need, and you
instantly achieve the degree of navigation you desire. For example,
navigate a while by word until you don't understand a pronunciation.
Then instantly switch to navigating by character by using different
keys. Now consider this against how you navigate on the Stream.
First, you must identify with up and down arrows that you want to
navigate by word. You can then use the left and right arrows to do
that. When you run across a word you don't understand and want to s
witch navigation to character, you must go back to the up and down
arrows to select character.
There are other comparisons that can be made. The Stream has no find
feature. Both units have a sleep timer, and the sleep timer is
adjustable in either. In the bookport, the sleep timer activates
automatically, but you have to activate the sleep timer on the
stream deliberately, as well ad adjust the setting each time it is used.
The recent decision by some publishing houses to drop DRM is
beneficial for both Bookport and Stream users. This makes it simpler
to transfer MP3 files to either device, but it does not release you
from your obligations in the contract with the subscription service.
Hope this is helpful.
Cheers,
Dave
