[Dtb-talk] NLS Digital Players

Mon Feb 15 21:00:41 UTC 2010

Hello!

So are you folks in Australia using the cartridges as well?

I use a Victor Stream and the NLS Player and I'm very happy with both!  The 
player will last over 29 hours on a charge according to the information key 
where the stream lasts 15 hours on a good battery.  I think the battery in 
my stream could be going down now but I'll use it till I only get minutes on 
a charge.  I also like the tone quality of the player.

Jim Aldrich

  the
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Greg Kearney" <gkearney at gmail.com>
To: "Discussion of Digital Talking Books" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 12:44 AM
Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] NLS Digital Players

> But we should remember who we are serving. OVer 80% of our clients here, 
> and we are typical, are over the age of 70 many have lost their sight in 
> the recent past and do not have either access to or even the means to 
> obtain extensive rehabilitation. They will never be downloading books form 
> the internet. They can not even handle SD cards well.
>
> We use VictorReader Streams (Library Editions) here for some of our 
> clients but other require a robust simple and loud player with simple 
> controls.
>
> While I have been known to be critical of some of the decisions the NLS 
> made on the matter of the form factor of the drives and player I think 
> they were right on the mark. We have been very happy with that aspect of 
> the program that we adopted here.
>
> Gregory Kearney
> Manager - Accessible Media
> Association for the Blind of Western Australia
> 61 Kitchener Avenue, PO Box 101
> Victoria Park 6979, WA Australia
>
> Telephone: +61 (08) 9311 8202
> Telephone: +1 (307) 224-4022 (North America)
> Fax: +61 (08) 9361 8696
> Toll free: 1800 658 388 (Australia only)
> Email: gkearney at gmail.com
>
> On 15/02/2010, at 3:21 PM, Rakesh Chand wrote:
>
>> I suppose, with all the new technology people are generally looking for 
>> smaller compact gadgets so, we from the blindness community need to 
>> perhaps, catch-up. Let's forget about cassettes let's put our focus on 
>> MP-4 or MP-3 players USB-drives etc etc.
>>
>>
>> I personally can have a desk-top at home & I don't have one, because, I 
>> like to have something that is more mobile & more accessible. I'm really 
>> fancying to have a V-stream as currently, I've a Note-book but, my wife 
>> keeps reminding me how bulky the old V-stream looked like...
>>
>>
>> So all in all, we blind folks need to be in the community rather than 
>> shying away... People who have vision fancy small compact stuff!
>>
>>
>> But hey yes, Valerie has a point to be noted. Trust you all had a 
>> beautiful day!
>>
>>
>> Have a great evening!
>>
>>
>> Rakesh
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Valerie Lewis" 
>> <vlewis at suffolk.lib.ny.us>
>> To: "Discussion of Digital Talking Books" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>; "Tim 
>> Gillett" <tim.gillett at optusnet.com.au>
>> Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 6:28 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] NLS Digital Players
>>
>>
>>> Aditionally, the National Library Service program is designed for people
>>> with physical disabilities who cannot hold a book or turn pages. The
>>> cartridges can be used more easily than the microscopic electronics that
>>> are commercially available. People with dexterity problems can
>>> grab/grasp/hold the NLS cartridges and can use the larger buttons on the
>>> NLS DTB machine.
>>>
>>> Valerie
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mon, Feb 15, 2010, Tim Gillett <tim.gillett at optusnet.com.au> said:
>>>
>>>> David wrote:
>>>>
>>>> "NLS does not provide blank cartridges or thumb drives.
>>>> They are in the business of providing books preloaded on cartridges
>>>> - in the way that they have provided cassettes."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Yes it's easy to forget the whole purpose of the NLS larger cartridge 
>>>> housing
>>>> is to make it easy for the Print handicapped to read books.
>>>>
>>>> One of the downsides of the miniaturisation of electronics has been its 
>>>> effect on the blind.
>>>>
>>>> The compact cassette was still reasonably large enough for easy use by 
>>>> the blind.  Whereas
>>>> on the modern flash card there is usually not enough room  for adequate 
>>>> braille or printed labelling
>>>> for example, let alone reliably inserting such small media into a 
>>>> player.
>>>> And what if the blind person drops a tiny memory card? How do they find 
>>>> it again?
>>>>
>>>> Similarly players with tiny control buttons and tiny screens  make them 
>>>> almost impossible to use,
>>>> especially for the elderly blind.
>>>>
>>>> I came across this many times with the blind here in WA when cassettes 
>>>> were the current format
>>>> and here in WA. but clients had to find their own cassette player.
>>>> The old "shoebox" cassette player with its large piano key operation 
>>>> was fairly easy for most blind to use.
>>>> But once it started to disappear from the market and was replaced by 
>>>> smaller, more fiddly Walkmans
>>>> the blind struggled to use these players.
>>>>
>>>> I'm pleased to see the designers of the NLS player specified a largish 
>>>> cartridge
>>>> even though it only contains a small memory stick inside. This is 
>>>> practical for the blind,
>>>> however antiquated and "uncool" it might appear by sighted people's 
>>>> standards.
>>>>
>>>> Similarly it's pleasing in the NLS DTB to see other features carried 
>>>> over from the old TBC1 players
>>>> such as internal speaker, rechargeable battery, variable speed control, 
>>>> automatic power down etc.
>>>>
>>>> It's important we stay real and remember  the many blind people in 
>>>> their homes who have to use these devices.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Tim Gillett
>>>> Audio/Electronics Technician
>>>> Perth, Western Australia
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
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