Re: an idea for the pouches that come with the Plex Talk Pocket Units
- From: "Pam Bilton" <pbilton@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ptr1-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 22 May 2012 23:22:59 -0400
I use my original Plex Talk Pocket pouch or case all of the time but I carry
the case in a small bag along with my other electronics to give my Plex Talk
Pocket more protection when I'm using it traveling or just waiting for
someone to finishing shopping reading wise.
----- Original Message -----
From: "André van Deventer" <andredbsa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ptr1-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 3:06 PM
Subject: RE: Product Evaluation: Plextalk Pocket PTP1 DAISY Book Player and
Digital Recorder
Must say I might some time in the future consider the executive products
case though.
I have the one from them for my focus 40 blue and I am more than satisfied
with the quality!
Only problem is that the bloody postage is about the same price as the case
even when using ordinary US mail. But there's nothing you can do about
that.
-----Original Message-----
From: ptr1-users-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ptr1-users-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Aidan
Sent: 16 May 2012 07:54 PM
To: ptr1-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Product Evaluation: Plextalk Pocket PTP1 DAISY Book Player and
Digital Recorder
Very true andre, I wonder how is it that they don't supply that case for us,
I mean I have no problems with the case we got, I got mine 2 years ago, but
its defnitly not the best case for when going out and need more protection.
----- Original Message -----
From: "André van Deventer" <andredbsa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ptr1-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 10:23 AM
Subject: RE: Product Evaluation: Plextalk Pocket PTP1 DAISY Book Player and
Digital Recorder
Wish though I received the zippered pouch the article talks about. I
believe we in SA receive our plextalks from Europe and I received only
a very nice little belt pouch.
-----Original Message-----
From: ptr1-users-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ptr1-users-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Russ Kiehne
Sent: 15 May 2012 06:26 PM
To: ptr1-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Product Evaluation: Plextalk Pocket PTP1 DAISY Book Player
and Digital Recorder
Did anyone see this article from the current issue of accessworld?
Product Evaluation: Plextalk Pocket PTP1 DAISY Book Player and Digital
Recorder from Shinano Kenshi Deborah Kendrick The PLEXTALK Pocket PTP1
is a sleek DAISY book player and digital recorder made for use by
people who are blind or have low vision. Smaller than some cell
phones, the PLEXTALK Pocket is about the size of a deck of cards and
weighs less than four ounces.
Contents and Accessories
The PLEXTALK Pocket comes to you with a 2 GB secure digital (SD) card
already inserted, stereo earbuds, an AC adapter, a USB cable for
transferring material from a computer, a short USB adapter for
connecting a USB memory stick or CD player, and a CD containing the
User's Guide in HTML and Microsoft Word formats. The device also comes
with a zippered, padded, fabric pouch that is adequate protecting the
unit and all of its accessories.
Product Design
The PLEXTALK Pocket has an exceptionally smooth surface. The face has
a standard 12-button phone-style keypad, with 11 additional keys
located above. The layout of buttons on the PLEXTALK Pocket is
extremely well planned. Every button is distinctly shaped and
textured, so that the location of keys without sight is absolutely
effortless.
Above the key panel is a speaker, which is activated when earbuds for
private listening are not in use. This is perhaps the best internal
speaker I've ever encountered on a handheld player.
On the top edge of the unit are the ports for headphones and external
microphone and on the bottom are the ports for the USB cable and AC
adapter.
The left edge has the slot for the SD card, and the right edge has an
up-down volume switch and a switch for locking all keys.
Using the PLEXTALK Pocket
The PLEXTALK Pocket plays quaint melodic sounds when powering on or
off, executing a command, or directing you to wait for a task to be
completed.
Somewhat akin to the sounds one might hear in a children's play to
indicate magical happenings, I found these sounds utterly charming. If
you don't share my feelings, they can be silenced.
The logic employed in the device's operation soon becomes intuitive as
patterns of performing tasks emerge. For example, one of the most
prominent features on the face of the unit is a circle of four arrow
keys with a concave Enter button in the center.
Many functions are performed by first pressing one of the four corner
keys (Go To, Bookmark, Menu, and Title) surrounding this circle,
followed by a combination of arrow keys and presses of the Enter key.
It did seem cumbersome at first, but again, once the pattern emerges,
the operation is easy and intuitive. PLEXTALK audibly confirms every
command executed, so that learning is facilitated and errors are
difficult to make. The entire user's manual is available at any time
with a press of the #0 key, and a Key Describer mode can be invoked by
long-pressing the Menu key at any time for learning the names of the
various buttons.
Overview of Functions
The PLEXTALK Pocket is a DAISY book player and DAISY recorder. It can
play your books and music from a variety of sources, and does all
recording in DAISY format, meaning that you can easily insert Headings
in your own recordings to improve ease of navigation and review. The
PLEXTALK Pocket offers a Voice Memo feature for quick recordings or
notes lasting up to one minute on the go, and it can tell you the time
and date.
Because it's always in standby mode, you can perform any of these
functions instantly at the touch of a button. A complete power-off is
necessary only when you wish to leave the unit for an extended period
of time; powering up again takes 30 to
40 seconds.
Playing Media
The PLEXTALK Pocket can play just about any type of audio content you
might want to load onto it, including books from Bookshare, the
National Library service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped,
Learning Ally, and Audible. It plays a variety of audio formats
directly from your commercial CDs, and can download podcasts or stream
content from your favorite Internet radio stations.
While many of the above book sources require authorization for any
player, I found the installation of authorization keys and activation
processes to be extremely simple.
The Audible.com activation was so straightforward that I was almost
surprised to find that my books had already transferred to the player
and were ready for listening!
Navigation
PLEXTALK Pocket organizes material in folders. You can access these
folders (by initially pressing the Title key) either as one long
string of titles or by arrowing up to select folder or category
review. While playing a book or other file, you can move forward and
backward by DAISY levels (the number of which depends on the original
markup of the material) or by time increments of 30 seconds or ten
minutes.
This
latter feature seemed inadequate at first, since some players offer a
much wider range of time intervals for navigating, but the PLEXTALK
Pocket also allows you to move forward by percentages which is a fair
compensation.
To change speed of the narration, speed, or volume of the PLEXTALK
voice, or tone, you press the #1 key repeatedly until you find the
desired setting, then use the up and down arrows to adjust.
Voice Memos and Recordings
Where the PLEXTALK Pocket truly shines is as a DAISY recorder. The
Voice Memo feature is available at any time by simply pressing and
holding the Record key for up to one minute. This is useful, for
example, when you want to capture a short reminder to yourself on the
fly. Voice memos are stored internally in their own folder and can be
reviewed, played, and deleted easily.
All other user-recorded material is stored on the SD card (up to 32GB)
in a separate folder. You can record using the built-in microphone.
For higher quality recordings, you can attach an external microphone
or cable directly to another output device (such as a CD player,
radio, or other source.) Recording quality from the internal
microphone is quite good and, if you use headphones, the PLEXTALK
voice can guide you through all monitoring without interfering with
the recording itself.
All recording done with the unit can be easily marked for navigation,
either during or after the recording process, by a simple press of a
few buttons.
Headings are inserted, allowing for delightfully swift and efficient
navigation of a lecture, presentation, or program recorded from
another audio source.
The Bottom Line
The PLEXTALK Pocket is a delightful digital player and recorder
designed specifically for people who are blind or have low vision.
Whether listening with headphones or via the built-in speaker, the
device produces excellent sound clarity. The PLEXTALK Pocket shines as
a personal DAISY recorder. It is an extremely stable device; in two
months of testing, I never once had to reset or troubleshoot
operation.
The learning curve for operating the PLEXTALK Pocket is a bit steeper
than for some other players on the access technology market, but
particularly for those who need to record lectures or other
information, the time spent learning is well worth the effort.
Product: PLEXTALK Pocket PTP1 DAISY Book Player and Digital Recorder
from Shinano Kenshi
Price: $275.00 (until May 31, 2012)
Available From:
Freedom Scientific
or
Plextalk
, (800) 444-4443
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- » Re: an idea for the pouches that come with the Plex Talk Pocket Units - Pam Bilton
