Project HAL (Handheld Accessible Libraries)

Final Report (Expanded and Revised)

March 24, 2004

Prepared for the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center

by

Thomas A. Peters of TAP Information Services

Contact and Background Information

Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center

Lori Bell, Director
600 High Point Lane, Suite 2

East Peoria, IL 61611

Phone 309-694-9200

Toll Free 1-800-426-0709

Email lbell@alliancelibrarysystem.com

Website: www.mitbc.org

The Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center (MITBC) is a sub-regional library serving print-impaired readers in central and northwest Illinois. A talking book center currently 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 also is experimenting with various digital talking book systems, and looks forward to the 2008 launch of the NLS (National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, a division of the Library of Congress) digital talking book 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 NLS. MITBC is administered locally by the Alliance Library System, a regional, multi-type consortium of libraries.

TAP Information Services

Tom Peters, Founder

1000 SW 23^rd Street

Blue Springs, MO 64015

Phone: 816-228-6406

Email: tapinformation@yahoo.com
Website: www.tapinformation.com

Founded in 2003, TAP Information Services provides a wide variety of services supporting libraries, consortia, government agencies, publishers, and other information and service organizations. Services available through TAP Information Services include: support for projects, research reports, strategic planning, workshops, writing, editing, conference services, virtual online reference services, consortial negotiations and agreements, and speeches. Peters is one of three co-authors of the book, E-Book Functionality: What Libraries and Their Patrons Want and Expect from Electronic Books, published in 2003 by LITA (Library Information Technology Association, a Division of the American Library Association).

Summary

This is a revised and expanded version of the Project HAL (Handheld, Accessible Libraries) report, first released in January 2004. Major additions to this version include reviews of two additional devices (Plextalk PTR1 from Plextor, and Soul DMP-206b from Soulmate Audiobooks) and the inclusion of feedback and suggestions from actual users of some of the seven devices reviewed. Within the body of the report the phrase “Feedback from Actual User” has been used (and highlighted in gray for sighted readers) to help readers quickly find those comments.

Project HAL is a review of portable playback devices for digital talking books and other types of digital audio content. These devices are being used by print-impaired individuals, including the blind, visually impaired, physically challenged, and dyslexic. The project was conceived, funded, and supported by the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center (http://www.mitbc.org). Tom Peters from TAP Information Services (tapinformation@yahoo.com) conducted the review. Peters is a sighted individual with years of experience with ebooks.

Seven devices were examined and reviewed:

1. Plextalk PTR1 from Plextor

2. Victor Reader Classic Plus from Visuaide

3. Victor Reader Vibe from Visuaide

4. Scholar from Telex Communications

5. BookCourier from Springer Design

6. Book Port from the American Printing House for the Blind

7. Soul Player from Soulmate Audiobooks

Among the seven devices reviewed at least three lineages are discernable.

1. Portable CD Players: The Victor Reader Vibe, Telex Scholar, and Soul Player 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. They also play more file types than a typical CD player.

2. Flash Memory Devices: 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.

3. Descendents of the Analog Audiocassette Player/Recorder: The Victor Classic Plus and the Plextalk PTR1, on the other hand, seem to be descended from analog audiocassette recorder and playback devices.

After looking at all of the factors and functionalities outlined in the report, the reviewer tried to step back and make an overall comparison of the seven devices.  All seven devices worked well and would be worthy of purchase and intensive use. They were fairly easy to begin using—at least for a sighted user. Overall, the Book Port seemed to be a better device than the BookCourier, the Victor Vibe seemed a little better overall than the Telex Scholar and the Soul Player, and the PTR1 seemed better in its class, compared to the Victor Classic Plus. Because the PTR1 is so much more expensive than the Victor Classic Plus, making a comparison in this design category may be unfair.

Because of the various design lineages, however, it is very difficult to select a best device from the three “finalists”: PTR1, Victor Reader Vibe, and Book Port. The Book Port supports the most types of files, and the text-to-speech functionalities probably will become more useful over the next few years. The Vibe is lightweight and sleek and handles well the currently dominant CD storage medium. The PTR1 is as much a recording device as a playback device, and its audio support for system functions and invoked commands was excellent. This reviewer found himself wishing for a hybrid device that took the best features of the three lineages, plus an increased set of features and functionalities commonly found in PDAs and cell phones.

The learning curve for this set of devices appears to be initially rather steep with a long curve. In other words, it will take several hours or days of intensive use to feel completely comfortable using any of these seven devices. This should not present a problem to most real users because, once he or she makes a choice among these and other devices on the market, in all likelihood the device will be used intensively. Nearly all of the functionalities worked as intended. A few, such as fast forward and reverse, obviously need additional design work.

The radical differences in design—ranging from the basic lineage to the shape and arrangement of the keys—are both an asset and a liability. The makers of these devices are to be applauded because they represent a healthy, competitive marketplace. However, for end-users who will interact on a regular basis with more than one portable assistive technology, a standard scheme for buttons would be advantageous, reducing the cognitive load of needing to remember and reorient one’s self to each separate button configuration and tactility, regardless of how ingenious each one happens to be. Although we seem to be living in an era of pluralistic designs for consumer electronic devices--an era in which no single device dominates--there may still be some value in advocating some convergence in these designs.

The collocation onto one portable device of various functionalities and access to a myriad of file types and information sources should be a boon to many print-impaired persons. The impact of DAISY-tagged files on the overall digital talking book market remains to be seen. Also, at least one of these devices—the BookCourier—plans soon to add content from Audible.com to its stable of supported file formats. Regardless of one’s opinion about proprietary file formats, for better or worse they are part of the overall landscape, and supporting the more popular proprietary file types does increase the reach of these devices. As these devices support more file types, we may see an impressive convergence of content onto a single user’s device of choice. There is no theoretical reason why content from NLS could not be incorporated on these devices, too. Simply being able to listen to work/study-related information, leisure reading, and music on one portable device more closely matches the daily information use habits of most people than did previous technologies for the print-impaired.

Introduction

This is a revised and expanded version of the Project HAL (Handheld, Accessible Libraries) report, first released in January 2004. Major additions to this version include reviews of two additional devices (Plextalk PTR1 from Plextor, and Soul DMP-206b from Soulmate Audiobooks) and the inclusion of feedback and suggestions from actual users of some of the seven devices reviewed. Within the body of the report the phrase “Feedback from Actual User” has been used (and highlighted in gray for sighted readers) to help readers quickly find those comments.

Project HAL (Handheld, Accessible Libraries) is a review of portable playback devices for digital talking books and other types of digital audio content that are being used by print-impaired individuals, including the blind, visually impaired, physically challenged, and dyslexic.

The Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center (MITBC) funded this study. MITBC, with offices in East Peoria and Quincy, provides library services for anyone unable to read regular print because of a visual or physical disability. MITBC is an innovative sub-regional library serving print-impaired patrons in central and northwest Illinois. MITBC is part of a statewide network administered by the Illinois State Library, a division of the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State, and a national network under the administration of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a division of the Library of Congress. MITBC is locally administered by the Alliance Library System (http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/), a partnership of nearly 300 academic, public, school district, and special/corporate library members, working together to strengthen resource sharing and library development, and to provide continuing education and training.

Tom Peters from TAP Information Services (www.tapinformation.com) conducted the review. Peters is a sighted person with astigmatism who wears bifocal glasses. TAP Information Services provides a wide variety of services supporting libraries, consortia, government agencies, 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 keynote speeches. Peters is one of the co-authors of the book, E-Book Functionality: What Libraries and Their Patrons Want and Expect from Electronic Books (Chicago: LITA, a Division of the American Library Association, 2003).

The following report begins by briefly describing the seven devices reviewed. The next section presents some overall impressions of the devices as a group and individually. The remainder of the report provides details about the hardware, software, and functionality of these devices, beginning with the devices as objects—their physical features, such as dimensions, weight, buttons, ports, and power sources. Then the report looks at the file formats supported by the various devices. The largest section of the reports contains a list of the primary functions and how they work on the devices. Some final thoughts and the appendices conclude the report.

Please note: This is not an exhaustive report, in the sense that all functionalities of each device are fully explained and explored. The absence of mention of a device in a section should not lead the reader to conclude that that functionality is not supported by that device. This report is not intended to serve as a substitute for the documentation available for each device.

Devices Reviewed

Seven portable devices were physically examined, used, and reviewed. The reviewer thanks VisuAide for providing a review copy of the Victor Reader Classic Plus, Plextor for providing a review copy of the PTR1, Soulmate Audiobooks for providing a review copy of the Soul Player, and the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center for purchasing and loaning the four other devices reviewed.

Victor Reader Classic Plus[1] from VisuAide

Model number 103VRC was reviewed.

The manufacturer’s list price in the U.S. is $375.

The warranty for the Classic Plus lasts one year and covers all operational defects. The warranty covers both parts and labor. If the unit needs to be returned for repair or replacement, it must be accompanied by a copy of the original bill of purchase.

VisuAide
841, Blvd. Jean-Paul Vincent,
Longueuil, Quebec,
Canada J4G 1R3

Tel: (450) 463-1717
Toll free: 1-888-723-7273 (Canada and the U.S.)
Fax: (450) 463-0120
Website: http://www.visuaide.com/
E-mail: info@visuaide.com

Victor Reader Vibe from VisuAide

Model number DMP206A was reviewed.

The manufacturer’s list price in the U.S. is $219.

VisuAide
841, Blvd. Jean-Paul Vincent,
Longueuil, Quebec,
Canada J4G 1R3

Tel: (450) 463-1717
Toll free: 1-888-723-7273 (Canada and the U.S.)
Fax: (450) 463-0120
Website: http://www.visuaide.com/
E-mail: info@visuaide.com

Telex Scholar from Telex Communications

Catalog number 301267 was reviewed.

The suggested retail price in the U.S. is $249.

Telex Communications, Inc.

12000 Portland Avenue South

Burnsville, MN 55337

Phone: 800-828-6107 ext. 7498

Fax: 952-887-5595

Website: www.telex.com

Email: duplication@telex.com

BookCourier from Springer Design

Item number 757836 was reviewed.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price in the U.S. is $379. As of January 2004 Springer Design was offering $40 discounts for BookShare.org subscribers and Kurzweil 1000 users.

According to the warranty notice at the end of the user’s guide, “SPRINGER DESIGN, INC. ("Springer Design, Inc.") warrants this product against defects in material and workmanship for a period of NINETY (90) DAYS from the date of original retail purchase by the original consumer purchaser.”

Springer Design, Inc.

375 Diablo Road, Suite 105

Danville, CA 94526

Phone: 925-838-1885

Website: http://www.springer-design.com/BookCourier.htm

Email: sales@springer-design.com

Book Port from the American Printing House for the Blind

A copy of the device with the catalog number 1-07440-00 was reviewed.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $395.

The user’s manual (covering both the device and the file transfer software) is available in a variety of formats and media. An online HTML version is at http://www.aph.org/tech/bp_doc.htm.

The American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
1839 Frankfort Avenue
P.O. Box 6085
Louisville, Kentucky 40206-0085

Phone: 502-895-2405
Toll-Free: 800-223-1839 (U.S. and Canada)
Email: info@aph.org

Website: www.aph.org

Plextalk Portable Recorder PTR1

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price in the U.S. is $995.

A one-year warranty on any defects in materials or workmanship is made on the PTR1.

Plextor Corp.
48383 Fremont Blvd, Suite 120
Fremont, CA 94538

Phone: 510-440-2000
Fax: 510-651-9755

Email: info@plextalk.org

Web: http://www.plextalk.com/plextalk_portable.html

Soul Player DMP-206b from Soulmate Audiobooks

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price in the U.S. is $149.99.

According the printed Operating Instructions, “The manufacturer warrants the Soul DMP-206b and all related accessories to be free from manufacturing defects, including original parts and workmanship, for a period of one year from the original date of purchase.”

Soulmate Audiobooks, Inc.
18633 Cambridge
Spring Lake, MI 49456

616-846-7836
800-854-8209

http://www.soulmateaudio.com/

Overall Impressions

General Impressions

All seven devices performed admirably. No one device appeared to be clearly, substantially superior to the other six along such lines as design, functionality, and value. Overall the initial set-up of each device was relatively easy—at least for a fully sighted person. To improve the initial setup by blind and visually impaired individuals, the manufacturers should think step-by-step how a print-impaired person would proceed from opening the shipping box to successfully initializing the device. Documentation and users guides generally were well-designed and easily accessible in a variety of formats.

Of the seven devices reviewed, at least three lineages are discernable. The Victor Reader Vibe, Telex Scholar, and Soul Player 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. Although the Otis playback device currently used for Audible.com content has not yet met DAISY, Otis is another sibling to note in this family. The Victor Classic Plus and the PTR1, on the other hand, seem to be descended from the analog audiocassette playback and recording devices. Both devices are larger than the other five devices, sporting large buttons, with the really important ones in bright colors; and built-in speakers, thus making headphones or ear buds optional, not mandatory; and a very easy method, compared to the clamshell devices, for inserting and ejecting CDs.

These devices display great ingenuity in the use of position, arrangement, differing materials, differing shapes, and protruding or recessed numbers, letters, or symbols on the buttons to aid navigation by the blind and visually impaired. One would think, however, that a standard (official or de facto) practice in this area would emerge fairly quickly. For end-users who will interact on a regular basis with more than one portable assistive technology, a standard scheme for buttons would be a boon, reducing the cognitive overload of needing to remember and reorient one’s self to each separate button configuration and tactility, regardless of how ingenious each one happens to be.

The text-to-speech (TTS) functionalities of the Book Port and BookCourier are attractive. Although TTS currently is experiencing development pangs, the long-term prospects for the quality, versatility, and usefulness of TTS playback are encouraging. A glimpse of these advantages is provided with these two devices. For example, it is possible to have a word spelled. A logical next step would be to include a good dictionary on the device, thus enabling the user to quickly access the meaning(s) of an unfamiliar word or a word used in an unusual context.

One potential downside to the flash memory devices is that they rely more on file management and file transfer software loaded on the “mother ship” PC. The added hassle and cognitive load of learning both the device functionality and the transfer software commands on a PC may dissuade or discourage some users of these devices.

Victor Classic Plus

Although by the general expectations of today’s end-users both the size and the weight of the Victor Reader Classic Plus are near the upper limits of acceptable portability, the simplicity, ruggedness, and self-contained nature of the Classic Plus are very attractive. The buttons are large, well-spaced, and well-differentiated by shape, color, and embossed icons. The separate, single-function keys for raising and lowering the tone, volume, and speed of playback are much appreciated.

PTR1 from Plextor

The PTR1 is far more expensive than the other six devices reviewed in this report. As expected, it contains a wealth of functionality. The PTR1 is as much a recording device as a playback device. Each individual must decide if the additional functionality is worth the added cost. One downside: the English language version of the printed user’s guide appears to be a poor, garbled translation from another language.

Feedback from Actual User: The relationship between features and price for the PTR1 is not very attractive. The PTR1’s recording features are excellent, but as a playback device it is not exceptionally good. One needed improvement is to increase the speed with which the PTR1 recognizes a new CD or memory card and navigates through the content.

Victor Reader Vibe

The Victor Reader Vibe is sleek, attractive, lightweight playback device. It offers much value for the price. The three clamshell CD player devices—Vibe, Scholar, and Soul—seem to be in the most competitive category.

Scholar from Telex

The Scholar is a little larger and less sleek than the Victor Vibe, but it works well.

Soul Player DMP-206b from Soulmate Audiobooks

At $150, the Soul Player from Soulmate certainly is attractively priced, but don’t assume this is some stripped down, denuded device. The Soul Player contains a rich set of functions, including some functions not found on the other devices reviewed in this report. Like the Vibe and Scholar, the Soul Player is a clamshell type portable CD player. A couple of downsides: It cannot play DAISY books, and it provides few audible clues about what it is doing.

Book Port from APH

The Book Port seems to be the most flexible and full-featured device of the seven reviewed here. At present it seems to support the greatest variety of file types, but this could change soon. The documentation for the Book Port declares that it was designed specifically for blind students and professionals.

Feedback from Actual User: The tradeoff between price and functionality for the Book Port is attractive. One possible improvement would be to increase and improve the functional options for inputting find commands and notes.

BookCourier from Springer Design

The BookCourier is one of the smaller and lighter devices reviewed. The use of flash memory and the absence of moving parts make for a quiet device that turns on and off immediately. Although the keypads of the Book Port and BookCourier are designed differently, the basic size and design of the device are suspiciously similar, as if they are just two different brands of the same basic automobile. Feedback from Actual User: Although the hardware of the two devices is the same, the software designs are different.

The thorough user guides for both the device and the transfer tool software that resides on the user’s PC are very well-organized and useful. The fast forward and rewind functionalities of the BookCourier seemed more usable than similar features on the other devices reviewed. The one time this reviewer was able to cause the device to malfunction (something about a memory overload), the audio voice went on an incessant tirade that continued until the device was reset.

Recommendations

No Clear Best Product

It is impossible to recommend one device over the other six. The decision depends on what the end-user wants, needs, and can afford. If the end-user does not like using ear buds or headphones, the Victor Reader Classic Plus seems like a good choice, although several other models reviewed can be hooked up to external speakers. If you want or need to navigate and search through e-texts and digital audio files, the Book Port seems to have a rich set of supporting functionalities.

When the apparently reasonable question is asked, “Of these seven devices, which is the best?” the three different lines of designs and development become a challenge. Although overall the Victor Reader Vibe appears to be a better CD player than the Telex Scholar and the Soul Player, and although the Book Port seems to be a better and more versatile flash memory audio device than the BookCourier, and although the PTR1 is a top of the line device compared to the more reasonably priced Victor Classic Plus, it is nearly impossible to meaningfully judge between the three finalists out of the pack of seven: PTR1, Victor Vibe, and Book Port. It is more difficult than the judgment of Paris, because the devices are so dissimilar.

Intermingle the Design Paradigms

All of the devices reviewed are good playback devices. Each device seems to spring from a different line of technological development. Two are portable cassette players updated for CDs. Several are portable CD players that have been DAISYfied and made more accessible. A couple devices are flash memory devices that have been customized for audio playback and TTS. At least one focuses on recording audio as much as ion playing the audio back. Several have included a smattering of functionality from PDAs.

It is unfortunate that the three basic designs have not intermingled more. A hybrid device that incorporates the best features and functionality of the cassette player redux, the CD player for the print-impaired, and the flash memory audio player would be welcome and useful to print-impaired users. Additional functionality commonly found on PDAs and increasingly on cell phones also could be useful. Several of the devices reviewed allow users to take audio notes and hear the current date and time, but many of the features and functionalities of current PDAs are missing from these devices.

Although we seem to be living in an era of pluralistic designs for consumer electronics, an era in which no single device dominates in the way that the black, rotary telephone once did, there may still be value in advocating some convergence in these designs. In the U.S. the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) currently plans to roll out later this decade two device designs for digital audio books. One will be simple in design, intended for readers who primarily read linearly for pleasure. The other will be more complex, designed for readers who want to navigate through content in flexible ways for study and learning. Quoting from the NLS Business Plan, “NLS expects to have 50,000 digital playback machines available for distribution by FY 2008. The plan is to have two types of machines, the predominant type intended for straight "linear" reading and the other with more-complex features.”

Single Device Access to Multiple File Types is Good

The collocation onto one portable device of various functionalities and access to a myriad of file types and information sources should be a boon to many print-impaired persons. Simply being able to listen to work/study-related information, leisure reading, and music on one portable device more closely matches the daily information use habits of most people than did previous technologies for the print-impaired.

We should not overlook or underestimate the obvious fact that these devices also are capable of playing music as well as voice audio recordings. This multi-aural functionality should be welcome to many end-users.

It is regrettable, however, that two of the currently more popular file formats for digital documents and digital audio recordings—the file formats used by Adobe and Audible.com—evidently cannot be played by any of these devices. Regardless of who is at fault, the end-users confront either a diminished universe of available content or a more arduous route for accessing this content. It appears that this situation is about to change for the better, as Audible.com continues to expand the number of devices capable of playing its content.

Standardize the Key Design a Bit

De facto standards for the design of the keys and the underlying functionalities would be welcome. Most of the devices reviewed seemed to vaguely follow the basic layout of the numeric keypad on a telephone. The Telex Scholar, Victor Vibe, and Soul Player, however, took a clue from the circularity of the CD disc and configured their buttons in a circular pattern. The size of the buttons, their tactile nature (especially in comparison to the background surface), their concavity, convexity, raised and indented symbols, colors, and visible markings all vary widely from device to device. This reviewer sees no reason why, similar to how all windows-based applications tend to follow the same basic interface model, with variations on that basic theme, the design of keys for portable digital devices for the print-impaired could not adopt a basic theme and set of best practices, with variations on that basic theme. This would shorten the learning curve for everyone.

Encourage Formal Reviews From Actual Users Who Are Print-Impaired

Two limitations of the present review are: the reviewer was sighted, and the reviewer was using the devices only for the purposes of evaluation. We need to hear from actual, daily users of these devices.

A small, informal attempt to glean comments and suggestions from actual users of these devices was made. In March 2004 a six question survey was sent to several email lists and discussion groups. Three responses were received. These comments and suggestions from actual users of these devices have been made anonymous and inserted at appropriate places within the report. For sighted readers of this report, the phrase Feedback from Actual User has been highlighted in gray to draw your attention. For readers who have the ability to search for keywords in their browser and/or screen reader software, the word feedback is used only in this context.

The six questions posed in the emailed survey were:

1. What is the primary quality, function, or feature of one or more of these seven devices that you would like to see added or improved?

2. What is the most disappointing or annoying quality, function, or feature of one or more of these seven devices?

3. How important for you is non-linear navigation through a book? For example, do you review the table of contents then jump to the chapter or section of particular interest? Describe situations and types of books where non-linear navigation is particularly helpful for you.

4. Do you prefer to have the device provide an audible clue to each function it is performing? If yes, would you like the device to pause and have a voice announce what function is being performed, use a set of distinctive tones to announce what function is being performed, or not pause playback and have a voice or sound quickly announce what is happening?

5. What do you particularly like or dislike about the design of the buttons or keys on one or more of these seven devices? Aspects of key design include such things as the size, shape, tactile feel, arrangement, spacing, concavity or convexity, multi-function keys, and tangible marks on or near the keys, such as bumps, letters, and numbers.

6. How important is price in your decision to purchase one device rather than another?

The Devices as Objects

Weight

Total weight of base unit, batteries, cords, and ear buds or headphones (as applicable)

When known, an approximate total weight of the types of things normally required for complete portability is listed for each device.

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The approximate total weight of the device with batteries and a CD inserted is 2.625 lbs. If the AC/DC adapter is added to the mix, the total weight becomes 3.03 lbs.

Victor Reader Vibe

The approximate total weight of the Victor Vibe with a CD and ear buds is 12.75 ounces. If the carrying case and adapter are added to the mix, the total weight becomes 1.33 lbs.

Telex Scholar

The approximate total weight of the Telex Scholar with a CD and headphones is 1.19 lbs. If the AC/DC adapter is thrown into the mix, the total weight becomes 1.75 lbs.

Book Port

The approximate total weight of the Book Port with ear buds is 7 ounces (.44 lbs).

BookCourier

The approximate total weight of the BookCourier with ear buds is 7.25 ounces (.45 lbs).

PlexTalk PTR1

According to the manufacturer, the PTR1 unit alone weighs 860 grams (1.89 pounds).

Soul Player

According to the manufacturer, the Soul Player (with batteries) weighs 310 grams (10.85 ounces).

Size (Dimensions)

Victor Reader Classic Plus

According to the manufacturer, the Classic Plus unit is 23.7 cm (9.3 inches) by 20.9 cm (8.2 inches) by 5.4 cm (2.1 inches). A non-protruding, built-in carrying handle occupies the lower left side of the device. The device is higher and heavier at the top. When the device is placed on a flat surface, it leans slightly toward the user.

Victor Reader Vibe

According to the manufacturer, the Vibe unit is 148 mm (5.827 inches) high, 138 mm (5.433 inches) wide, and 29 mm (1.142 inches) deep.

PlexTalk PTR1

According to the manufacturer, the PTR1 unit is 180 mm high, 150 mm wide, and 38 mm deep.

Soul Player

According to the manufacturer, the Soul Player is 147 mm high, 130 mm wide, and 30 mm deep.

Memory

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus is limited to the amount of information that can be placed on one CD.

Victor Reader Vibe

The memory is limited by the amount of information that can be contained on the compact disc being played. The Vibe has no other memory devices or slots.

Telex Scholar

The memory is limited by the amount of information that can be contained on the compact disc being played.

Book Port from APH

The Book Port device comes with a 64 MB CompactFlash card. More than one CompactFlash card can be carried with the device, creating the possibility for a large, highly portable library of audio and TTS content.

BookCourier

The BookCourier unit comes with a 128MB CompactFlash card. According to the documentation, a memory card up to 1 GB in size could be used. Caution: Data on a card may become corrupt if the user removes the card while the unit is on or connected to a PC.

PlexTalk PTR1

According to the user’s manual, when using a PC memory card to back up a recorded CD, the maximum backup capacity is 700 MB of data. The PTR1’s internal memory is capable of retaining information about CDs and bookmarks. It has a capacity for up to 1,000 DAISY disc titles. Up to 30 minutes of voice bookmarks and memos can be retained in memory.

Soul Player

The Soul Player must have at least a little internal memory, because it can remember where it left off playing a disc, but in general the memory limitations of this device closely parallel how much information can be fit on a compact disc.

Accessories and Documentation Shipped with the Device

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The unit that shipped in November 2003 came with a CD containing a getting started overview and a user’s guide (the equivalent of 14 printed pages), a printed two-page quick reference guide, a four-page printed set of safety instructions, an AC/DC adapter, and a printed warranty card.

Victor Reader Vibe

The unit that shipped in September 2003 came with ear buds, two rechargeable batteries, an AC/DC adapter and cord, a synthetic, padded carrying case for the base unit (with a loop presumably for passing through a belt), a printed one-page quick reference guide, and a CD containing instructions for getting started and the user’s guide. If printed, the user’s guide would be approximately 10 pages long. The CD is DAISY-enabled.

Scholar from Telex

The unit that shipped in October 2003 included a set of headphones, an AC/DC adapter, a CD containing instructions in DAISY format, and a printed brochure including a two-page instruction manual and a one-page legal notice regarding software built into the product.

BookCourier from Springer Design

The unit that shipped in October 2003 came with ear buds, two disposable AA batteries, a SanDisk CompactFlash card, a quick start audio cassette, a setup CD, a USB cable, an advertisement from Bookshare.org, and a sheet listing the contents and the system requirements. Note: The user guide is available as an HTML file at http://www.springer-design.com/BookCourierUserGuide.htm.

Book Port from APH

The unit that shipped in November 2003 came with a USB connector, a 64 MB SanDisk compact flash memory card, two AA disposable batteries, a CD in a jewel case containing the PC software and digital content, ear buds, an audiocassette (1 7/8 inches per second speed) containing the user’s manual, and a one-page printed set of instructions on how to install the software. The device itself contains a built-in belt clip, and the manual is preloaded on the device itself. Note that the manual contains some subtle advertisements for other hardware, software, and content, and it does express some preferences. For example, it extols the advantages of e-texts over digital audio recordings. Note: The user’s guide is available as an HTML file at http://www.aph.org/tech/bp_doc.htm.

PTR1

The unit that shipped in February 2004 came with a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery, an AC adapter, a cloth carrying case and strap, a 200 page printed manual, four printed pages of corrections and additions to the manual, a CD (containing the user's manual, the USB driver for Windows 98SE, and the Plextalk Recording Software), a blank 650 MB CD-RW, a cloth for cleaning the screen of the device, color-coded stick-on key buttons, an EU Declaration of Conformity, a USB cable, and an audio cable for recording.

The PTR1 comes bundled with Plextalk Recording Software, designed to run on Windows PCs. The recording software is designed to function as a simple recording and editing tool for the blind and visually impaired. Note: the Plextalk Recording Software cannot be installed on a PC or laptop unless it can recognize that a Plextalk PTR1 device is connected via a USB cable.

Soul Player DMP-206b from Soulmate Audiobooks

The review copy that shipped in February 2004 contained the device, two AA disposable batteries, ear buds, an eight-page printed instruction booklet, a sampler CD containing the first chapters of ten audiobooks, and a coupon to redeem the full text of two of the ten audiobooks at no charge.

The “Soul Accessory Kit” (sold separately) contains an AC adapter, headphones, an inline remote control, a protective case, and a car adapter kit.

The review kit also contained two unabridged works of fiction on two discs.

Power Sources

Direct Current

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus can operate when the AC/DC adapter is connected and plugged into an electrical outlet.

Victor Reader Vibe

The Vibe can operate when the AC/DC adapter is connected and plugged into an electrical outlet. Note: If the AC/DC adapter is unplugged while the unit is operating, the unit will immediately power off, even if the rechargeable batteries are installed and charged.

Scholar from Telex

An Eastek 5 volt direct plug-in class 2 transformer came with the unit. The documentation notes that this wall adapter will not replenish rechargeable batteries. When the batteries become weak, the unit will beep three times each minute to remind the user to replace them.

Book Port

Evidently, the Book Port cannot be operated on direct current.

Book Courier from Springer Design

Evidently, the Book Courier cannot be operated on direct current.

Plextalk PTR1

The PTR1 can operate when the AC/DC adapter is connected and plugged into an electrical outlet. If the device is operating on this source of power, the automatic power off function—after 30 minutes of inactivity—is disabled.

Soul Player DMP-206b from Soulmate Audiobooks

The Soul Player can operate on direct current. The AC adapter is sold separately in the “Soul Accessory Kit”. The port for the cord leading from the AC adapter to the playback device is located on right side of the device. It is the farthest port from the front of the device. When the AC adapter is used, the batteries are bypassed as the power source, and the little battery icon on the LCD disappears.

Batteries

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus comes with double A rechargeable batteries already installed and charged. It is possible to operate the unit while recharging the batteries. If the rechargeable batteries become completely discharged, it takes 8-10 hours to fully charge them. According to the manufacturer, the rechargeable batteries last up to five hours.

Victor Reader Vibe

The unit comes with two rechargeable AA-sized batteries. The battery compartment is on the bottom of the unit. It is accessible without opening the clamshell for the CD. According to the user manual, the battery life is 10-14 hours. According to the introductory CD, it takes approximately 7 hours to fully recharge the batteries. When the AC/DC power supply is plugged in and the unit is not operating, a small battery symbol on the LED display indicates that the rechargeable batteries are charging. Disposable alkaline AA batteries also can be used to power the unit.

Scholar from Telex

The unit can be powered by four double-A disposable batteries. To access the battery compartment, you need to open the CD clam. If a CD is loaded in the device, it must be removed before the battery compartment can be accessed. This seems unnecessarily cumbersome. To conserve power, the CD drive spins only as needed.

Book Port from APH

The documentation states that rechargeable batteries may be used in the Book Port, but they recommend using alkaline disposable AA batteries. The manufacturers predict that a set of batteries will provide at least 60 hours of playback of an e-text.

Feedback from Actual User: One problem with the Book Port is that it resets to the default settings when the batteries are removed for more than a few seconds. Occasionally the BookPort needs to be reset when the user is moving around.

BookCourier from Springer Design

The device shipped with two double-A disposable batteries. To hear an announcement of the current battery level expressed as a percentage, press and hold the diamond key in the lower left for one beep.

PTR1

The PTR1 contains a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. When playing a DAISY CD, the PTR1’s internal battery will run for approximately four hours. When preparing to use the PTR1 for the first time, the manufacturer suggests that the internal battery be charged for at least 24 hours. After that, it takes approximately 4 hours to go from no charge to full charge.

Soul Player DMP-206b from Soulmate Audiobooks

The Soul Player can operate on two AA batteries. Alkaline batteries are recommended. The battery compartment is located on the bottom of the device. It can be accessed without opening the clamshell where the CD drive is located. When the batteries are the power source being used, a small battery icon appears in the upper right corner of the LCD. A “low battery” message on the LCD indicates when the batteries should be replaced. According to the manufacturer, two fresh AA batteries should supply approximately 12 hours of music playback or 8 hours of audiobook playback.

Ports

Ports is the generic term used in this report for any slot on the main device for power supplies, earbuds, headphones, speakers, external memory devices, network connections, etc.

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus contains four ports, all located on the right side of the device. One is for connecting the AC/DC power adapter. The documentation indicates that three raised vertical lines should be located below this port to quickly identify it, but on the unit shipped there were no lines below this port, just three small raised markings. Another is the “line” port, identifiable tactically by two raised vertical lines. A third is the “remote” port, identified by one vertical line. Near the front of the device is an unnamed, unmarked port that is used to connect earphones or external speakers.

Victor Reader Vibe

The unit contains four ports. One connects to the AC/DC adapter. The “line out” port is designed to connect to another audio system, such as a home stereo. The third port currently is not used. The fourth port is a jack for headphones or ear buds. Headphones and ear buds also will connect to the “line out” port, where the sound seems a little more rich and robust than when using the port designated for headphones or ear buds. However, evidently the volume cannot be controlled when ear buds or headphones are plugged into the “line out” port.

Scholar from Telex

The Scholar has three ports. One on the back is used to connect the AC/DC transformer into a wall outlet. Another port on the back, labeled “I/O”, evidently is used to connect to a PC. No cable or instructions, however, were provided with the unit being reviewed. The documentation indicates that the port is to be used for firmware and security upgrades and product accessories. A third port on the right side of the unit is used to connect headphones or ear buds.

Book Port

The unit contains three ports. One is a jack for ear buds or head phones. Another connects the USB cable to your computer. The third is a slot for a compact flash memory card.

BookCourier

The BookCourier has three ports. Two are located on the top of the unit. One is used to connect ear buds or headphones. The other is used for the USB connector with the PC. Oddly, when the USB connector is attached to a PC, BookCourier makes no vocalized comment to confirm a successful connection. When the connection is broken, however, BookCourier announces that it is “ready”. There are at least two good reasons not to keep the device connected to a PC for long: the keypad becomes inoperable, and the batteries may run down. The port on the right side of the device receives the compact flash memory card.

Plextalk PTR1

The PTR1 contains five ports plus a PC card drive. The PTR1 can accept Type II PC memory cards, also known as PCMCIA cards. Three ports are located on the left side of the unit: a jack for headphones, a jack for an external microphone, and a line input jack. An audio cable can be plugged into the line jack to record from another source (e.g., TV, radio, or boombox). At the top of the device are ports for the power cord and the USB cable.

Soul Player

The Soul Player contains four ports all located on the right side of the device. The one closest to the front of the device is for ear buds or headphones. The next one appears to be for firmware upgrades. The third one is labeled “line out.” According to the FAQ on the website, “The LINE OUT jack is strictly for connecting your player to an external set of speakers or a stereo system, where the sound adjustments are made on that external device.” The fourth port, closest to the back of the device, is for the cord connecting to the wall outlet.

Buttons (Keys)

Placement of Buttons on the Device

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus contains 25 buttons on its face. Note: It is unfortunate that the “daisy” logo on the top of the device is raised and tactilely differentiated from the background surface, because a print-impaired user may mistake it for a button. Even the getting started instructions are a bit apologetic about this minor poor design decision.

Twelve of the buttons are arranged like the numeric buttons on a telephone keypad. Twenty-one of the keys are light gray in color, without much color contrast with the dark gray color of the body of the device. However, four of the keys (play-stop, increase volume, decrease volume, and eject CD) are bright orange.

1: Bookshelf: By pressing the key, the end-user hears the number and title of the current book.

2: Navigation Element: Navigation elements are arranged in a hierarchy. Pressing either key 2 or key 8 will list the available levels within the hierarchy of structural elements. The most recently announced level will be the one selected.

3: History: By pressing the 3 key the end-user can return to recently read content. The device memorizes up to a maximum of the last five places visited, such as elements within content and bookmarks. The history file is erased automatically whenever a book is removed.

4: Back: This enables the end-user to move backward through the content at the elemental level selected through the use of the 2 or 8 keys.

5: Where Am I? When the 5 key is pressed, Classic Plus will announce the current page, the navigation level, and the title of the current section.

6: Forward: This enables the end-user to move forward through the content at the elemental level selected through the use of the 2 or 8 keys.

7: [inactive]

8: Navigation Element

9: Sleep: This key enables the end-user to specify a delay period after which the unit will shut down automatically. The maximum delay is 60 minutes, definable in increments of 15 minutes.

*: Cancel

0: Info: This key gives direct access to basic information about the content. Potential information accessible through the info key include total number of pages, total playback time (at the factory-default speed, one assumes), time elapsed, time remaining, number of bookmarks currently placed in the book, how many books are contained and currently available on the CD currently in the drive, battery and power conditions, plus the version number and serial number for the unit, including information about the VisuAide company.

#: Confirm

Victor Reader Vibe

The eleven main functional buttons are located in a circle on the top of the device. They are located roughly in the 1 o’clock through 11 o’clock positions of an analog clock, but the distances between the buttons are not uniform. The unit also contains a “hold” button on the side of the unit near the four ports. It is used to lock the keys.

Scholar from Telex

The unit presents 20 buttons. Nineteen are located on the top of the device.

Book Port

The Book Port contains 18 keys located in six rows of three on the top of the device. The first four rows are arranged and numbered like the keypad of a telephone. The remaining two rows are lettered A-F.

Here is a summary of the keys and their four possible functions:

Key	Reading	Idle	Reading One Beep	Idle One Beep
1	Back Sentence	Back Sentence	Beginning of File	Beginning of File
2	Stop	Read	Announce Time	Announce Time
3	Next Sentence	Next Sentence	End of File	End of File
1+3	Lock/Unlock	Lock/Unlock	None	None
4	Back Paragraph	Back Word	None	None
5	None	Say Current Word	None	Spell Current Word
6	Next Paragraph	Next Word	None	None
4+6	Set Mark	Set Mark/Clear Mark	None	None
4+5	Back Mark	Back Mark	None	None
5+6	Next Mark	Next Mark	None	None
7	Back Page	Back Letter	Back Section	Back Section
8	Statistics	Say Current Letter	None	Pronounce Current Letter Phonetically
9	Next Page	Next Letter	Next Section	Next Section
7+9	None	Define Find	None	None
7+8	Back Find	Back Find	None	None
8+9	Next Find	Next Find	None	None
*	Back File	Back File	First File	First File
0	Next Keypad	Next Keypad	None	None
#	Next File	Next File	Last File	Last File
*+0	Close Folder	Close Folder	None	None
0+#	Open Folder	Open Folder	None	None
A	Slower Speed	Slower Speed	Slowest Speed	Slowest Speed
B	Stop	Stop	Switch to or From Memos Folder	Switch to or from Memos Folder
C	Faster Speed	Faster Speed	Fastest Speed	Fastest Speed
2+B	Reset	Reset	None	None
A+C	Announce Version	Announce Version	None	None
D	Lower Volume	Lower Volume	Lowest Volume	Lowest Volume
E	Record/Pause	Record/Pause	None	None
F	Louder Volume	Louder Volume	Loudest Volume	Loudest Volume
B+E	Delete File	Delete File	None	None
D+F	Battery Status	Battery Status	None	None
D+E	Back Power	Back Power	None	None
E+F	Next Power	Next Power	None	None
D+E+F	Power Off	Power Off	None	None

BookCourier from Springer Design, Inc.

The BookCourier contains 15 keys located in five rows of three on the top of the device. The first four rows are arranged and numbered like the keypad of a telephone. The bottom row keys are marked with a diamond, a plus sign, and a question mark. The plus sign key functions as a shift key and is slightly concave. The number 5 key is concave and slightly larger than the other keys.

Each key can perform up to three functions. Activate the primary function by pressing and releasing the key. Activate the secondary function by pressing and holding a key until you hear a beep. Activate the tertiary function by simultaneously pressing and releasing the shift (plus) key and the other key.

Here is a summary of the keys and their three functions:

1
Primary: Volume Down
Secondary: none
Shifted: Speed Down

2
Primary: Up
Secondary: Top
Shifted: none

3
Primary: Volume Up
Secondary: none
Shifted: Speed Up

4
Primary: Back
Secondary: Beginning
Shifted: Fast Reverse

5
Primary: Read/Pause/Select List Item/On
Secondary: Where am I
Shifted: Off

6
Primary: Forward
Secondary: End
Shifted: Fast Forward

7
Primary: Previous Bookmark
Secondary: Previous File
Shifted: Set Bookmark

8
Primary: Down
Secondary: Bottom
Shifted: Enter Spell Mode/Spell

9
Primary: Next Bookmark
Secondary: Next File
Shifted: Bookmark List

*
Primary: Library
Secondary: Table of Contents
Shifted: Favorites

0
Primary: Exit
Secondary: none
Shifted: Jump

#
Primary: Pause and Resume (in Record Mode only)
Secondary: Stop Record (in Record Mode only)
Shifted: Record

<> (diamond)
Primary: Settings List
Secondary: Battery Level
Shifted: Delete

+
Primary: Shift
Secondary: none
Shifted: none

?
Primary: Talking Help
Secondary: Talking User Guide
Shifted: Date/Time

Plextalk PTR1

The PTR1 contains a total of 26 keys. Twenty are located on the face of the unit. Twelve of those are arranged in the usual configuration of a telephone handset. To the left of the 12 “telephone” keys are four diamond-shaped keys. The top key of the four is the information key. Next is the heading key, which is used to listen to heading information and to move to the heading specified by the numeric keypad. The page key is used to listen to page information and to move to a specific page. The bottom of the four diamond-shaped keys is the bookmark key, used to attach bookmarks and to move to an existing bookmark.

Five keys are located on the front of the device below the CD slot. The three keys on the left are unique among all the devices reviewed in that they toggle between two distinct functions by pressing them in. The left-most key controls both the recording level of the sound being recorded and the monitor volume, which enables you to hear and adjust the volume level of the sound being recorded. The next button to the right controls both the playback speed and the tone of the output. The next button to the right controls both the playback volume and the volume of the voice guide. The next key is a slide key that locks and unlocks the keys. Note: the device is designed so that the audible descriptions of what functions the keys perform can be invoked only when the keys are locked. The right-most key on the front of the device is the eject key for the CD drive.

The on-off slidebar key is located on the left side of the device.

The PTR1 device also contains seven LED (light emitting diodes): three record level LEDs, a power LED, a battery LED, a recording LED, and an LED on the front of the device that indicates when the CD drive is busy.

Soul Player DMP-206b from Soulmate Audiobooks

The Soul Player has 13 buttons. Eleven buttons are on the top of the device, arranged in a circular pattern, but they are not spaced equidistantly. A slide button on the front of the device opens the clamshell. A hold switch on the right of the device locks the eleven buttons on the top of the device.

The eleven buttons on the top of the device perform several functions, depending on the type of file being played and whether the device is in normal (play) mode or in menu (stop) mode. The functions of the eleven buttons—beginning at the 12 o’clock position and proceeding clockwise--are summarized below.

On/Increase Volume:

Off/Decrease Volume:

Reread: When listening to an audio book, this button goes back and rereads the previous fifteen seconds of content

Fast Forward:

Play/Pause:

Rewind:

Info: When listening to an MP3 audiobook, pressing this button repeatedly displays the title, author, narrator, ISBN, total play time, and version.

EQ: The equalizer button toggles through a variety of options, including audiobook, classic (music, not books, one presumes), rock, pop, jazz, and ultrabass)

Menu: When listening to an MP3 audiobook, pressing this button toggles among the various levels (e.g., chapter, page) and displays in the LCD display the level and the current location within that level.

Navigate Down/Back: This moves back one chapter or song.

Navigate Up/Forward: This move forward one chapter or song.

Tactile Nature of the Buttons

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus keys all are made of the same material, some sort of non-slick plastic, so they all have the same basic feel. However, the keys come in a variety of shapes to help differentiate their functions. The more important keys are concave. Several of the keys have embossed symbols to help the print-impaired user locate them. Oddly, the symbol on the on/off key is recessed, rather than raised.

Victor Reader Vibe

The eleven main functional buttons are raised, concave, and metal. The symbols indicating the functions of the buttons are painted into the background metal surface. Caution: the paint scratches off rather easily. Blind and visually impaired users would need to learn to associate each function with the position on the circular “clock”, because there is no tactile information on the buttons themselves to indicate what they do.

Another interesting tactile feature of the Victor Reader Vibe is the dividing up of the circle of buttons in four functional zones. A slightly raised line separates each zone. Two short raised parallel lines indicate the “12 o’clock” position.

Telex Scholar

Five different button designs are used. The five at the top of the face of the device are rubberized, blue, and squarish. The central keys on the numeric keypad are rubberized as well. The other keys on the numeric keypad are oval and metallic. The page and bookmark keys are small, round, and metallic.

BookCourier from Springer Design

The BookCourier uses convexity and concavity to differentiate the various keys. The 5 and plus keys are slightly concave. The 2, 8, 4, and 6 keys, which are the keys used to navigate within a file, are slightly convex.

Book Port

All of the keys are round and rubberized with yellow characters painted on them. The number 5 key is slightly larger and contains a raised knob for orientation.

Feedback from Actual User: The keys on the Book Port are large enough to press easily, yet small enough to contribute to the overall smallness of the device.

Plextalk PTR1

All of the buttons on the top of the PTR1 device are rubberized. A visual clue to the functions of each key is embossed on the top of each key, but the visual clues apparently have no tactile corollary. The number five button contains a slightly raised nub in its center (it could be a little larger), as an aid to overall orientation on the keyboard. The two, four, six, and eight keys contain raised semicircular lines, again evidently as an aid to tactile navigation. Most of the keys are circular, but a few are diamond-shaped, triangular, or rectangular. All of the keys except the record key are slightly convex.

The buttons on the sides of the device either slide from left to right (for example, the on/off button and the lock/unlock button), push in (for example, the button that ejects the CD), or both rock from left to right and push in, where the act of pushing the key in functions as a toggle switch.

Note: The PTR1 device contains a handy indentation on the outer casing edge between the top and the front of the device. This quickly helps the user locate the front of the device and the CD drive slot.

Feedback from Actual User: The keys on the PTR1 seem too flat and stylized.

Soul Player

All eleven keys on the top of the device have the same size, shape, and texture: round, metallic and concave. The name or identifying icon for each button is painted next to the button on the metallic skin. The slide button at the front of the device has eight raised nubs on its left side. To the left of that slide button, the word “open”, three raised nubs, and a small right-directed triangle are in raised relief on the casing. The “hold” button—for locking the keys--on the right side of the device at the four o’clock position is a small slide button with five raised relief vertical lines on it. Above that button, the words “hold” “on” and “off” plus two small arrows are in raised relief on the casing.

Key Lock

Because all of these devices contained keyboards without covers that remain exposed during transportation, carrying, and playback, it is often useful to lock the keys so that a key or sequence of keys are not accidentally touched or hit.

Victor Reader Classic Plus

Evidently, the Classic Plus has no way to lock the keys.

Victor Reader Vibe

The key marked “hold” on the side of the device locks and unlocks the keys, so that undesired functions are not accidentally initiated while the unit is being handled while in use.

Telex Scholar

The “hold” button on the right side of the device moves forward to the on position and backward to the off position.

BookCourier from Springer Design

To lock all the keys and their functionalities (except the reset function, which is never locked), simultaneously press the 1 and 3 keys. To unlock the device, simultaneously press the 1 and 3 keys again.

Book Port

Pressing the 1 and 3 keys locks or unlocks the keys.

PlexTalk PTR1

The PTR1 contains a separate sliding lock/unlock button on the front of the device, left of the rectangular CD eject button. Note: Locking the keys also enables the audible key describer function. When the keys are locked, press and hold any key to hear an audible description of the function(s) of that key.

Soul Player DMP-206b from Soulmate Audiobooks

The key marked “hold” on the right side of the device locks and unlocks the keys, so that undesired functions are not accidentally initiated while the unit is being handled when in use.

CD Drive

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The open-slot CD drive is located at the front of the device. The CD is manually inserted into the drive until a motorized mechanism grabs the disc and moves it into position. If the user accidentally inserts the disc upside down, it will eject automatically without damaging the unit or the disc. Note: If the unit is turned off, the unit will not grab and insert a disc. A more user-friendly design would be to have the unit grab the disc and turn itself on.

Victor Reader Vibe

To open the CD drive, the user moves to the right the small button located at the front of the device. The CD clam pops open approximately one-half inch. The user must manually complete the process of opening the clam and inserting or removing the compact disc.

Scholar from Telex

To open the CD drive, the user needs to flip open a buckle-type covering, then manually pry open the lid. This reviewer wonders how well this design will stand up to repeated openings and closings. The user manually inserts or removes the compact disc.

PlexTalk PTR1

The open-slot CD drive is located at the front of the device. The CD is manually inserted into the drive until a motorized mechanism grabs the disc and moves it into position. If the user accidentally inserts the disc upside down, a female voice announces that an “improper or damaged disc” has been inserted, and the disc is not automatically ejected, as it is in the Victor Reader Classic Plus. Note: If the unit is turned off, the unit will not grab and insert a disc. A more user-friendly design would be to have the unit grab the disc and turn itself on.

Soul Player

To open the CD drive, the user moves to the right the small button located at the front of the device. The CD clam pops open approximately one-half inch. The user must manually complete the process of opening the clam and inserting or removing the compact disc. When fully opened, the hinge on the clamshell snaps and remains wide open.

Audio Components

Speaker(s)

Victor Reader Classic Plus

A built-in speaker is located in the upper left corner of the Classic Plus device.

BookCourier from Springer Design

It is possible to connect external speakers, rather than ear buds or headphones, to the BookCourier. The user guide, however, cautions that the BookCourier supports only amplified stereo speakers.

Plextalk PTR1

The PTR1 contains a built-in speaker located on the top of the unit near the back—above all of the keys and LED lights on the top of the unit.

General Quality of the Sound

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The sound quality from both the built-in speaker and via ear buds is fine.

Victor Reader Vibe

When listening to the sound through the earbuds supplied by the manufacturer, the sound was clear and full. The sound seems more robust when the earbuds are plugged into the “line-out” port, even though that evidently is not the intended use of that port. However, no way to control the volume was discovered when the earbuds were plugged into the “line-out” port.

PlexTalk PTR1

When listening to an audio file through the built-in speaker, the sound seemed a little thin and tinny.

Vocalization of System Actions

In theory, having the device vocalize to confirm and explain an invoked function sounds like a good thing. For example, the BookCourier announces “memory card removed” when the user removes or dislodges the memory card, whether intentionally or inadvertently. When the memory card is replaced, the device announces that it is “ready”. This is a nice feature, especially since the fully inserted memory card continues to protrude a few millimeters from the right edge of the device, causing the user to wonder if the card has been completely inserted. The vocalized announcement confirms for the user when the connection has been broken and re-established.

The apparently sound design decision to use vocalization to confirm and perhaps explain an invoked function becomes a little more discordant, however, when the vocalization occurs in the context of a listening session. When I am trying to listen intently to a book, I do not want the device to vocalize, for example, my minor act of raising the playback volume from 6 to 7 on a ten-point scale. That may be as disruptive to the print-impaired listener as kinetic pop-up web advertisements are to the sighted.

Feedback from Actual User: Having a voice explain or confirm invoked functions should be an option for the user, but in most instances a set of distinct tones should be sufficient.

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The “key describer function” speaks the functions of each key. The Classic Plus also scored high in the use of a variety of audible clues to indicate system functions. For example, when the tone, volume, and speed up and down keys are pressed, one type of sound is used to indicate when the upper or lower extent of the possible range have been reached, and another sound is used to indicate when the middle or factory default has been reached.

Victor Reader Vibe

When playing a digital audio compact disc, the Vibe provides no audible announcement of the start of a new content segment (i.e., song or track).

PlexTalk PTR1

Generally the PTR1 vocalizes a system action when it is invoked. Playback momentarily pauses while the action is announced in a female voice. One way to explore the functions of each key is to use the “key describer” function. The “key describer function” announces the functions of each key. It works only when “key lock” is on. It will work when playback is in progress or the device is stopped.

One nice feature of the PTR1 is the varied and pleasant musical riffs that play when the device is reading a disc or ready to go.

Soul Player

The Soul Player provides minimal audible clues to signal invoked functions. For most functions, only one or two undifferentiated beeps are used to indicate that a button has been pressed to invoke a function.

LCD Display

Three of the devices—the Victor Reader Vibe, the Telex Scholar, and the Soul Player—had LCD displays. The screens are much smaller than those on a PDA or mobile phone. All were monochrome displays.

Victor Reader Vibe

When batteries are being used as the power source, a small image of a battery appears in the upper right corner of the screen, with diagonal marks to indicate the fullness of the batteries’ charge. The battery image in particular is very difficult to see by a sighted person wearing bifocal eyeglasses.

When playing a CD, the display indicates the track number and the progress of time through the track. It also indicates that the volume/speed toggle is set to volume control (even though it cannot be toggled to the speed control when a digital audio compact disc is being played).

Telex Scholar

The LCD on the Scholar contains lots of information, but, because of the small display, it can be difficult to read—especially the line that scrolls from right to left like a tickertape.

Soul Player

The LCD on the Soul Player displays a variety of information, depending on the function invoked and the state of the playback.

Plextalk PTR1

The PTR1 contains no lighted display, other than the various lights that indicate a charging/charged battery, that the unit is on, or that the unit is recording.

Microphone

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus does not have a built-in microphone.

Book Port

The Book Port contains a built-in microphone.

BookCourier

The BookCourier contains a built-in microphone.

PlexTalk PTR1

The PTR1 has both a built-in microphone and a port for an optional external microphone.

Ruggedness and Durability

What happens to the device and the quality of the content being played back if the device is jiggled or dropped? Because the devices reviewed were on loan either from the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center or directly from vendors, it was not feasible to directly test the ruggedness of the devices.

File Formats Supported

DAISY

Feedback from Actual User: Non-linear navigation is very useful for reference books and magazines. This user does not need non-linear navigation through novels unless the reading is being done as part of a class or research project.

Victor Reader Classic Plus

According to the manufacturer, the Classic Plus unit supports all DAISY navigation levels (e.g., chapter, section, page, and paragraph). It supports DAISY versions 1.x, 2.x, and 3.x.

Victor Reader Vibe

According to the user’s manual, the Vibe handles DAISY 2.x files.

BookCourier from Springer Design

Evidently, the current version of the BookCourier device cannot play DAISY-encoded content. According to the FAQ on the BookCourier website, making the device DAISY-friendly is on the product enhancement list.

Book Port from APH

The Book Port can play back both DAISY 2.0 and 3.x files.

Scholar from Telex

When a CD is inserted, the Scholar uses various series of tones to indicate whether the CD contains MP3 files or regular CD music files. If a DAISY book is on the CD, the unit will read and display the title of the book.

The blue rubberized up (#2) and down (#8) buttons are used to change the level of navigation in a DAISY book (e.g., from chapter to section-level navigation). The blue rubberized forward (#6) and reverse (#4) buttons are used to move within a navigation level.

Plextalk PTR1

The PTR1 supports both the playback of and creation of DAISY formatted CDs.

Soul Player

The Soul Player does not support the playback of DAISY formatted CDs.

MP3

Victor Reader Classic Plus

Victor Reader Vibe

The Vibe can playback MP3 files. The number 0 key (previous element) and number # key (next element) allow to user to move forward or backward from track to track.

Book Port from APH

The Book Port is able to play back both MP3 compressed audio and WAV uncompressed audio formatted files.

BookCourier from Springer Design

According to the documentation provided with the device, the BookCourier Transfer Tool software that runs on the user’s PC currently supports the transfer of only MP3 and TXT files.

Plextalk PTR1

The PTR1 can play MP3 files.

Soul Player

The Soul Player can play MP3 files. The Soul Player also supports CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) Specifications for Audiobook MP3-CDs.

CD (Compact Disc Digital Audio)

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus can playback regular audio files and music CDs. Note: the tone and speed keys function when music is being played back. Increasing or decreasing the playback speed of a musical performance somehow seems more sacrilegious than altering the playback speed of a spoken or text-to-speech piece of content.

Victor Reader Vibe

The Vibe can play CD music discs.

Telex Scholar

The Scholar can play CD music discs.

Book Port from APH

Evidently the Book Port device cannot play compact disc digital audio files directly.

BookCourier from Springer Design

Evidently the BookCourier device cannot play compact disc digital audio files directly. It plays only MP3 audio files.

Plextalk PTR1

The PTR1 can play standard music CDs.

Soul Player

The Soul Player can play standard music CDs.

Contracted Braille in Braille Ready Files (BRF and BRL)

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus does not support BRF files.

BookCourier from Springer Design

Evidently the BookCourier device cannot play contract Braille in Braille ready files format.

Book Port from APH

The Book Port is able to access both contracted formatted and contracted unformatted Braille files.

Web Pages (HTML files)

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus does not support HTML files.

BookCourier from Springer Design

Evidently the current release of the BookCourier cannot directly read HTML files. However, a web page could be saved in ASCII format, then transferred to the BookCourier device for TTS reading of the content.

Book Port from APH

Because the Book Port contains a TTS functionality, it can transfer web content to the device and vocalize it. HTML files are sent directly from Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Text Files (TXT)

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus does not support TXT files.

Book Port from APH

The Book Port can use its TTS functionality to vocalize TXT files.

BookCourier from Springer Design

According to the documentation provided with the device, the BookCourier Transfer Tool software that runs on the user’s PC supports the transfer of only MP3 and TXT files.

Microsoft Word and Rich Text Formats (RTF)

Book Port from APH

Assuming that the user has Microsoft Word 97 or higher loaded on the “mother ship” PC, with the Book Port file transfer software it is possible to transfer Word (DOC) and Rich Text Files (RTF) directly to the device.

Audible.com’s Proprietary Format

BookCourier from Springer Design

According to the FAQ on the Springer-Design website (http://www.springer-design.com/FAQ.htm), visited on March 8, 2004, the ability to play content from Audible.com on a BookCourier is coming soon:

“Our first 2004 release will contain support for Audible files. You will be able to download files from the Audible website directly into your BookCourier. Or, you can download Audible files already stored on your PC into BookCourier. You will be able to set up the BookCourier Transfer Tool as your primary Audible download application. While the Transfer Tool will not support all the features of Audible Manager (Audible's default download application), it will allow you to transfer both audio books and subscriptions from Audible right into your BookCourier. Once you get those files onto BookCourier, you will be able to navigate through them using the Audible-defined sections.

BookCourier will support only type 4 Audible files. The type 4 files are encrypted MP3 files and, therefore, tend to be large. While we would like to support the other file types as well (types 1 through 3), all these files use proprietary compression routines to make the files smaller. The companies who own these routines require royalty payments for their use and decryption. Consequently, BookCourier support for these files types would require a much greater development effort as well as a higher cost to the customer.”

WMA (Windows Media Audio)

Soul Player

The Soul Player supports the playback of Windows Media Audio (WMA) formatted files. WMA is a proprietary compressed audio file format.

Primary Functions

Over the next several pages many of the primary functions afforded by these devices are described. Please note that this is not an exhaustive listing of the functionalities of these devices. Many of the devices have a wide range of functionalities. An exhaustive description of all possible functionalities of these five devices would take hundreds of pages. If in a given functionality section a particular device is not mentioned, that does not necessarily mean that that function is not available on that device. User groups are beginning to appear that are centered around a particular device. Occasionally interesting and useful functions and nuances of these devices that are not described in the user manuals are discovered through intensive use by actual users.

Turn on the unit

Victor Reader Classic Plus

To turn on the unit, press and hold the gray button located in the right center of the face of the unit. It is the only circular, slightly concave button on the unit. A beep and a welcome message indicate that the unit has been successfully turned on.

Victor Reader Vibe

To turn the unit on, press the button in the one o’clock position once. A single beep indicates that the unit has been successfully turned on. If the unit contains a CD when it is turned on, it automatically begins playing the content.

Telex Scholar

To turn on the unit, press the large red number 5 button in the center of the unit.

BookCourier from Springer Design

To turn on the BookCourier, simply press the 5 key, the largest key on the keypad.

Book Port

The Book Port has no on/off button. Pressing any key or sequence of keys will perform the desired function at any time. The device automatically shuts itself off after it has been idle for ten seconds. It beeps twice when it shuts off.

Plextalk PTR1

To turn on the PTR1, slide the on/off slide button on the left side of the device toward the front. Note: A CD cannot be inserted into the device when the unit is turned off. When the unit is turned on, a series of musical notes play, then a voice announces “disc, please wait. No disc.”

Soul Player

To turn on the Soul Player, press and release the “on/volume up” button, located at the two o’clock position on the top of the device. It is the first button located clockwise from “high noon”. When the user presses the on/volume up button, the device beeps once, and the LCD becomes illuminated and displays “Soulmate Audiobooks” while it reads the inserted CD, which takes a few seconds.

Menu (Table of Contents and/or List of Titles/Files)

The menu function works like a table of contents in a printed book. It is used to list the various elements or sections of content on the CD being played.

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The 1 key serves as the bookshelf key that announces the title(s) of the book(s) or file(s) contained on the disc currently inserted in the device.

The 0 key is the info key. It announces the total number of pages in the current book, the total playback time (at the default playback speed, one assumes), the amount of time (in minutes and seconds) already elapsed, the amount of time remaining, the number of bookmarks in the current book, the number of titles on the disc, the current power source, and the model version and serial number of the device.

Victor Reader Vibe

The #9 button on the unit is the menu key. The Vibe also has an “info” function. The types of info available for a DTB include: the current page, the amount of time elapsed, the amount of time remaining, the number of pages, the total time, the version number of the software program. By pressing and holding the #9 button, the user can gain information about the content on the CD.

BookCourier from Springer Design

BookCourier stores its files in folders, which may be arranged hierarchically into a library. To listen to the titles within a folder, press and hold either the 7 key (to move backward through the list of titles) or the 9 key (to move forward through the list of titles).

The BookCourier also has a versatile “where am I?” feature. If you press and hold until a beep the 5 key while listening to a file, the feature announces (in the same voice) your current distance into the file, expressed as a percentage. For example, “You are one percent through The Secret Agent.” If you invoke this command when in the library, the device announces exactly where in the hierarchy of file folders you are. If you are reading a bookmark list, the device announces the name of the file with which the bookmark list is associated.

According to the user guide, the table of contents feature is not implemented in the current crop of BookCourier devices.

PTR1

To access the menu, press the 5 key, then press the 6 and 4 keys to move either forward or backward through the menu. Note: After invoking the menu function by pressing the 5 key, if you press and hold the 5 key, you hear an audio guide and help information. The PTR1 supports folders. The PTR1 cannot support multiple playlists located in the same folder or the root directory.

Soul Player

Press the “menu” button to access the menu functions. The available menu functions vary depending on the type of file being accessed and whether or not the device is in playback mode.

Begin Playback

Victor Reader Classic Plus

When a CD is inserted into the Classic Plus, the unit will announce the title of the book, then immediately begin playing it.

Victor Vibe

Press the number 5 key to begin and pause playback.

Telex Scholar

Press the number 5 key to begin and pause playback.

Book Port

The number 2 key begins playback. When the unit is reading, press 2 to stop playback.

BookCourier from Springer Design

The number 5 key functions as both the play and pause key.

PlexTalk PTR1

The play/stop key the only rectangular key located on the top of the device near the front—below the numeric keys. Note: When a disc is inserted, the PTR1 does not begin playback immediately. The play/stop key must be pressed.

Soul Player

Press the “play/pause” key located in the “five o’clock” position on the circular arrangement of eleven keys. The Soul Player offers two types of playback mode. The “A” mode plays all the content on the CD. The “B” mode plays only the content (e.g., chapters or songs) that have been bookmarked.

Volume Control

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus contains a set of two bright, well-placed buttons for raising and lowering the volume.

Scholar from Telex

The Scholar contains a very simple process for raising and lowering the playback volume. Two rubberized blue buttons on the upper left corner of the face of the device move the volume up and down. Although the device does not audibly indicate a change in volume (other than the actual change in the volume of the file being played back itself), a small graphic on the extreme left side of the LCD display indicates the relative position of the volume from softest to loudest.

Book Port

The D and F keys are used to lower and raise the volume.

BookCourier from Springer Design

Press and release the 1 key to lower the volume. Press and release the 3 key to raise the volume.

Plextalk PTR1

The volume control button is on the front of the device. Volume can be adjusted from the values of 0 to 20 in single digit increments. Whenever the volume is changed incrementally, playback pauses and a female voice announces the new volume value. If you press and hold the volume button either to the right or left, playback continues as the volume increases or decreases to the desired level. When the key is released, the female voice announces the new volume number.

Note: To change the volume of the guide voice (not the volume of the e-content being played back), press the volume button inward (that is, toward the back of the device). In other words, pressing the button inward toggles between controlling the playback volume and the guide voice volume. The guide volume also can be adjusted from the values of 0 to 20 in single digit increments.

This dual volume control functionality enables the end-user to use differences in volume of the playback and voice guide as one way to differentiate the two.

Soul Player

When the Soul Player is playing content, press and release the “on/volume up” button to increase the volume or the “off/volume down” button to decrease the volume. The volume values range from zero (silent) to ten (very loud). When the volume is raised or lowered, the LCD displays the new volume value for a few seconds.

Fast Forward

In general, the fast forward and rewind functionalities of these devices were disappointing, if not nearly worthless. In most instances, the audible output of the devices when either fast forward or rewind were engaged sounded like gibberish (or Robin Williams reprising his role as Mork), giving little or no indication of meaning or structure of the content being skimmed over at a high rate of speed. For moving forward faster than normal, merely increasing the speed of playback until the desired point is reached is an alternative.

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The fast forward key is located just to the right of the play/stop button. The button is shaped like an arrow pointing right, and on the button is a raised arrow as well.

Victor Reader Vibe

The #4 key on the unit is the fast forward key. When the user presses and holds the #4 key, the devices moves forward quickly through the content. Snippets of audible content are played every fraction of a second, presumably in an attempt to let the user know roughly where he or she is. The snippets, however, often are only fragments of words, which is well-nigh unintelligible. This reviewer found it easier to increase the playback speed to move quickly forward through the content. According to the user’s manual, on the Vibe the fast forward and rewind functions can be used only within the current element, not across elements. However, when listening to the demo chapters of James Patterson’s book, The Jester, this reviewer was able to fast forward across element boundaries.

BookCourier from Springer Design

To move fast forward through a file, simultaneously press and hold the shift and 6 keys. The device periodically announces how far into the file (expressed as a percentage) you have fast forwarded.

PlexTalk PTR1

On the PTR1 press and hold the triangular-shaped fast forward key, just to the right of the rectangular play/stop key. As you hold the key, the fast forward speed progressively increases from 4 to 8 then 16 times normal playback speed. The audio output during the fast forward operation is completely nonsensical. Note: The fast forward functionality works even when the CD is stopped. If you press the key when stopped, you will hear the nonsensical chirping as you move forward. When you release the key, playback will commence at the point in the file where you released the fast forward key.

Soul Player

Press the “fast forward” key located in approximately the “four o’clock” position. One interesting feature of the fast forward feature on the Soul Player is that it fast forwards to the next segment of text (or the next song on a music CD), then reverts to normal play speed.

Rewind (Reverse)

Victor Reader Vibe

The #6 key on the unit is the rewind key.

BookCourier from Springer Design

To rewind quickly through a file, simultaneously press and hold the shift and 4 keys. The device periodically announces a percentage indicating your current location in the file.

PlexTalk PTR1

To move through a file in reverse, press and hold the triangular-shaped rewind key located just to the left of the rectangular play/stop key. As you hold the key, the fast reverse speed progressively increases from 4 to 8 then 16 times normal playback speed. Note: You can fast reverse even when the CD is stopped.

Soul Player

Press and hold the “rewind” button located just shy of the “six o’clock” position on the circular display of button.

Re-Read

PlexTalk PTR1

The PTR1 offers a wide array of repeat options. If the user presses and releases either the fast forward or rewind keys, the device goes forward or backward one phrase, where a phrase is defined as a voice separation due to pauses such as breathing. This function can be used to quickly repeat a phrase—or even a particular word within a phrase—that the reader missed. The “repeat between bookmarks” function plays all text between the immediately previous and next bookmarks in a digital talking book. The “repeat section” plays one section, then repeats the playback. The “random repeat” is useful when the user wants to randomly listen songs recorded on a CD. It also is possible to repeat a single title or all titles recorded on a CD.

Soul Player from Soulmate

The re-read function in the Soul Player replays the most recently played 15 seconds of content. Press and release the “reread” button located just below the “three o’clock” position on the circular arrangement of buttons on the top of the device. Apparently, this function only works with MP3 formatted content, not with commercial music CDs. It takes several seconds for the device to jump back fifteen seconds.

Pause and Restart

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The play/stop key also functions as the pause key. If the pause mode is in effect for 30 minutes when the unit is not directly connected to electricity, the unit will automatically turn off to conserve battery power.

Victor Reader Vibe

When you press the play/stop button (button #5) on the Victor Reader Vibe, playback stops. Press it again and playback continues from the point in the file when you pressed the stop button. Note: When the user pauses and restarts in the midst of an element, it takes the CD player a few seconds to find the current place and resume playback.

Scholar from Telex

To pause the playback of a file, briefly press the red play/stop #5 button in the middle of the top of the unit. At the bottom of the LCD display the word “paused” will appear. To continue playback, briefly press the #5 button again.

Book Port

The B key is used to stop playback.

BookCourier from Springer Design

The number 5 key is used to both pause and restart playback. The device briefly announces “pause” and “play” when these two functions are invoked. Because the device is using TTS software for text files and contains no moving parts, both the pause and restart are immediate, exactly where you left off.

PlexTalk PTR1

The rectangular play/stop key on the top of the device near the front is used to pause playback.

Soul Player

Press and release the “play/pause” button to pause the playback. The device beeps once.

Resume reading/listening at the point of last termination

This function is slightly different than the pause and restart functionality of the previous section. Pausing and restarting implies that the power to the unit is on throughout the process of pausing and starting. The “resume at point of last termination” function, on the other hand, assume that the power to the unit has been discontinued between the conclusion of the first listening session and the resumption of listening.

Victor Reader Classic Plus

According to the manufacturer, when the Classic Plus is powered off then restarted, the device will remember where you left off. When this reviewer tried to restart midstream in the getting started CD, however, the playback began back at the beginning of the file.

Victor Reader Vibe

This reviewer was unable to get the Vibe to continue reading where it had left off prior to being powered off.

Scholar from Telex

The unit remembers the most recent position reached in a book before power to the unit was terminated. When playback resumes in that book, the unit will continue on from the most recent position read. This functionality is available for up to a maximum of 32 DAISY books.

Soul Player

The Soul Player can remember the point at which the CD was last stopped. The memory remains intact even if the unit is shut off and the CD removed. According to information from the manufacturer, the device can remember where it left off the playback on up to twelve discs.

BookCourier from Springer Design

The BookCourier continues playback in a file from the point of last termination.

Book Port

When part of a file has already been played or read, Book Port resumes where the previous session left off.

PTR1

When the device is turned off or a CD removed, the PTR1 remembers the last place accessed on that CD. This function appears to work regardless of the format of the files on the CD. For example, a commercial audio CD ejected in the middle of the third track of an album will, when reinserted, resume playback exactly where it left off. Although the documentation is a little unclear, it appears that the PTR1 can remember where it left off on up to 1,000 discs.

Variable Speed Playback

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus contains a separate set of two keys to increase and decrease the playback speed. They are arranged and located similarly to the two-key sets that raise and lower the volume and the tone.

Victor Reader Vibe

The Victor Reader Vibe enables variable speed playback of spoken content without change in pitch. According to the user’s guide, speed ranges from approximately two-thirds of normal speed to nearly three times the normal speed. The #3 button on the face of the device toggles between volume and playback speed control. When the user presses the #3 button, both the LCD display and a recorded voice announce whether volume or speed is currently in force. The #1 button increases the volume or playback speed, and the #2 button decreases the volume or playback speed. For playback speed, the numeric value of zero is considered normal playback speed. A negative number indicates slower than normal playback, and a positive number indicates faster than normal playback. At the end of a listening session, the volume Note: This functionality is disabled when music is being played. You cannot turn a waltz into a foxtrot.

Scholar from Telex

Two rubberized blue buttons in the upper right corner of the top of the device are used to speed up or slow down the playback speed without varying the pitch.

Book Port

The A and C keys are used to slow down and speed up the playback speed.

BookCourier from Springer Design

When listening to an MP3 file, it is not possible to change the playback speed.

Plextalk PTR1

The middle toggle button on the front of the device controls both the playback speed and the audio tone. The playback speed has eleven stages, ranging from negative 2 (that is, half speed), to positive 8 (that is, triple speed). Caution: playback speed affects not only spoken audio, but also music playback. Wittingly or unwittingly, you may pick up or slow down the tempo of a tune.

Soul Player

This reviewer was unable to figure out any way to alter the playback speed on the Soul Player.

Tone (Pitch) Adjustment

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus contains a separate set of two keys to raise and lower the tone of the content being played. They are arranged and located similarly to the two-key sets that raise and lower the volume and increase and decrease the speed.

BookCourier from Springer Design

The pitch of the voice on the BookCourier device has 99 settings. The default pitch depends on the voice type currently selected.

PlexTalk PTR1

The middle toggle button on the front of the device controls both the playback speed and the audio tone. The tone can be adjusted in thirteen stages ranging from negative six to positive six. Note: The tone adjustment appears to affect only spoken work playback, not musical and singing playback.

Soul Player

This reviewer was unable to figure out a way to change the pitch of the playback on the Soul Player.

“Go To” and Navigation Functions

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The “go to” function enables the reader to jump to a specific page. A separate key located in the left-center area of the face of the device, initiates this function. Once the function is invoked, the end-user inputs the desired page on the numeric keypad, followed by the # sign to confirm the request to jump.

It also is possible to use the DAISY structure of a book to move among the various elements and various levels. The 2 and 8 keys are used to move up and down among the elements defined in the DAISY structure. The 4 and 6 keys are used to move backward and forward among the elements currently selected. For example, if the 2 and 8 keys have been used to select the chapter level, the 4 and 6 keys can be used to move backward and forward from one chapter to the next.

The 3 key provides a “history” list of places recently visited. The Victor Classic Plus memorizes up to the last five places visited, regardless of the element involved (e.g., chapter, section, paragraph). The history is erased when the book is changed.

Key 5 is the “where am I” key. When pressed, it announces the page number and current level within the book.

Victor Reader Vibe

The “next element” (in the 11 o’clock postion) and the “previous element” (in the 10 o’clock position) keys enable the user to quickly move between the elements or parts of a digital file. How the elements are defined and sliced and diced depends upon the creator’s sense of the parts of the file. For example, in a novel the chapter may be the basic element, while on a musical CD each song may be defined as the element. The Vibe also has a “go to page” key (#7).

Scholar from Telex

If a DAISY book is structured to enable page-level navigation, to go to a specific page, first press the “go to” button, which is marked with a recessed asterisk. This activates the numeric keypad. Enter the numerals of the desired page, then press the small “page” button in the left center area of the top of the device.

BookCourier from Springer Design

With the BookCourier device it is possible to navigate through a text file by paragraph, sentence, or word. The 2 and 8 keys enable you to move upward and downward among the various levels of navigation. Pressing the 4 and 6 keys enable you to move backward and forward among instances of the current level of navigation (e.g., from paragraph to paragraph). To jump to the first or last instance of the current level of navigation, press and hold until the beep either the 4 or the 6 key. If a text file also has defined pages, it is possible to use this set of navigation commands to move from page to page.

According to the user guide, the jump functionality is not implemented in the current crop of BookCourier devices.

PlexTalk PTR1

The PTR1 offers a variety of “go to” options. The user can jump forward or backward by phrase, headings (at multiple levels), group, page, title, and title number. The “go to page” function jumps to any page, and the “go to heading” function jumps to any heading.

Soul Player

When listening to an Audiobook format MP3-CD, the user can press the “menu” button to toggle between various levels of navigation. Chapter level navigation is the default, but page level navigation also is possible. When the menu button is pushed, the LCD displays the chapter number and chapter title or page number currently being played. To move to a previous or subsequent chapter or page, simply press either the down or up buttons directly above the menu button.

Bookmarks

Victor Reader Classic Plus

On the Classic Plus device a separate bookmark key, located in the left-center area on the face of the device, just below the “go to” key, initiates this function. According to the user’s guide, a “virtually unlimited” number of bookmarks can be placed in a book. To insert a bookmark, press the bookmark key twice or until you hear “insert bookmark” announced. To hear the list of bookmarks, press the bookmark key three times or until you hear “bookmark list” announced. To remove a bookmark, press the bookmark key four times or until you hear “remove bookmark” announced. It is possible to remove all of the bookmarks in a book with one sequence of keystrokes. This specific functionality makes it easy for libraries and other organizations that are loaning these devices to multiple users to “scrub” the content clean and return it to its pristine condition prior to recirculation.

Victor Reader Vibe

The #8 key on the unit is the bookmark key.

Scholar from Telex

To set a bookmark, begin by pressing the “set” key, which contains a recessed # marking. Then press the bookmark key. The unit will assign the smallest available number between 1 and 32 to set a bookmark at the current location within the file. To go to an established bookmark, press the “go to” key, which activates the numeric keypad. Then enter the number of the desired bookmark, then press the “bookmark” key.

BookCourier from Springer Design

According to the user guide, the BookCourier device enables the user to set an “almost unlimited” number of bookmarks in each file. The feature automatically creates a name for the bookmark consisting of the first five words of the file following the place where the bookmark was set. It is possible to move forward and backward from bookmark to bookmark, or you can access the entire list of bookmarks associated with a file, then select the desired bookmark.

PlexTalk PTR1

The user can set up to 10,000 bookmarks on any one disc or 30 minutes of voice bookmarks. If you happen to create 10,000 bookmarks on a disc (good luck), the next bookmark you create will automatically delete the oldest bookmark on the disc. The PTR1 offers four types of bookmarks: simple, numbered, voice, and resume. Only one simple bookmark can be added per title. To enter a simple bookmark, press the diamond-shaped “check” key twice, then press the #/enter key to confirm. To add a numbered bookmark, press the “check” key twice, then enter on the numeric keypad the numerals for the newly created bookmark, then press the #/enter key to confirm. Note: Although “only” 10,000 bookmarks can be created on any given disc, the assigned numbers of the bookmarks can range from 1 to 650,000. To add a voice bookmark, press the “check” key three times. Then press a numeral on the keypad to assign a number to the voice bookmark about to be created, then press the #/return key. Then press and hold the red and round and concave “record” key to input your voice bookmark. When finished release the “record” key.

Soul Player

The Soul Player offers a bookmark feature for regular audio CDs, MP3, and WMA files. To bookmark a song or file, press the “reread” button when the song or file is being played. To play back the bookmarked songs or files, while the device is in playback mode, press the “menu” button until the display reads “Playlist—Bookmark”, then press the “play/pause” button

Annotations

Victor Reader Classic Plus

Evidently it is not possible to add annotations to a book or file.

Book Port

Voice annotations can be created as separate files.

PlexTalk PTR1

Up to 30 minutes of voice bookmarks and memos can be input. The default factory setting allocated 15 minutes each for voice bookmarks and notepads, but it is possible to reallocate this memory to meet your particular needs. On each “notepad” the user can record up to one minute. It even is possible to record a voice notepad note, then set a date and time for it to be played back automatically. You also can backup notepad notes to a CD or PC card.

Calendar

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus does not contain a calendar feature.

Book Port

The Book Port can announce the time.

BookCourier from Springer Design

The BookCourier has a date and time feature. Simultaneously press both the shift (plus) key and the question mark key.

PlexTalk PTR1

The PTR1 includes a calendar. If the user presses and holds the information key, a voice announces the time, date, and the current charge of the rechargeable battery.

Calculator

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus does not contain a calculator.

PlexTalk PTR1

The PTR1 includes a calculator. Twelve digits is the limit for both input and calculation.

Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Victor Reader Classic Plus

Evidently, the Classic Plus contains no TTS functionality.

BookCourier

The BookCourier contains a TTS function. According to the documentation, it is RC Systems DoubleTalk.

Book Port

The Book Port contains a TTS functionality. The default voice is “Precise Pete”. Other voices available include Robo Robert, Perfect Paul, Ray Jay Randy, Biff, Skip, and a couple of inscrutable males. All of the preloaded voices are male.

Spelling Words

Book Port

To have the current word spelled, when the device is idle press and hold the 5 key until one beep.

BookCourier from Springer Design

To have the unit spell a word, simultaneously press the shift key and the 8 key. When you use the word spell feature, the navigation level automatically shifts to word level. Pressing the 4 and 6 keys enables you to move backward or forward word-by-word until you find the word you want to have spelled.

Recording Audio

Victor Reader Classic Plus

Evidently it is not possible to record audio on the Classic Plus.

Victor Reader Vibe

Evidently it is not possible to record audio on the Vibe.

BookCourier from Springer Design

With the BookCourier device it is possible to record voice files in WAV format and save them on the compact flash memory card. Each voice file you create contains a date/time stamp and is stored in the same folder as the current file being accessed. To be able to create a voice recording, the user must be either listening to a file or in the library of files and folders.

Book Port from APH

The Book Port also can function as an audio recorder, allowing the end-user to input audio notes and reminders. The microphone is built into the playback device. All recorded audio files are stored in a special folder on the device.

PTR1

The PTR1 has both playback and audio recording capabilities. During the process of recording audio it is possible to create heading and page navigation pointers for later navigation through the recorded audio file. The PTR1 contains a built-in microphone.

Cancel command or function

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The star (*) key is the cancel key.

Victor Reader Vibe

To cancel any command, press any five buttons. A voice will announce the cancellation.

Scholar from Telex

The unit contains a small, blue, rubberized button at the top center of the front of the device (above the LCD display) for undoing and redoing a command.

BookCourier from Springer Design

To cancel a command on the BookCourier device, press the 0 key.

PlexTalk PTR1

The star (*) key functions as the cancel key.

Eject or Remove the CD

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus contains a separate, distinctively shaped key for ejecting a CD. For some reason, the arrow part of the button points in toward the CD drive, rather than the more logical away. This is an eject button, after all. When the button is pressed, the unit vocalizes the word “eject”. If no disc is in the unit when the eject button is pressed, the unit vocalizes the words “eject, no disc”. When the unit is turned off, the eject button does not work.

Victor Reader Vibe

To remove a CD from the Vibe, slide to open button to unlatch the clam, then manually raise the top of the clam shell and manually remove the CD.

Scholar from Telex

To remove a CD from the Scholar, unhook the door clamp and open the CD clam. The CD itself must be manually removed from the unit.

PlexTalk PTR1

The PTR1 contains a separate, distinctively designed (rectangular and metallic) key for ejecting a CD. When the eject button is pressed, the unit vocalizes the phrase “eject, please wait”. When the ejection process is complete, the unit announces “no disc”. If no disc is in the unit when the eject button is pressed, the unit vocalizes the words “no disc”. When the unit is turned off, the eject button does not work.

Soul Player

To remove a disc from the Soul Player, slide the open button at the front of the device to the right, then manually raise the top of the clam shell and manually remove the device. Note: finger guides to assist with removing a disc are located at the “three o’clock” and “nine o’clock” positions in the interior bottom portion of the clam shell.

Delete a File

Victor Reader Classic Plus

Evidently, with the Classic Plus it is impossible to erase a file from the inserted CD, either intentionally or accidentally.

BookCourier from Springer Design

To delete a file from the library of files and folders, first navigate to the desired file, then simultaneously press the shift (plus) key and the diamond key. The device will ask you to confirm your wish to delete the file by re-executing the command. Evidently, it is possible to delete a file only when in the library (candlestick optional), not when a file is being played.

Book Port

The Book Port uses a sequence of keystrokes to erase the file currently being played. It also contains a command that enables a file to be locked so that it cannot be erased.

Reset the Settings

BookCourier from Springer Design

By simultaneously pressing the 2 and diamond keys, it is possible to reset the device, which returns the system settings to their default values. This command works even if the device is locked.

PTR1

The “clear all setting” function on the PTR1 deletes all bookmarks and notepads, deletes the “on” timer, and defaults to the original recording and volume settings

Transfer Content To and From the Device

Victor Reader Classic Plus

Evidently, under normal operating conditions the Classic Plus reads content only from the CD currently inserted into the device.

BookCourier from Springer Design

To transfer content to the BookCourier you need to use the transfer tool software that is loaded during the installation process onto your PC. A USB cable connects the device with the PC.

Book Port

The Book Port Transfer software is loaded on the PC to manage the transfer of content to and from the playback device. Version 1.3.0.0 was reviewed. Installing the software was quick and easy. When the Book Port device is connected to a PC with the Book Port Transfer software installed, the software automatically launches and takes the user to the most recently accessed folder.

PlexTalk PTR1

The PTR1 offers a variety of functional methods for copying and deleting content between internal memory, CD, and PC card.

Turn off the unit

Victor Reader Classic Plus

To turn off the unit, press and hold the gray power button located in the right center of the face of the device. Two beeps indicate that the unit has been turned off.

Victor Reader Vibe

Turning off the unit is a one-step process. To turn off the Vibe, press and hold the #2 key.

Scholar from Telex

To turn off the unit, press and hold the play/stop button, the red button labeled #5 in the middle of the top of the unit.

Book Port

Because it utilizes flash memory and no moving parts, the Book Port has not separate functionality for turning off the device.

BookCourier from Springer Design

To conserve battery power, the unit automatically turns itself off after ten seconds of inactivity. To manually turn off the BookCourier, simultaneously press then release the shift (plus) key and the 5 key.

PlexTalk PTR1

To turn off the PTR1, slide the sliding button on the left side of the device toward the front (that is, toward you). Interspersed with various musical riffs is a female voice announcing “shut down”.

Soul Player

To turn off the Soul Player, press and hold the “off/volume down” key located just above the “three o’clock” position on the circular arrangement of 11 buttons on the top of the device. Caution: be sure to press and hold the key. If you just press and release the key, you turn down the volume rather than turn off the unit.

On/Off Timer

Victor Reader Classic Plus

The Classic Plus offers a sleep mode functionality. By pressing the 9 key, the user can delay the automatic turnoff of the device up to a maximum of 60 minutes. Each press of the 9 key increased the delayed turnoff in increments of 15 minutes.

BookCourier from Springer Design

With the BookCourier the “sleep” timer can be set in increments of five minutes up to one hour.

Book Port

The device contains an internal clock and timer that enables the device to automatically turn off after a predetermined time, in case the user falls asleep while using the device. The default is 30 minutes.

PlexTalk PTR1

The PTR1 includes an on/off timer. By default, if the device is operating on battery power and no key is pressed for 30 minutes, the device shuts itself off. If the device is connected to a wall outlet, it does not shut down automatically.

Soul Player

Evidently, the Soul Player turns itself off automatically after a couple of minutes of inactivity. This seems to happen regardless of the source of power—batteries or direct current.

The Soul Player also has a sleep timer. By default it is set to “off” but it can be set in increments of 10 minutes up to a maximum of 120 minutes.

Getting Help

BookCourier from Springer Design

To get help information about a specific key, first press the question mark key, then press the key about which you want information. The voice briefly explains the three functions invoked by the press-and-release, the press-and-hold-until-the-beep, and the shift-and-press methods of invoking functions. To listen to the user guide for the device, press and hold the question mark key.

Final Thoughts

All of these devices need to be used much more than this reviewer was able to in order to gauge their real usefulness in the everyday life of the end-user. Although all of them were fairly easy to unpack and make minimally operational (at least for a sighted person), many of the advanced features and functionalities of these devices would take some time to integrate into one’s personal style of accessing and interacting with audio content.

As the NLS “Audio Technology Initiatives” report indicates (NLS Technical Circular Number 03-02), “The challenge is to incorporate the complexity of the format and provide the features it makes possible without destroying the simplicity of the basic reading experience.”

Additional Information

Other Pertinent Studies and Reports

Leventhal, Jay, and Janina Sajka. 2004. Product Evaluation: Read Me, Read Me Not: A Review of Four DAISY Book Players. AccessWorld 5 (1).

http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw050104

WGBH National Center for Accessible Media in Boston

http://ncam.wgbh.org/ebooks/comparison.html

Contains summary comparison tables for ebook software and hardware, as well as digital talking book software and hardware.

NLS DTB Initiatives

2003 Business Plan

Late in 2003 the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) posted on its website a new business plan concerning conversion from analog to digital talking books. The plan can be found at http://www.loc.gov/nls/businessplan2003.html. Some notes and excerpts from the report are listed below. 

Flash Memory: The main thing NLS seems to be waiting for—and betting on—is a significant decline in the cost of flash memory storage. “NLS has investigated three types of digital media: (1) CD-ROM; (2) magnetic hard drive; and (3) flash memory. Based upon an evaluation of the relevant technological and economic characteristics of these three media types taken in tandem with the operational environment of the program, NLS has concluded that at this time a flash memory-based delivery system is the best alternative, with one major proviso: the wholesale unit price of flash memory must decline further before implementation is economically feasible.” They need to have 128 MB flash memory cards drop in price to around $10 by 2008.

ANSI/NISO/DAISY Specification: “The proposed structure of the future system will be based on the "Specifications for the Digital Talking Book," ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2002, which was approved March 6, 2002 (see appendix 3)….”

Collection: The collection will add approximately 2,000 new DTBs each year. “…NLS has been developing its digital collection since FY 2002. NLS will produce all recorded book titles in digital format beginning in FY 2004, and has goals to produce 10,000 new titles in digital format by FY 2008, convert another 10,000 existing analog titles to digital format by FY 2008, and continue to produce an average of 2,000 titles per year during FY 2008 and in future years.”

Delivery of Content: “NLS anticipates that, ultimately, most patrons of the program will download digital reading materials via the Internet using a variety of broadband channels, and store and read books and magazines on portable playback machines designed specifically for use with such a delivery system.”

Playback Devices: Quoting from the NLS Business Plan, “NLS expects to have 50,000 digital playback machines available for distribution by FY 2008. The plan is to have two types of machines, the predominant type intended for straight "linear" reading and the other with more-complex features.”

Digital Talking Magazines: “The modus operandi to be employed for digital magazine storage and distribution is yet to be determined; a disposable flash memory-based magazine will probably not be economically feasible. Two alternatives under consideration are returnable magazines and a delayed digital conversion of the magazine title list. It is likely that magazines will be produced on disposable cassettes well beyond the end of the book and machine conversion period.”

Librarian of Congress DMCA Circumvention Ruling (Nov. 2003)

November 4, 2003 (Washington)—The Librarian of Congress issued a ruling last week supporting the right of people who are blind or visually impaired to gain full access to electronic books (eBooks). The ruling provides an exemption to the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act DMCA), making it legal to circumvent any encrypted or protected features that render the text inaccessible for the specialized computer technologies used by people who are blind or visually impaired to read electronic text.

"This ruling upholds the fundamental right to read for all people," said Carl Augusto, President of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). "The emerging electronic book technologies have the potential to make published information more accessible and usable to people who are blind or visually impaired. By removing barriers to utilizing eBooks, the Library ensured all people can continue to enjoy the benefits of progress."

This ruling is the result of a concerted advocacy effort by AFB to bring this issue to the attention of the Librarian of Congress. AFB originally requested the exemption in December 2002, and later provided testimony and evidence to show that approximately 50 percent of currently published eBooks are inaccessible for people who are blind and visually impaired.

"This is a major victory, but there is more work to do," continued Augusto. "AFB will continue to work with Congress, the Librarian and publishers to ensure future titles are fully accessible for people who are blind or visually impaired."

DMCA, which became U.S. law in 1998, makes it a felony to develop or use technology to get around security provisions of various classes of intellectual property including software, ebooks, DVD movies and audio, among others.

The Librarians ruling provides an exemption for: "Literary works distributed in eBook format when all existing eBook editions of the work (including digital text editions made available by authorized entities) contain access controls that prevent the enabling of the eBook's read-aloud function and the enabling of screen readers to render the text into a specialized format."

Additional information about the DMCA and on this ruling, including copies of all testimony, can be found on line at www.copyright.gov/1201/.

Press Release Announcing Project HAL

The following press release was distributed to various groups, organizations, and individuals on or about October 10, 2003.

Handheld Accessible Libraries – Project HAL!




The Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center and TAP Information Services will undertake 

Project HAL(Handheld, Accessible Libraries), a critical analysis and evaluation of DAISY-enabled, 

portable playback devices intended primarily for use by the blind and visually impaired to access 

and enjoy digital talking books. 


The purpose of the DAISY standard, developed by the DAISY Consortium, is to make all published 

information available to persons with print disabilities in an accessible, feature-rich, 

navigable format. Examples of such devices include the 

Victor Vibe from VisuAide, the Telex Scholar from Telex Communications, the Book Port from the American Printing House for the Blind, the PTR1 Plextalk Portable Recorder from Plextalk, and the BookCourier from Springer Design. 




Tom Peters from TAP Information Services will conduct the evaluation of these 

devices and write the final report. Peters was a co-author 

of the 2003 LITA publication, E-Book Functionality: 

What Libraries and Their Patrons Want and Expect from Electronic Book Technologies. 

Project HAL will produce a similar list and feature analysis of the devices and software functionalities 

for digital talking book (DTB) playback devices. 




This project builds upon an earlier pilot project conducted this year, eAudio with digital audio books and Otis MP3 players from Audible.com. 

Talking book readers who tried the digital audio books and Otises liked the sound quality and portability of the MP3 player, but expressed the need for more accessibility features. 

The final report on the eAudio project can be found at http://www.mitbc.org/eaudiofinal.doc.




Tom Peters from TAP Information Services observed, “Digital content presents 

very real promise to the blind and visually impaired. 

It is wonderful seeing all these devices come to market, but they need to be evaluated, compared and 


contrasted, and field tested to ensure that they actually are useful to end-users.”




Readers and information industry professionals who have firsthand 

experience with these devices are encouraged to contact Peters(tapinformation@yahoo.com) to share experiences and suggestions.

 
The report and recommendations will be released in late December 2003. 

 
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 Project HAL, please contact either Tom Peters (816-228-6406 or tapinformation@yahoo.com) or Lori Bell (309-353-4110 or lbell@alliancelibrarysystem.com).

Press Release Announcing Release of the Final Report (First Version) January 2004

The Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center and TAP Information Services have completed a critical analysis and evaluation of portable audio devices intended primarily for use by print-impaired individuals to access and enjoy digital talking books.

Five devices were examined and reviewed:

· Victor Reader Classic Plus from Visuaide

· Victor Reader Vibe from Visuaide

· Scholar from Telex Communications

· BookCourier from Springer Design

· 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.htm.

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 (www.tapinformation.com) provides a wide variety of services 

supporting libraries, consortia, government agencies, museums, publishers, and other 

information organizations. 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 Lori Bell (lbell@alliancelibrarysystem.com) or Tom Peters (tapinformation@yahoo.com).

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[1] Although the official name for this device is the Victor Reader Classic +, for the purposes of this report the plus sign has been spelled out.