Thanks for such a detailed description.
It's great!
Colle, N8TNV; 


----- Original Message -----
From: Russ Kiehne <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: 2009/03/24 13:43:09
Subject: Re: can't remember

>
>
> I found this from nls
> The two pictures of the player and cartridge on the cover of the Strategic 
> Business Plan 2006  were sent to members of the NLS National Advisory 
> Committee on Audio Equipment after its September meeting with encouragement 
> to disseminate them. As a result, William Graczyk of the Wisconsin regional 
> library and committee member posted a detailed
> description on a web site for blind readers, for the benefit of patrons who 
> can not
> see the photographic images. The following description updates his.
> The player pictured is the basic model. The player is about 6 by 9 by 2 
> inches, in
> comparison with the cassette book machine (CBM), WHICH IS 9 BY 11 BY 3 
> inches, or
> 108 cu. in. compared to 300 cu. in. Weight of the digital talking book 
> player is
> slightly over two pounds compared to the C-1's seven pounds. The body of the 
> player
> is dark charcoal grey to create maximum visual contrast between the 
> background of
> the case and the colors of the buttons.
> The Rewind, Play and Fast Forward controls are centered and are close to the 
> front
> edge of the player: The square green Play button controls stopping and 
> starting playback
> of the book. The white triangular Rewind and Fast Forward buttons to the 
> left and
> right of the Play button move through the book more quickly the more times 
> they are
> pressed. Each key press gives audible feedback about how far ahead or back 
> the user
> is moving. Just behind the navigation buttons are the Power, Sleep and 
> Volume buttons:
> The round red Power button turns the player on and off. It is close to the 
> left edge
> of the player. The white Sleep button, shaped like a crescent moon, will 
> turn the
> player off thirty minutes after it is pressed. It is centered, just behind 
> the Play
> button. The yellow Volume controls are shaped like arrowheads pointing up 
> and down.
> They are close to the right edge of the player. Just behind these controls 
> is a raised
> line running from one side of the player to the other. This line divides the 
> six
> most frequently used controls located towards the front of the player from 
> the Tone
> and Speed controls which are located behind the tactile raised line and on 
> either
> side of the round speaker.
> Both Tone and Speed are shaped like the Volume buttons, up and down 
> arrowheads, and
> are along its narrow axis. The Tone buttons are close to the left edge of 
> the player;
> the Speed button is close to the right edge. The Volume, Tone, and Speed 
> controls
> all announce each press of the button, e.g. "tone lower," "tone higher," 
> "tone middle,"
> with similar announcements for the other controls. The Speed control changes 
> the
> speech from 50% to 300% of normal, with no change in pitch.
> The white band along the front edge of the player is a pull-out handle, 
> similar to
> the one on the CBM. Above the handle is the opening for the digital talking 
> book
> cartridge. On the right side of the player are the headphone jack, with a 
> brightly-colored
> surround for easy location (color is yet to be determined). Next to the jack 
> is a
> USB PORT FOR REPAIR PERSONNEL TO USE FOR DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION.
> On the back side of the machine, as on the back of the CBM, IS A COMPARTMENT 
> for
> storing the power cord. On the bottom of the player are four rubber feet, 
> the door
> to the battery compartment, and two inset bars for attaching a carrying 
> strap. There
> is also plenty of room for identification labels.
> The advanced model, which is also at the nearly-final prototype stage, is 
> exactly
> the same size but has a second row of controls between the Power, Sleep and 
> Volume
> controls and the speaker. The advanced controls are for setting and 
> retrieving bookmarks
> and for navigating through the structured levels of a NISO BOOK.
> The cartridge shipping container is slightly longer and wider than a green 
> cassette
> box but only half the thickness. The color will not necessarily be blue, 
> despite
> the photo.
> The cartridge itself is the size of a cassette, but with a more complex 
> shape. The
> end of the cartridge with the round finger hole is slightly thicker than a 
> cassette,
> with square sides, but is also beveled, so that when that end of the 
> cartridge is
> pressed down on a flat surface in front of the player, the other end of the 
> cartridge,
> with the USB CONNECTOR, TILTS UP AND CAN SLIDE SMOOTHLY INTO THE PLAYER. The 
> end
> of the cartridge with the USB CONNECTOR IS ALSO BEVELED, BUT WITH THE BEVELS 
> slanting
> toward the center of the cartridge, so that there is only one way it will 
> fit into
> the player.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Lou Kolb" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 1:22 PM
> Subject: Re: can't remember
> 
> 
> > You can also play a book through the USB PORT.  At least, you could when I
> > used one for a couple of months a year and a half ago.  Lou
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Russ Kiehne" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 9:46 AM
> > Subject: Re: can't remember
> >
> >
> >ar It's my understanding the USB PORT IS FOR REPAIR PERSONNEL TO USE FOR
> >ar diagnostic information.
> >ar You download the book from nls, connect the cartridge to your computer 
> >ar and
> >ar transfer the book to it.
> >ar ----- Original Message ----- 
> >ar From: "Lou Kolb" <[log in to unmask]>
> >ar To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >ar Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 1:52 PM
> >ar Subject: Re: can't remember
> >ar
> >ar
> >>> They will have a USB PORT INTO WHICH YOU CAN PLUG A THUMB DRIVE AND 
> >>> there
> >>> will be third-party cartridges available on to which you can load a book
> >>> but
> >>> the players will only handle one book at a time.  Lou
> >