[bookport] Re: future of bookport
- From: "Christy Porter" <cporter001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 01:51:38 -0600
Do you mean the NLS books? From what I understand, it's not the size of the
books themselves that is the problem. The books themselves are simply data.
The size of the storage cards doesn't really influence the number of types
of proprietary software that the device can open.
The difficulty is in having a single, small, highly portable device with
it's limited "hard drive" space hold all the separate programs to access all
the different types of books. It's like having to carry a different type of
box or bottle opener for each type of book, and trying to cram all the
openers into the same case that you can carry in your pocket! [grin]
The bookport functions by running the books through the bookport transfer
programs on the computer which does most of the work of opening the
proprietary software so the device can access the data once it's on the
storage card. You are "filtering" the book on the computer, or having the
computer do all the difficult parts of opening the "box" or different types
of boxes which contain the data, so that the gadget can read it, with the
gadget only opening the last layer to play the data.
This makes it easier for the manufacturers (APH) to have the bookport do
more and adapt to MORE changing formats over a longer period of time, since
the bulk of the work for accessing different files takes place on the
computer itself and can be upgraded and changed there -- a much larger and
more powerful case for the multiple "box openers" and "bottle openers,"
freeing space on the gadget's "hard drive" for other functions.
In using the stream, people transfer the data to a card, but their PC's
don't "touch" the information. They just carry it and shift it whole and
un-opened to the card. Then you put the card in the stream, and the software
on the stream's "hard drive" opens all the layers of the "box." The
stream's "hard drive" has to hold the entire program for opening all the
layers of the packaging of the data.
The physical size of the data storage card(s) isn't an issue. Nor is the
number of gig's available for data on the cards.
While things are developing that allow people to run programs from their
flash drives or jump drives or thumb drives ( I wish people would pick a
single name for these do-hickies!) as well as carrying data on them, it's
not yet a common thing. If it really catches on, we may see data cards
which contain both the data (the book in it's protective wrapper) and the
programs for opening the data (all the box and bottle openers). But things
haven't developed that way yet.
As for accommodating a lot of books on a 2 or 4 gig card, well, I always buy
unabridged books from Audible.com, anyway. When a book is really long,
audible splits it up into separate chunks. Then you can decide if you want
to carry around say, three or four large, complete books, or the first half
of six or seven books. [grin] And you can always carry a couple of cards --
still much easier than carrying several different gadgets for each file type
or several hard copy large print or Braille books! [grin]
I like this feature and the way it works from Audible on the bookport,
because if I'm not yet in the middle of a book, I can load the beginning of
a bunch of books and "browse" until one catches my interest. I'll
eventually read them all, but sometimes I have to be in the right "mood" for
some books. I find the way the bookport works to be very flexible.
I haven’t used the NLS download audio programs yet; I haven't purchased a
stream. So I don't know if NLS splits the download audio files. It *DOES*
split the Web Braille files, though. So I would hope that the same applies.
Others here might know for sure.
I'm currently having fits over wanting to access NetLibrary books on a more
portable device. Only my laptop and desktop will currently play these
files. Since the WMA files ALSO don't want a different program like the
bookport transfer program "opening" their boxes in advance, I can't use the
bookport for it. I haven't found a work around that I'm comfortable with.
I'll investigate these more thoroughly eventually.
Since NetLibrary keeps their large, unabridged books in a single file, I
can't transfer them to my PDA which is from 2002, because such things have
to go to its "hard drive" first which is only 64 megs. [sigh] 64 megs
seemed so HUGE when I got the thing. [grin] Anyway, it's only 64 megs, and
things have to go to the hard drive first through ActiveSync -- a program
that functions in some ways like the bookport transfer program -- before
being shifted to the storage card.
So this old PDA is not only not really accessible as my vision declines, but
it's FAR less functional in the way it's storage cards work than our lovely
bookports.
If I get a stream, I still won’t be able to access the NetLibrary books.
If I get a WMA player, I still won't be able to access the NLS books AND the
gadget won't be fully accessible to me. The one I favored because of it's
lack of a screen, the Creative Zen stone, won't handle the NetLibrary books
anyway from what I've read, and I really want a WMA player that will handle
NetLibrary books AND have bookmarks, but NOT have a screen that I can't see
anyway!. Grrrrr. I'm grumpy about the whole thing at the moment, so I
refuse to shell out the money for anything new until I stop feeling
irritated. Logically I completely understand all the concerns over
copyright, but financially and emotionally -- I'm grumpy!
At least, being on this list, I've gotten to watch APH work really hard to
"play" well with all the others. I've got faith in their desire to "share"
and work well with the other kids on the block. [grin] And the help here
has gotten me into accessing Web Braille books and magazines AND into using
the notetaker function of the bookport for quick, unexpected things. I'm
going to tackle transferring an RFB&D book next. Probably after Christmas.
--Christy
http://caution-blind-driver.blogspot.com
-----Original Message-----
From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Yerba Bruja
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2007 1:19 AM
To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookport] Re: future of bookport
Oh, I see Christie. But isn't it difficult to accommodate a lot of those
talking books on 2 or 4 gig flashcards, which is what the bookport primarily
takes?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christy Porter" <cporter001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2007 1:34 AM
Subject: [bookport] Re: future of bookport
> From what I understand, Marta, NLS doesn't want the files opened or
> accessed
> on the computers at all -- that's part of the reason the current bookport
> set up, which has the bulk of the access software in the bookport transfer
> program, isn't acceptable to nls.
>
> It's a security thing. Any file that the computer can access is inherently
> more at risk of copyright violation than a file that the computer does not
> access but only transfers to a device that can then access the file.
>
> If the device has to access the file on it's own, then the device must
> have
> more space for those access programs, and in turn, at the present moment,
> that then limits the number of other file types that the device can
> access.
> You can only crowd so many proprietary programs into a limited space. At
> least for now. Who knows what we'll be able to do in five years [grin]
>
> --Christy
> http://caution-blind-driver.blogspot.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of Yerba Bruja
> Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2007 12:47 AM
> To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [bookport] Re: future of bookport
>
> Perhaps no one missed it. I think people are trying to figure out what
> other alternatives they can have with bookport or whatever, because
> there's
> a difference between shelling out $395 for a bookport and $1,395 for a
> braille plus, in spite of how convenient, versatile and impressive the
> latter is. Don't get me wrong. I love both. But I can see why people
> would be looking for options involving cost below those of the braille
> plus
> or icon.
>
> What I would be interested to know is if APH is at any point interested in
> developing pc based software capable of reading those nls books. Might be
> a
>
> less costly alternative, given that there wouldn't be hardware involved.
> Not as portable as the bookport or braille plus but...
>
> Marta
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Curtis Delzer" <curtis@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 11:24 PM
> Subject: [bookport] Re: future of bookport
>
>
>> you all missed it! Didn't Pam say that another Braille device will soon
>> support the NLS format?
>>
>> Curtis Delzer
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Richard Fiorello" <richkar1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> To: "bookport" <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 8:00 AM
>> Subject: [bookport] future of bookport
>>
>>
>> Hi;
>> While I'm not certain if we can really know about any future releases or
>> not, bookport customers are "jumping ship" and going to players that will
>> work with nls. As other players are approved more folks may choose to
>> seriously look at them. Once the bulk of the market has gone elsewhere
>> it
>> might be to little to late to come out with a new and improved bookport.
>> At
>> the moment, however, I enjoying the good old outdated bookport.
>> Richard
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
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>> 12/18/2007 9:40 PM
>>
>>
>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.4/1187 - Release Date:
> 12/16/2007
> 11:36 AM
>
>
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.4/1187 - Release Date:
> 12/16/2007
> 11:36 AM
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>
>
>
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.4/1189 - Release Date:
> 12/18/2007 9:40 PM
>
>
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.4/1187 - Release Date: 12/16/2007
11:36 AM
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Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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