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 "> ">> " "> ">> " "> ">> " "> ">> " "> ">> "> ">> "> ">> "> ">> __________ NOD32 1.1786 (20061002) Information "__________ ">> ">> "> This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. "> ">> http://www.eset.com "> ">> "> "> "> "> "> " "> " "> "> " "