[bookport] Re: USB power
- From: "LARRY SKUTCHAN" <lskutchan@xxxxxxx>
- To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2005 12:08:49 -0400
These are all options we are considering.
>>> ewers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Friday, April 08, 2005 11:33:57 AM >>>
Larry, are you talking about a proprietary battery pack gotten from
APH,
are we simply talking about using rechargeable batteries. I, for one,
would not vote for a thinner unit if it used a battery pack that I
couldn't just pick up locally. However, having said that, there are
some very nice lithium ion batteries out there that one could just
slip
into the unit. I have several like this on some very small recording
equipment I have. While they are not readily available locally, they
can be easily gotten and they have a number of advantages all of which
I
am sure you know about.
For one thing, they don't have the same kind of battery memory that
NIMH
batteries have. However, if they need to be recharged in the book
port,
one would need an AC adaptor for the unit. Either that, or people
would
have to purchase a separate charger.
Neal
-----Original Message-----
From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of LARRY SKUTCHAN
Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 9:29 AM
To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookport] Re: USB power
Yes, the battery gauge could be accurate.
One other thing in the favor of using a rechargable system is that the
unit could be much thinner than it is now.
We don't have much information yet on how long the unit could run on
the
new battery system.
>>> ewers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Friday, April 08, 2005 9:26:41 AM >>>
Larry, would rechargeable batteries offer the same degree of accuracy
with the battery gauge? Myself, I don't mind buying regular batteries
because the unit is so battery efficient. This is especially so if
you're going to allow the computer to power the unit when it is
connected to the computer. The other point is that people can already
use rechargeables if they want to do so. Of course, I suspect if you
went the route of rechargeable batteries you would work to make the
unit
more efficient when using them. So I guess another question would be,
would the book port then be less efficient with regular batteries?
Neal
-----Original Message-----
From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of LARRY SKUTCHAN
Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 7:53 AM
To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookport] Re: USB power
While we are on this subject.
What is the opinion of the list on the subject of rechargeable vs
alkalyn batteries in a future Book Port design?
I am personally very happy with the way the current system works,
because there is never any down time while the unit recharges, you
don't
have to take a charger with you, and power is always just two AAs
away.
>>> ewers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Friday, April 08, 2005 8:32:41 AM >>>
Ok, Larry is the man and if the man says yes, then yes it is. Is
there
no limit to how good this product can be?
-----Original Message-----
From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of LARRY SKUTCHAN
Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 6:32 AM
To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookport] Re: USB power
Yes, that is our intent.
>>> joenorton1@xxxxxxxxxxx Friday, April 08, 2005 5:35:42 AM >>>
Hi APH and listers:
I know that the BookPort while plugged into the USB port uses a
certain
amount of power from the batteries. However, it occurs to me that the
USB
port can provide all the power needed and it seems odd that the BP
couldn't take advantage of this instead of draining the batteries for
this
function. My Braille display at work runs completely off the USB port
without the need for any other external power source. Could this be
eventually true of the BP if you ever update the hardware?
Thanks!
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