NLS is going to a digital talking book format, but they have essentially said it won't be a CD-ROM based system like the current players.  They are waiting for solid-state memory to come down in price, and at the NFB convention last week Curt Cylke said that the digital conversion would be done in 7 years.  They want something simple to operate, and memory has the advantage of no moving parts.

It is unrealistic to think that the federal government is going to buy millions of these machines.

We will get there, but probably not this way.

David Andrews

At 04:40 PM 7/13/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>Greetings:
>
>Here is how we can get the prices to come down on the RFB players.  If we can get the Feds involved somehow, they will put them out to bid.  If that happens, you will see bids, I'll bet around $350 to $400 per machine.  Maybe even more!  If you think of it, I believe there is about 20 million LD people in the US and about 12 to 13 Million blind and visually impaired people in the US.  The manufacturers are looking at about 35 million units times what they charge the Feds let's say $350 times 35 million units.  That is a lot of money for the manufacturers.  That does not include all of the agencies, libraries, and schools that would purchase the units.  The Feds could buy up a slug of them for the Talking Book program and give those or loan those out to the people who need them.  Just like what they are doing now with the Talking Book machines.  It is just a thought.  Maybe someone can improve on it and get it to the right people.
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