[bookport] Re: the holidays and bookport
- From: "Angie Matney" <armatney@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2005 16:52:25 -0500
Hi Rich,
I agree with what you're saying. I don't expect OCR to be on the Book Port any
time soon; but I do believe that, say, ten
years down the road, we'll have a truly afordable device that does this. Look
at how much more the BP can do (in some
respects) than the original Braille 'n Speak.
Essentially, I think you and I were making mostly the same points in our
messages. I was trying to say that APH needs to
implement features in a prudent, cost-effective way, so therefore we won't be
seeing anything like that soon, though it
will be pretty standard in a few years.
Angie
On Wed, 30 Nov 2005 13:41:23 -0600, Richard Ring wrote:
>I believe that it is clear that the Bookport can have more features and
>functionality than it currently does.
>I also believe a survey of users would quickly show that there are
>individuals who would like one feature, and individuals who would like
>another.
>How will APH and Springer Design determine what features to include in
>the next generation Bookport?
>One factor will most likely be cost. Many have stated that they would
>like the Bookport to have the features one can have in an Ipod. Some
>have asked for an internal hard drive, others have asked for a
>full-blown note taker. Others have asked for an equalizer and so on.
>One thing to keep in mind is that APH nor Springer Design have the kind
>of R&D funding that Apple or Sony have. Nor will they ever sell as many
>products as either of these companies. Realistically, if the Bookport
>as it is currently constituted were a mainstream product, its price
>would be considerably less than it is now.
>Therefore, it stands to reason that if a hard drive, an equalizer, and
>the recording functionality of a Plextalk were to be added, the price
>would have to increase. Adding a digital camera would be one thing,
>adding the software that would perform OCR would be quite another.
>An Ipod is a mass market item, millions of them have been sold, and they
>will probably sell a huge number as the US goes full swing into its once
>a year buying orgy. I believe that the cost factor for each feature
>will have a great deal to say about which features ultimately end up in
>the next Bookport.
>And I also believe as I have stated before, that many on this list will
>be outraged when the cost goes up by several hundred dollars as it would
>have to if all of the feature requests that I've seen on this list were
>honored.
>-----Original Message-----
>From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Angie Matney
>Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 8:32 PM
>To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [bookport] Re: the holidays and bookport
>Hi Mike,
>I agree, to a point. But just a few years ago, people were saying we
>didn't need our blindness PDA's to play music
>either. Now, that is a standard feature of the MPower, the PacMate and
>the Braille Sense. Personally, I could care less
>about a spell checker, because once that file is on my PC, I can handle
>it from there. And since you must have a PC to
>use a BP (except for those wonderful library programs that lend them to
>patrons), This seems reasonable. But I'm sure
>that the "Book Port" we use in a few years will have a spell checker and
>perhaps a built-in digital camera for immediate
>OCR.
>I also see nothing wrong with wishing to have one gadget that does a
>lot. But I hope others out there will remember that
>one of the most attractive features of the Book Port is its price tag. I
>want my BP to do all that a $400 piece of
>equipment can do. I can't quite aford a Plextalk just yet, so I'd
>really, really like it if my BP did everything a Plextalk would
>do! But I know this isn't likely. I don't want the BP to turn into a
>more powerful but more expensive piece of access
>technology that is out of reach for many people. The BP has grown
>tremendously in capability since I purchased mine a
>year and a half ago, and I haven't had to pay for an upgrade. I'm glad
>APH implements features in such a way as not to
>comptromise the existing product.
>Just some ramblings from my sleep-deprived brain.
>On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:59:33 -0500 (EST), Mike Freeman wrote:
>><<SOAPBOX ON>>
>>I'm sorry ... I've tried to hold my tongue, but ...
>>IMO the Book Port is for *reading*. Recording memos is a great adjunct
>>but is secondary to Book Port's primary purpose. Likewise with the
>>note-taking capability. Hence, I see no reason for the spell-check or
>>for a myriad of recording formats to be supported. If you want
>>spell-check, use a computer or Braille Note. If you want hi-fi
>>recording, use a PTR-1.
>>All the extra features add extra battery drain (ask Apple about battery
>>life problems with their latest I-pod!).
>>Itseems to me that APH engineers should "keep it simple, stupid";
>>simplicity means fewer software glitches and better battery-life. Let's
>>use the Book Port for the purposes for which it was designed and leave
>>the fancy stuff to others. And yes, I know; some of the other devices
>>aren't accessible. But that's not APH's problem!
>><<SOAPBOX OFF>>
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