Hi, Cathy. Well said. Even with my 48 mb braille note, once I got near 400
messages, the bn would slow to a crawl. I had plenty of space with 29 mb
free. The MPower doesn't seem to have these problems. But I agree with what
you say needs to be done. Really, this email program needs to be rewritten
from the ground up without the database approach along with your other
suggestions.
At 9/17/2005, you wrote:
I've learned some things about setting system limits with the voicenote
through all these difficulties I've had with mine. I really wish Dean
would comment on these issues, but if not, perhaps others who have more
extensive experience can add to the information I've gathered.
I have had a load of trouble with my email on my Voicenote. Because I am
unable to get out of bed often, I have been using the Voicenote with
wireless connection to the Internet to do my email. Because I shop a lot
online and because I m a writer, I keep a whole lot of my email on the
system. Copying it to the cf card from the voicenote is an awkward
process, and with the feature to create folders and move the messages to
those folders, that was what I did with over 300 messages, about 2 MB of
information. This email message database handles things in an interesting
manner which either copies them into more than one location, or actually
just keeps a directory of where they need to be locatable and then stores
them only in one database in reality. I cannot tell which for certain. But
as you will see if you delete a file from a user created folder, you are
asked whether you just want it deleted from that folder or moved to the
trash, so different handling takes place depending on your
choices. OK anyhow, long story short (too late) as the email database gets
fuller, approaching 2 MB, the system's accuracy diminishes with slower and
slower processing of incoming mail, deleting of mail, freeing of database
space spell checking, and so on.
It was Sam who pointed this out to me and rather than deleting and
rebuilding my database for email all at once, I decided to back out of it
bit by bit as it were. I deleted the contents of and the folder from my
voicenote messages - 1 MB of data. I then freed that space in the
database. This left about 800 KB of messages still stored on my voicenote
in various email folders. Since that point it seems everything is
straightened out. The mail is downloading at proper speed, the editing,
spell checking, deleting, moving and so on of files is working smoothly,
the speech is reading accurately, and things seem to be going just fine.
So the issue is, even though I had 11 plus MB of space available on the
Flash Disk, storing more than 1 MB of email there seemed to clog the
system works. If this is a limitation of the database handling power of
the unit, could Humanware
1. Set this limit from the start when explaining about the email folders
you can create. Warn that storing more than 1 MB of mail on the unit will
slow processing and could corrupt the database.
2. Allow creation of email storage folders on other drives directly
within the email system. When prompted for where to move the message,
allow a different device and folder to be included in the path rather than
just the creation and use of another folder title within the email
database on the flashdisk. This could give long term storage for messages
easily . IT could even be storage not then accessible from the email
program if necessary, sort of cold storage. But it would be easier to use
than the ctrl-S process where so much has to be entered and done with
each message copied.
3. Can Humanware explain the limitations to the data processing so we
understand what we are really working within? How big a datagase or file
is too big for the system to work with directly? How large a file is
needed to slow the system down? On a PC you can see what's happening with
the overhead of the unit. Can you run us through the picture of the
Voicenote's overhead so we know how much is left to be dealing with spell
checking, editing, database manipulation, etc. How much RAM is there
and how is the rest of memory being handled? If a Keybook file is left on
hold, is it taking up overhead from the email process one switches to? If
an MP3 file is left on pause while you check something on the Internet,
is that putting a heavier load on the system than if you turn off the
music and back out of the Media Player first then go to the Internet?
Clearly, although this unit allows us to get some of our email, to browse
parts of the Internet, to play some music, and so on, it has limitations
of media types and processes that are pretty clear, but also of amounts
that would be nice to understand. It would seem that keeping few things
on the flash disk with lots of empty space isn't as important as how large
the file in which they are kept urns out to be. Can you please give us
these limitations and parameters?
___
To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit
http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
