Don - I didn't take that at all personally and I completely agree with your overall assessment. We just happen to be representing the two different schools of thought. <grin> Also, with regard to James' later messages, I don't for a minute think it would be as simple as just using a buffer. There'd be significant coding involved just to write the braille input to a file and then, you have the question of whether you're going to allow contracted (Grade 2) braille, etc. I'm familiar with what's involved in incorporating braille into a device such as this and converting it to speech and I don't believe that the effort or cost would be trivial. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barrett, Don" <Don.Barrett@xxxxxx> To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 11:17 AM Subject: [bookport] Re: More Braille suggestions This isn't meant to pick on you Walt at all, but rather is a general = statement about how we think about our devices. One school of thought = says that a device is inherently better if we keep its focus narrow, = eeking out every possible function we can within that narrow frame of = focus. That school would say that since the BP is a reading device, = development should proceed in that area and that area alone so that it = can be the best reading device it can be. The other school of thought says that we should figure out the features = that people need and want the most including but not limited to reading = features, and capitalize on the inventiveness of the developers to weave = all of these features together to make a unit that is of the greatest = use for the greatest number of people. I tend to be in the second group, and would thus welcome the Braille = memo support. I mention this because I think it will be helpful for = folks to recognize which school of thought they support and how that = affects their view of feature enhancement requests. It's hard to say which school will yield better outcomes. If auto = makers had concentrated more on performance and safety for example, and = cars didn't have heaters, airconditioners, reclining seats, etc. would = we have better cars than we do today? Who is to say. I would ask each of us to recognize the differences in philosophy we all = have, and continue to make requests in the light of that understanding. Don -----Original Message----- From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Walt Smith Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 10:37 AM To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [bookport] Re: More braille suggestions My opposition is based on my concern that development and support of = such an=20 expanded Braille capability would take away resources that could better = be=20 spent on the reading functions. Given the existing voice note/memo=20 capability, I see no reason at all for a Braille function that = duplicates it=20 and takes development and support resources away from the primary = function=20 that the Book Port was designed to perform. There are only a limited = number=20 of people available to work on this device and they have a limited = number of=20 hours in the day and I don't want to see those people and hours spent on = this kind of unnecessary function. ----- Original Message -----=20 From: "Richard Ring" <ring.richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 9:39 AM Subject: [bookport] Re: More braille suggestions I would only want such a function if it didn't limit other functionality. There is only so much memory on the unit for future firmware changes, and I would want to hear from the folks at APH concerning the feasibility of such a feature. -----Original Message----- From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Sarah Cranston Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 8:12 AM To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [bookport] Re: More braille suggestions I could see a *very* simple and small notetaking function as useful. I =3D3D have a notetaker, but it's about 10 times the size of my BookPort. I = =3D =3D3D wouldn't mind being able to write down a phone number or something like =3D3D that when all I have is my BookPort at hand. Besides, I think the =3D3D Braille input feature is absolutely fabulous. I am one of those people =3D3D that wants Braille to be everywhere! -----Original Message----- From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Walt Smith Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 5:58 PM To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [bookport] Re: More braille suggestions No, I think that the current method of setting the time and date =3D are=3D3D20 adequate. Frankly, I don't even want to see the ability to enter memos = =3D =3D3D in=3D3D20 braille (as somebody mentioned here a week or so ago) because if I want =3D3D a=3D3D20 notetaker, that's what I'll buy and carry. Let's keep this *primarily = =3D =3D3D and=3D3D20 exclusively* a reading system and concentrate on the reading functions = =3D =3D3D and=3D3D20 not go hanging every bell and whistle on it that we can think of. The = =3D =3D3D reason=3D3D20 I think this is such a phenomenal device is that it's got a focused = =3D3D concept=3D3D20 and design and those who're doing the updating have also remained =3D3D focused on=3D3D20 making it the best reading tool available to us. I don't want to see = =3D3D that=3D3D20 focus begin to fuzz out into making this any kind of multi-function = =3D3D device. ----- Original Message -----=3D3D20 From: "James Jolley" <james.jolley1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 6:41 PM Subject: [bookport] More braille suggestions Hi Folks, Now that I finally figured out the braille input side of this, what do = =3D =3D3D you=3D3D20 think of making braille input more effective? First, what about the = =3D3D option=3D3D20 of entering braille for the time/date, say T chord to set time and date. =3D3D First, prompt the user for the time in hour, minute, Am or PM, then hit=3D3D20 braille enter, then of course set the date in mm/dd/yy or for us UK = =3D3D users=3D3D20 dd/mm/yy. That brings up another idea. What about the ability to parse dates so = =3D =3D3D that=3D3D20 they speak in brittish or american formats. so, when key 2 is pressed = =3D =3D3D for=3D3D20 one beap, we could have it say 22nd of october, 2004 for UK and october=3D3D20 22nd, 2004 for the american markets. What do you think? Oh and another idea. What about the option of setting a reminder, you = =3D =3D3D know,=3D3D20 play a memo, or play such an mp3 at a specified time/date? Best -James-