ok. I understand now. I still plan to get a bookport as soon as possible, so
I can read books and play mp3s and record and take text notes.
Josh
Josh,
I don't know why no one, especially from APH, hasn't addressed this. Perhaps there is a good reason not to, so I apologize if I'm stepping out of bounds here. I also apologize for expounding on this longwinded and pointless thread, but I feel there is one point which has been neglected and should be addressed.
The "1992/1993 Braille 'n Speak technology" of which you speak is completely irrelevant to the BookPort. The two devices were designed entirely differently, with different functionality in mind. I think the main reason the BookPort isn't a Braille 'n Speak, or an equivalent thereof, is because of it's very small amount of firmware. If I remember correctly, the BookPort only has a few hundred K for storing and manipulating the firmware. This is because it doesn't need a whole lot to handle text files and MP3s. The BNS contains quite a bit more memory, and possibly a faster processor. There simply isn't enough room to turn the BP into a BNS. Besides, the BNS, while handy for reading, was originally designed as a notetaker, and does its best work as a notetaker. The BookPort, on the other hand, was designed to read books, hence the name, and the notetaker was a nice little add-on which APH generously provided. I don't know how they got it in there, and I'm very impresse
d that it works as well as it does. I'll feel the same about a calculator, when and if it comes along.
In order to turn a Book Port into the equivalent of a BNS, you would need a whole new board, with more storage space for firmware, and a faster processor. We would all have to send our BookPorts back to APH for upgrades--sounds like a certain PDA manufacturer, doesn't it?--and I won't be doing that any time soon. For one thing, I can't imagine sending my BP away and living without it for however long it would take to upgrade it, and second, spending more money on top of what the unit already costs. Most BP owners I know of found the current price just barely affordable, and a price hike, like that which would become inevitable were the BP turned into a BNS equivalent, would push it right out of a lot of peoples' budgets.
So, what I'm trying to say, is that you are taking a perfectly delicious orange, and asking it to be a banana, or maybe even a cucumber. <Smile> Both foods have there values and uses, they both have the right to exist, and anything anyone can do to further perfect either should be appreciated, but they can't be substituted for each other, unless someone has some very interesting tastes. <Smile> Oranges make the best Orange Juliuses, and cucumbers do great things for a green salad. But can you imagine a hybrid? Yikes!
Just three and a half cents from a happy owner of a BP, and a former BNS user.
Sarah
-----Original Message----- From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Josh Kennedy Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 8:44 PM To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
yep, another reason why we should implement some of that 1993 braille n speak technology in there.
Josh
----- Original Message ----- From: "Wstephan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <wstephan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 9:07 PM
Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
Certainly yes, size is an issue, but over and above that, it's entirely
possible to use a Bookport while walking, or doing any number of other
things. A Pac mate doesn't lend itself very well to being used under many
conditions, especially where inclement weather is a factor.
Bill Stephan Kansas City, MO (816)803-2469 Email: Wstephan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
.From: "Josh Kennedy"<jkenn337@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
.Sent: 11/10/05 7:24:05 PM
.To: "bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx"<bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
.Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
.
.but if you have a pacmate or pda then why have a bookport?
.Well a bookport is smaller, guess it's all personal preference.
.
.
.Josh
.
.----- Original Message ----- .From: "Wstephan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <wstephan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
.To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
.Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 7:23 PM
.Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
.
.
.> Well, my suggestion is a bit different.
.>
.> I'd like for someone to develop transfer software that could run on a
Pac
.> Mate. Bill Stephan
.> Kansas City, MO
.> (816)803-2469
.> Email: Wstephan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
.>
.>
.> S -----Original Message-----
.> .From: "DanFlasar@xxxxxxx"<DanFlasar@xxxxxxx>
.> .Sent: 11/10/05 2:34:08 PM
.> .To: "bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx"<bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
.> .Subject: [bookport] Re: bookport suggestion
.> .
.> .I'll have to agree with Dave here. I love my Bookport - it's
versatility
.> .keeps showing up in unexpected ways. I was working out yesterday on a
.> treadmill
.> .when the I finished the book I was reading ("Vancouver" - available
from
.> .Bookshare - a Mitchener-esque history of the city of Vancouver -
.> excellent!).
.> .Instead of having to change a tape (assuming I'd had the foresight to
.> include
.> .a tape for another book or magazine, I just went to the index and
chose
.> from
.> .among 20 other books I'd downloaded from Bookshare. I chose "Me Talk
.> Pretty
.> .One Day" by David Sedaris. It's like having a little library with
me
.> at all
.> .times.
.> . I have a Parrot Voicemate as a PDA which works fine for me. I'm
.> fine
.> .with the Bookport providing the functions it does. I see it as a
.> portable
.> .reading machine. I'd love to have better voice capabilities, and I
do
.> get a
.> .little annoyed at hearing St. Louis pronounced as Street Louis, but I
.> get what it
.> .means. If anything, I'd like to see it take on some Kurzweil
.> .characteristics. For example, I'd like to have a dictionary
on-board,
.> which could be
.> .automatically cross-referenced to a book I'm reading.
.> . For example, if I heard a word that I'm not familiar with, I'd
like
.> to
.> .be able to key to the word, hit a key combo and get a definition for
it.
.> . Not asking for much, am I?
.> .Dan
.> .
.> .
.>
.>
.
.
