Does anyone else wish that this report was available in non-proprietary
technology? When offering something on the web, it is best to provide it in
html format in addition to MS Word.
I also read the Access World article in addition to this report. The big
difference between the two reports is that AFB/Access World used blind end
users of talking and accessible books to review the units while the library,
with thousands of blind patrons, apparently utilized no one with a visual
impairment to review, use, evaluate, or comment upon the units. The quality
and substance of the reports extends from this fact.
Kelly
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lori Bell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 8:57 PM
Subject: Report on current digital talking book players on the market
> TAP Information Services and Mid-Illinois Talking Book
> Center have completed a critical analysis and
> evaluation of portable audio devices intended
> primarily for use by the print-impaired to access and
> enjoy digital talking books.
>
> Five devices were examined and reviewed: The Victor
> Reader Classic Plus and the Victor Reader Vibe from
> Visuaide, the Scholar from Telex Communications, the
> BookCourier from Springer Design, and the Book Port
> from the American Printing House for the Blind.
>
> Among the five devices reviewed at least three
> lineages are discernable. The Victor Reader Vibe and
> the Telex Scholar are descendants of portable CD
> players that have been on the consumer market for
> years. Their hardware and software designs have been
> enhanced to make them more accessible by and useful to
> print-impaired users. The Book Port and BookCourier
> are siblings in the large, raucous family of digital
> playback devices that contain no moving parts and use
> flash memory. The Victor Classic Plus, on the other
> hand, seems to be designedly descended from the analog
> audiocassette playback device used by print-impaired
> users in the U.S. for decades.
>
> All five devices were fairly easy to install and begin
> using. Overall, the Book Port seemed to be a better
> device than the BookCourier, and the Victor Vibe
> seemed to be better than the Telex Scholar. Because
> of the various design lineages, however, it is very
> difficult to select a best device from the three
> finalists: Victor Classic Plus, Victor Vibe, and Book
> Port.
>
> Recommendations include: the need to intermingle the
> three design paradigms, perhaps incorporating more PDA
> functionality as well; the need to standardize the
> design of the keys a bit; and the need for greater
> accessibility to more file formats on a single device,
> including proprietary file formats.
>
> The complete text of the report is available on the
> MITBC website at
> http://www.mitbc.org/projecthalfinal.doc.
>
> The Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center (www.mitbc.org)
> is a sub-regional library serving the blind and
> physically challenged in central and northwest
> Illinois. A talking book center provides library
> services via toll-free telephone and U.S. mail. Books
> and magazines in Braille and audiocassette formats are
> available to readers enrolled in the program. MITBC
> is part of a statewide network administered by the
> Illinois State Library, a division of the Office of
> the Illinois Secretary of State. The statewide
> network is tied to a national network under the
> administration of the National Library Service for the
> Blind and Physically Handicapped, a division of the
> Library of Congress.
>
> TAP Information Services provides a wide variety of
> services supporting libraries, consortia, government
> agencies, museums, publishers, and other organizations
> in the information industry. Services include:
> support for projects, research reports, strategic
> planning, workshops, writing and editing, conference
> services, consortial negotiations and agreements, and
> speeches.
>
> For more information about this report, please contact
> either Tom Peters at [log in to unmask] or Lori
> Bell at [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
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>
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VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
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[log in to unmask] In the body of the message, simply type
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