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
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
TAP Information Services
Tom Peters, Founder
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.
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
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
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
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
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 (
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
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,
Tel: (450) 463-1717
Toll free: 1-888-723-7273 (
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
VisuAide
841, Blvd. Jean-Paul Vincent,
Tel: (450) 463-1717
Toll free: 1-888-723-7273 (
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
Telex Communications, Inc.
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
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,
Phone: 925-838-1885
Website: http://www.springer-design.com/BookCourier.htm
Email: sales@springer-design.com
Book Port
A copy of the
device with the catalog number
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
A one-year warranty on any defects in materials or workmanship is made
on the PTR1.
Plextor Corp.
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
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
Spring Lake
616-846-7836
800-854-8209
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
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
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
The
Feedback from Actual User: The tradeoff between price and
functionality for the
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
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
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
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
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
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
The
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.