There is another option available short of hyper expensive headsets that will do all the expensive headsets will do -- and more. This takes a little set-up, but if you can set up a stereo system and have a little patience, this can be (and is) a cool set-up. I have a standard stereo platonic's headset with boom microphone. It is noise canceling, and that is important for dictation using Naturally Speaking. I have a couple of jacks from Headset Buddy (a great Web store) and an 8 channel mixer board -- more channels than I need, but the 8 channel was on sale for $50. I have a Cisco VOIP phone on my desk. The two leads from the underneath of the phone (the headset jack) are routed into the mixer board. Similarly, my laptop's input/output leads are routed into the mixer board (actually, the input/output leads are off a Plantronics USB card with input/output. Next the headset microphone/stereo sound output leads are routed into the mixer board. Finally, my iphone (again using a Headset Buddy jack) is routed into the mixer board. The mixer board has separate balance and volume controls for each channel. So, what does this allow me to do? A. I can listen to JAWS or the phone in one ear or the other, switch sides, or balance between ears and independently increase and decrease the volume of the phone and the computer, whether it is the VOIP Cisco desk phone or my iPhone. Actually, I cannot, from the mixer board independently switch the volume of VoiceOver and the phone. B. From the headset, I can speak over the Cisco VOIP desk phone or my iPhone or dictate to my computer using Dragon Naturally Speaking. I can switch among all three of these inputs. I can now hear (after VoiceOver 5.1) the caller ID announced either through my PC (using Access-A-Phone) or hear caller ID over my iPhone -- or both. Both only occurs when someone calls my desk phone. After the third ring, the desk phone and the iPhone ring simultaneously. The whole thing cost me less than $250 -- not counting the cost of the iPhone, desk phone, and laptop. This is not for the faint of heart, but if you need to be connected and also need to get work done, this arrangement, once set up, is a real productivity booster.
I. Edward Marquette Direct Dial: 816.502.4646 Mobile: 816.812.0088 Google Voice: 408.692.5640 Facsimile: 816.960.0041 Kutak Rock LLP 1010 Grand Boulevard Suite 500 Kansas City, MO 64106 [email protected] ANY FEDERAL TAX ADVICE CONTAINED IN THIS MESSAGE SHOULD NOT BE USED OR REFERRED TO IN THE PROMOTING, MARKETING OR RECOMMENDING OF ANY ENTITY, INVESTMENT PLAN OR ARRANGEMENT, AND SUCH ADVICE IS NOT INTENDED OR WRITTEN TO BE USED, AND CANNOT BE USED, BY A TAXPAYER FOR THE PURPOSE OF AVOIDING PENALTIES UNDER THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE. This E-mail message is confidential, is intended only for the named recipients above and may contain information that is privileged, attorney work product or otherwise protected by applicable law. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender at 402-346-6000 and delete this E-mail message. Thank you. For answers to frequently asked questions about this list visit: http://www.jaws-users.com/help/
