I agree. I think the BP's current size is about right. Reed -----Original Message----- From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Neal Ewers Sent: 2006/04/23 11:25 To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [bookport] Re: New Bookport ideas I think you will have a really hard time making the keys smaller. The testing we have done at Trace for various phone projects, A T M machines and other products I can't mention has lead us to believe that you start leaving out vast segments of the older population plus a number of other people when you make the keys too small to use. As it is now, the keys are just about the dimensions of a standard telephone, plus or minus. Well, and what is a standard telephone these days anyway, so perhaps that is not a good example. But I would caution against making them any smaller than they are now. Neal -----Original Message----- From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Bruce Toews Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2006 1:15 PM To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [bookport] Re: New Bookport ideas What about keeping the keys the same size, but just moving them a touch closer together? My preference would be for much smaller keys much closer together, but I agree this would be a problem to people without the finger dexterity or precision. Bruce -- Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 NIV Bruce Toews E-mail and MSN/Windows Messenger: DogRiver@xxxxxxxx Radio Show and Podcast: http://www.totw.net Web Site (including info on my weekly commentaries): http://www.ogts.net Info on the Best TV Show of All Time: http://www.cornergas.com On Sun, 23 Apr 2006, Russ & Valerie wrote: > I agree that smaller keys will be a challenge for some. > > My aunt is using a BP, and she can just manage the buttons as she is a > bit > frail and her fingers not always steady. > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Walt Smith" <walt@xxxxxxxxxx> > To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Sunday, 23 April, 2006 11 21 > Subject: [bookport] Re: New Bookport ideas > > >> A BP with smaller keys might be okay, but I do wonder about the >> elderly or multi-handicapped user's ability to manipulate something >> that would enable a design of the size you mention here--a >> cigarette pack. While I don't know this to have been the case when >> the original device was designed, the present keypad certainly looks >> as if this section of the potential market was considered. I know >> from experience and observation that many elderly users just can't >> cope very well with buttons the size most of us find usable. Since >> NLS, from what I gather, isn't planning to produce a truly portable >> player when they move to digital Talking Books, I can imagine APH >> wanting to fill this gap, provided they can work with NLS to get the >> necessary permissions and work out the technology, so these folks >> would absolutely have to be taken into account in any design >> considerations. >> >> I think that on balance, I also like the idea of moving to SD cards >> from CompactFlash, particularly if industry forecasts indicate that >> even higher-capacity SD cards may be forthcoming in the future and >> if NLS decides to move in that direction. Right now, 4 gig is the >> largest available size and if APH succeeds in removing all card size >> limitations, I can see that some folks may very well want to buy >> even larger-capacity cards. My sole concern about using SD cards is >> their relative fragility when compared to CompactFlash--I just see >> them as being too easy to damage or lose. CompactFlash is certainly >> going to continue to be around for a long, long time, given the >> number of devices that are dependent on them, but using SD would >> certainly aid in designing a smaller player. >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Tanner" >> <david-tanner@xxxxxxxxxxxx> >> To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >> Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2006 8:20 PM >> Subject: [bookport] Re: New Bookport ideas >> >> >> It's size is about half to two thirds an inch thick, about 2 inches >> wide, and about 5 inches high. I am guessing it would need to be a >> bit larger than this unit in order to have decent size keys, but it >> would be nice if the BP could be a bit smaller; say the size of a >> cigarette pack. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.5/322 - Release Date: >> 4/22/2006 >> >> > > >