[bookport] Re: Has an alarm feature suggestion been considered
- From: "Michael Hingson" <MHingson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 16:57:54 -0700
Neal,
Right on! We all should keep in mind the basic intent of the BP. As we =
ask for more features including note taking and such, we take the unit =
far and above the original purpose of the BP. The fact that so much =
already has been packed into such a small unit is the best testimony we =
can find for the talents of Larry and Rob. Nevertheless, don't you =
think it reasonable to expect the BP to wash windows, (the glass kind), =
some day? (grin)
-----Original Message-----
From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Neal Ewers
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 3:10 PM
To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookport] Re: Has an alarm feature suggestion been considered
I will continue this thread to make a point about the book port.
Michael, you said, "the cpu of the book port surely does more than
those room-size computers of 30 and forty years ago. So, there is
progress."
That's a very good point. We take a lot for granted these days. I
have used a lot of computer hardware in my time, and I have to say
that the book port does a great job at so many different things. When
we all ask for additional features, I, for one, do so with the
understanding that the Book Port team has out done itself with the
features they already have especially when you consider the size of
the processor and the size of the unit. I've used enough of Larry's
software in the past to know that when he is trying to think through
how to do something, he will either come up with a way to do it or let
us know that it can't be done without changing the size and price of
the unit. I have great faith in his ability to give us all he can
squeeze out of this little box. That's not to say that we don't ask
for new features, but I think we have to be realistic and we have to
understand that APH is doing what it can to make this the best unit
out there. Just my 2 cents worth.
Neal
From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Michael Hingson
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 4:39 PM
To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookport] Re: Has an alarm feature suggestion been
considered
Neal,
I suspect you are right. Again, there are also limits as to what the
=3D3D processor can handle.
On the other hand, the cpu of the bookport surely does more than those
=3D3D room-size computers of 30 and forty years ago. So, there is
progress.
-----Original Message-----
From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Neal Ewers
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 12:54 PM
To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookport] Re: Has an alarm feature suggestion been
considered
Michael, you said, "The BP already can multi-task. You can be reading
an audio book and =3D3D3D3D here information through the synthesized
voice."
This is true, but unless I am mistaken, which I sometimes am, this
only happens at the user's request. In other words, you press number
8, for example when reading an audio book and the appropriate
synthesized speech is spoken. It may be quite another thing to have
this done automatically without the users intervention. I'm not
saying it can't be done, it's just another layer of programming I
would guess.
-----Original Message-----
From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Michael Hingson
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 2:44 PM
To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookport] Re: Has an alarm feature suggestion been
considered
The BP already can multi-task. You can be reading an audio book and =
=3D3D
=3D3D3D3D here information through the synthesized voice. There is
processing for =3D3D3D3D each alarm. The BP has only so much processing
power with =3D3D which to =3D3D3D3D work.
-----Original Message-----
From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Neal Ewers
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 11:20 AM
To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookport] Re: Has an alarm feature suggestion been
considered
I'm gathering that one of the issues here is what happens when the BP
is reading and an alarm sounds, and what the BP has to do to stop the
reading and sound the alarm. Seems simple, but remember, the BP
wasn't designed to take the place of Outlook. Neal
-----Original Message-----
From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Peter Rand
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 1:03 PM
To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookport] Has an alarm feature suggestion been considered
Hi Larry,
Could a UNIX approach to the timer help at all with the
multi-threading=3D3D3D3D3D20 issues?
I use a UNIX-style alarm on a daily basis that works very nicely: each
"alarm" is
basically a form to fill out with a section for months, days of
the=3D3D3D3D3D20 weeks, dates, hours and times.
To set an alarm that goes off, say, every weekday morning at 7:15 am
and=3D3D3D3D3D20 again at 12:15pm to remind me of lunch, I mark all the
months, the days=3D3D3D3D3D20 from Monday through Friday, all the dates,
the hours of seven and twelve and the minute of 15. That=3D3D3D3D3D20 =
way,
any =3D3D day of any month which is a weekday will have an alarm go off
at 7:15 and 12:15.
Sounds fairly complicated, but it's really easy to use and minimizes
the=3D3D3D3D3D20 number independent alarms one needs to set.
Regards,
Peter
LARRY SKUTCHAN wrote:
>That is probably what we will start out with, but there are still
many=3D3D3D3D3D20
>of the same issues.
>
> =3D3D3D3D3D20
>
>>>>ewers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Wednesday, May 18, 2005 10:00:09 AM >>>
>>>> =3D3D3D3D3D20
>>>>
>Larry, would it make it any easier if you scaled back the alarm to
only=3D3D3D3D3D20
>have it go off once a day as in waking you up? There are =3D3D
other=3D3D3D3D3D20=3D3D3D20
>multifaceted alarm/calendars out there that do all the fancy =3D3D3D3D
stuff.=3D3D3D3D3D20
>However, in that I take my book port with me when I travel, and in
that=3D3D3D3D3D20
>it will give me the time when I want it, if there was a wake up
alarm,=3D3D3D3D3D20
>I would have all the traveling alarm clock I would need in just
having=3D3D3D3D3D20
>the book port with me. Just a thought.
>Neal
>-----Original Message-----
>From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=3D3D3D3D3D20
>[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of LARRY SKUTCHAN
>Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 8:19 AM
>To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=3D3D3D3D3D20
>Subject: [bookport] Re: Has an alarm feature suggestion been
considered
>
>
>Sorry, I can't put a date on that one.
>
>The issues are multi-threading. That is, when you have several
alarms=3D3D3D3D3D20
>plus several other activities in process at the same time, scheduling
>becomes problematic.
>
>
> =3D3D3D3D3D20
>
>>>>MHingson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Tuesday, May 17, 2005 4:40:20 PM >>>
>>>> =3D3D3D3D3D20
>>>>
>Good point except that the volume might not be loud enough to =3D3D3D3D
awaken=3D3D3D3D3D20
>=3D3D3D3D3D3D3D someone. However, some of us wake up fairly easily so
the
internal
>beep =3D3D3D3D3D3D3D would probably work.
>
>Any idea of when such a feature might be available? Out of curiosity
>=3D3D3D3D3D3D3D what are the issues?
>
>
>Nosy Hingson
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=3D3D3D3D3D3D20
>[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of LARRY SKUTCHAN
>Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 1:36 PM
>To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=3D3D3D3D3D3D20=3D3D3D3D3D20
>Subject: [bookport] Re: Has an alarm feature suggestion been
considered
>
>
>This is something we have had in the planning since day 1, but we
have=3D3D3D3D3D20
>run into some technical issues. In fact, you will not need a
speaker,=3D3D3D3D3D20
>because there is a beeper built into the device (like what you get
when=3D3D3D3D3D20
>you press a key while the keys are locked.)
>
>
> =3D3D3D3D3D20
>
>>>>MHingson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Tuesday, May 17, 2005 4:15:20 PM >>>
>>>> =3D3D3D3D3D20
>>>>
>As new features are added to the Bookport how about adding an =
=3D3D3D3D
alarm=3D3D3D3D3D20
>=3D3D3D3D3D3D3D3D feature? If I travel with a small external speaker, =
as
I
do
for=3D3D3D3D3D20
>=3D3D3D3D3D3D3D3D listening to the BP in hotel rooms, I could set a =
wake
up=3D20
>=3D3D
=3D3D3D
=3D3D3D3D
alarm
>or a =3D3D3D3D3D3D3D3D reminder alarm which would play through my
external
device.
>Would this =3D3D3D3D3D3D3D3D be so hard since we already have a clock =
on
board?
>
>Mike Hingson
>
>
>
>
>
>
> =3D3D3D3D3D20
>
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