[bookport] Re: NLS Beta Program

  • From: "Don Barrett" <donter@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2006 22:23:01 -0500

Yes indeed. 

"-----Original Message-----
"From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
"[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dan Keys
"Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 9:39 PM
"To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Subject: [bookport] Re: NLS Beta Program
"
"Hi,
"Thanks. I guess what I'm saying is this. The current Book Port 
"wwould still be able to read brf files as long as web braille 
"is in business as it now is.
"
"On Nov 6, 2006, at 6:12 PM, Don Barrett wrote:
"
"> Yes, the digital book program in no way is meant to supplant web 
"> Braille.  I have heard that their download site will contain web 
"> Braille books and the new digital audio books.
">
"> "-----Original Message-----
"> "From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"> "[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dan Keys
"> "Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 8:17 PM
"> "To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"> "Subject: [bookport] Re: NLS Beta Program "
"> "Hi,
"> "So does anyone know if after the new Digital Talking Books are 
"> "available, will Web Braille still have brf files available for 
"> "download?
"> "
"> "On Nov 6, 2006, at 5:10 PM, Michael Bowman-Jones wrote:
"> "
"> "> Greetings Don, Walt and List.
"> ">
"> "> I also send along my thanks to Pamela for her 
"forthrightness in "> 
"> handling the "E-storm" on this issue.  I have to admit, 
""though, that 
"> I "> am very torn in that I just bought my BP (a couple of months "> 
"> ago) and now wonder if I should have waited for the new one.  (Oh "> 
"> well, that's always a problem with things technological because they 
"> "> are always changing.)  Since one reason for getting the 
"BP "was my 
"> hope "> of NLS compatibility so the BP would be my backup unit to 
"> their "> player, it appears I should have done more research and 
"> waited.  Be "> that as it may, I still really enjoy this 
"unit and will 
"> "consider it a "> complement to the NLS unit since I won't 
"be able "> 
"> (probably) to use it as an NLS-unit backup, as was my intent.
"> ">
"> "> Michael
"> ">
"> "> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Don Barrett"  
"> <donter@xxxxxxxxxxx>
"> "> To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
"> "> Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 4:45 PM "> Subject: 
"[bookport] Re: 
"> NLS Beta Program "> ">
"> ">> Pam, Thanks for the candid and forthright note.   I think we all
"> ">> fully
"> ">> appreciate that the current model has reached its zenith 
"in "terms 
"> of ">> the formats it can handle, and I for one, wouldn't 
"expect it to 
"> ">> handle newer formats, such as the one NLS is working on.  When I 
"> ">> spoke of being curious about hardware redesign, I was 
"referring to 
"> ">> finding out about efforts to redesign the new unit, 
"which, as you 
"> ">> have stated, is being done as we speak.
"> ">> Knowing that a new unit is in the works for release some 
""time in 
"> 2007 ">> certainly puts my mind at rest about the subject.
"> ">>
"> ">> The nice thing about having the downloadable books from NLS is 
"> that ">> the BookPort won't have to worry about using any 
""specialized 
"> type of ">> card. If, as you all intimate, the new unit will support 
"> "the new NLS ">> format, then books can simply be transferred to 
"> whatever "card the new ">> unit will take, and reading will be a 
"> breeze.
"> ">>
"> ">> Since I was the one who created such a flurry about this 
""topic on 
"> the ">> list, I am now happy, given Larry and Pam's responses, to 
"> "wait to see ">> what the coming year will bring.
"> ">> Believe it or not, even I can be patient and quiet for a while, 
"> and ">> besides, Walt, the list Sergeant at Arms, won't let me get 
"> "away with ">> being too pushy.
"> ">>
"> ">> Don
"> ">>
"> ">>
"> ">>
"> ">>
"> ">>
"> ">>
"> ">> "-----Original Message-----
"> ">> "From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ">> 
"> "[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of PAMELA 
"RADER ">> 
"> "Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 9:14 AM ">> "To: 
"> bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ">> "Subject: [bookport] Re: NLS Beta 
"Program "
"> ">> "Hello Don and Others:
"> ">> "
"> ">> "First of all, since the NLS digital structure is still 
"under ">> 
"> "development, it is too soon to know exactly what we are 
""and "aren't 
"> ">> going to do.  However, given what we know thus far, I "can tell 
"> you ">> what I've been told so far.  Because the new NLS 
""format will 
"> use ">> something other than a Compact Flash Card like "the one the 
"> "Book Port ">> uses, it is very doubtful that the "current Book Port 
"> will "be able to ">> play the new books.
"> ">> "Also, you are talking about making changes to the current 
"> ""hardware, ">> which I seriously doubt we will be doing, since we 
"> "are already in ">> the midst of designing a new unit, which 
"will "be 
"> a whole "new design, ">> we won't be making any changes in the 
"> "current unit and its "design.
"> ">> It'd be very difficult to keep "two designs going and 2 
"units, ">> 
"> especially if you are a "nonproffit company.  You have to 
""do what is 
"> ">> best for the whole "picture.  That's not to say that we 
"won't ">> 
"> continue to support "the current Book Port, because we 
""will.  We will 
"> ">> and are "currently fixing any problems that come up with respect 
"> to ">> "it's current functionality.
"> ">> "One of the reasons for this new design is because of the 
"> ""changes in ">> technology and the changes at NLS.  As you know, 
"> "technology is ">> always changing and you have to change with it.
"> ">> "However, there's only so much you can cram into one box, "thus, 
"> "when ">> the box gets overcrowded or can't expand any further, due 
"> "to ">> hardware limitations or whatever, then you have to make a 
"> ""new box.
"> ">> This question has come up many times before and our "programming 
"> ">> staff has assured us that we are staying in touch "with the NLS 
"> ">> program, after all, we do a lot of work for them "and it "would 
"> stand ">> to reason that we are looking into it.
"> ">> "It's not like it's going to sneak up on us one day.  We 
"get "many 
"> ">> phone calls on this particular issue, as you might expect ""( in 
"> fact, ">> I got one on Friday from the originator of this "message).
"> "I realize
"> ">> it's a hot topic and one that we are all "anxious about.
"> ">> Unfortunately, we are all going to have to be "patient, 
""while all 
"> of ">> this is worked out.  There could be some "technical 
"things that 
"> I'm ">> not aware of, but I feel quite "certain that if it 
"were at all 
"> ">> possible to make the current "machine play NLS books, we 
""would do 
"> it, ">> because it would be in "our best interest to do so.  If it 
"> can't, ">> then you do "something else.  As you all know, 
"any time you 
"> are in ">> the "middle of developing something, situations come up 
"> that can ">> "sometimes push things back.  At first, we were 
"told that 
"> the "new ">> Book Port would be ready by the first of the year. Now, 
"> it ""has been ">> moved back to late Spring or early Summer.  That's 
"> "the "best answer I ">> can give you at this point.  I'm sure if 
"> "Larry has "something else to ">> add, he'll do so, when he has time 
"> "(in between developing and ">> working with the new unit 
"and all "of 
"> the other things we're coming ">> out with in the coming year).
"> ">> " I realize that some of you will be upset with this 
"message, ">> 
"> "because you want the current unit to support the new NLS "format.
"> ">> As I've said before, technology is an everchanging "facet.
"> "There are
"> ">> many people who've purchased Braille 'N "Speaks just 
"this year and 
"> ">> when the next note taker or PDA "comes out, they'll have 
"the same 
"> ">> questions and issues and be "upset because they have to 
"decide ">> 
"> whether or not to continue "using what they have or move onto ">> 
"> something else.  Eventually, "as with the Braille 'N Speak 
"and the ">> 
"> current Book Port, parts "become hard to get or dry up and you have 
"> ">> to move on and do "something else.  The cassette will be a thing 
"> of ">> the past.  As "difficult as it may be to believe, we still 
"> "sell a lot ">> of "cassette machines.  Eventually, those people are 
"> going to be ">> "left out in the cold.  I feel for those people who 
"> won't "be "able to ">> move forward into the next thing.  
"Fortunately, 
"> NLS "will provide ">> something we can play our books on, I 
"just hope 
"> "it's "something that ">> will be easy for them to use as well.
"> ">> "Anyway, that's a whole other soapbox for another time.  The 
"> "point
"> ">> is--we are doing what we can and we will have to stay "tuned.   
"> This
"> ">> is just my take on the issue, for what it's "worth.  Since I'm 
"> just ">> the Technical Support Specialist, this "and 80 cents might 
"> "get you a ">> cup of coffee or a pack of "Rollaides.  Anyway, we do 
"> hear you loud ">> and clear and are "taking your wishes seriously.
"> ">> "
"> ">> "
"> ">> "
"> ">> "
"> ">> "Pamela Rader, TECHNICAL SUPPORT
"> ">> "American Printing House For The Blind ">> "1839 Frankfort Ave.
"> ">> "Louisville, KY  40206
"> ">> "
"> ">> "PHONE:  1-800-223-1839, Ext. 307
"> ">> "
"> ">> "
"> ">> ">>> donter@xxxxxxxxxxx 11/03/06 08:08PM >>> "I've been 
"off of the 
"> ">> list for a bit so if this has already "been covered, someone 
"> please ">> straighten me out, but if not, it "really is time 
"for it to 
"> be ">> addressed directly by APH.
"> ">> "
"> ">> "As you know, the NLS beta program testing the facility to 
"> ""download ">> and read digital books is proceeding quite 
"well.  I "am 
"> "told that the ">> site may be available to all NLS patrons 
""sometime 
"> around "the middle ">> of 2007.  Since the handling of "these 
"> materials by the "BookPort will ">> require hardware, "firmware, and 
"> software changes, it would "seem that ">> time is of "the essence if 
"> the Bookport is to undergo a redesign, ">> pass all "of the rigorous 
"> beta and other testing, and make a smooth ">> "transition to 
"allowing 
"> its owners to read NLS-produced ""materials in ">> digital form when 
"> the site becomes available.
"> ">> "Can you all shed any light on this?  I can just imagine that 
"> "when ">> the NLS site goes live, any device that is not ready to 
"> "deal with ">> those materials will suffer much negative 
"press to "say 
"> nothing of ">> decreased sales and popularity.  Since the 
""BookPort is 
"> "probably the ">> coolest device invented since the "electric 
"> coffee-maker, I would ">> hate to see it undergo such a "bumpy 
"> transition.  NLS "implementation ">> time just is not that "far off, 
"> and I believe APH has a ">> responsibility to its "customers 
"to make a 
"> public commitment to ">> support this reading "system for the blind 
"> which will be free and ">> available to all "non-print reading 
"> citizens.  As I say, I may have ">> missed this "discussion, so if 
"> this has already happened, I will ">> gladly "back off, and wait for 
"> it all to play out.
"> ">> "
"> ">> "On the other hand, APH has been alluding to a new unit for ">> 
"> "literally years, and given the true closeness of the NLS ">> 
"> "implementation date (perhaps half a year or there abouts 
""to if "all 
"> ">> goes well), we really need the real deal and soon.  Please "what 
"> is ">> going on.
"> ">> "
"> ">> "Don Barrett
"> ">> "
"> ">> "
"> ">> "
"> ">> "
"> ">>
"> ">>
"> ">>
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"__________ ">> ">> 
"> This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
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"> ">
"> ">
"> "
"> "
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">
"
"


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