[Electronics-talk] Digital Talking Book Players

[Kevin Lowe]

This question really depends on how complex you want to get.  The Victor
Stream is great for what it does.  It is a simpler interface than a Book
Sense.  The menus are straight forward and one can learn it within a couple
of hours.  The buttons are widely spaced and put on a larger machine for
easier use.  The Stream will fit in your pocket, but not very easily.  It is
best for fitting on a belt.  The Stream only comes in one version.  It has
no onboard memory.  The battery life is about 15 hours, but it can only be
charged using AC power.  

The Book Sense is a much more robust player.  It uses dialog boxes and
submenus that the Stream does not use.  There are several advantages.  The
Book Sense is about the size of a cell phone.  It can play all the media
formats of the Stream, but reads many more formats for electronic text.  The
Stream only basically reads .txt files and html.  The Book Sense will read
word 2003 and 2007, along with other formats.  For example, I took the
user's manual for the Book Sense in Word 2003 format and simply dropped it
on the Book Sense.  I would have had to convert it to a text file to read it
on the Stream.  It does not have onboard memory, but as with the Stream
memory is through an SD card.  It can be charged either through AC power or
through a USB port on your computer.  

The Book Sense has a basic version for about #350.  The ab out $450 version
(XT).  This version has an FM radio and Bluetooth capabilities, plus 4GB of
onboard memory.  Both versions also work iwht Itunes, supposedly. 

They are both good pieces of equipment, but it depends on what you want.  If
you are a technical person a Book Sense may be good.  If technology isn't
your favorite thing, then the Stream is probably best.  Both machines are
perfectly adequate for reading audiobooks and listening to msuci.  The
Stream does have lesser quality for it's onboard speaker than the Book
Sense, but both are excellent for listening with headphones.  

I hope this helped.  Let's see what others have to say.  

Kevin
SAAVI

-----Original Message-----
From: electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of dennis
Sent: Friday, October 16, 2009 8:47 AM
To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Digital Talking Book Players

the book sense charges to allow you to use  blue tooth head phones the 
victor stream does not
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Darrin Porter" <Darrin.Porter at united-mar.com>
To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, October 16, 2009 10:46 AM
Subject: [Electronics-talk] Digital Talking Book Players


> In fear of starting a heated debate, I would like to ask which of the five

> or six machines that will play the new NLS digital talking books the group

> thinks is the best.
>
> I am in the market for one and can't really decide which one to get.  The 
> one I've heard the most about is, of course, the Victor Reader Stream and,

> several months ago, would have probably bought it without question.  But 
> recently, I listened to an accessable devices podcast that, at least to 
> me, suggested that the Book Senth was probably the best deal.
>
> So, experiences?  Suggestions?
>
> I would like to use it both with and without earphones and will probably 
> play music, podcasts and other audio as well as the NLS books.  Not much 
> interested in Audible.com books, but may use the text-to-speach feature to

> read E-books.
>
> Darrin
>
>
> Darrin Porter
> Senior Technical Engineer
>
>
> United Ocean Services, L.L.C.
> 601 South Harbour Island Boulevard, Suite 230
> Tampa, Florida  33602
> (813) 209-4247 (office)
> (813) 744-0011 (cellular phone)
> (813) 242-4849 (fax)
> DARRIN.PORTER at UNITED-MAR.COMM<mailto:DARRIN.PORTER at UNITED-MAR.COMM>
>
>
>
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