Yes they can, but many people that use a bn product have only
that bn product and not a pc. If they have a pc, it is (in my
mind anyway) a slower process to get where you want to go on the
site using a pc than on a bn, even if pages take longer to load
on the bn; it just seems easier. Besides, there are a lot of
things we could do on the pc, like use MS Word to translate
documents, but we would all still like to be able to handle these
documents directly instead of needing another machine just to do
something we (in the case of Bookshare) have been able to do for
years. Hope this made sense; I was up for an 8:00 meeting with
my math professor this morning and got to bed much later than I
intended last night, so I am kind of tired as I write this. BTW,
it was a fair question, not redundant if you have missed some of
the thread.
Have a great day,
Alex
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nikki B." <[email protected]
To: "'Alex Hall'" <[email protected]>,"'Ray Campbell'"
<[email protected]>,<[email protected].
com
Date sent: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:54:18 -0600
Subject: RE: [Braillenote] FW: Bookshare Issue with Braille Notes
Alex,
Just a question. You say these people will not be able to access
Bookshare;
however, can't anyone use a computer to download and unzip the
Bookshare
files and then just put them on the BN to read? I will admit I
haven't been
following this thread very carefully so perhaps this is a
redundant point.
Sorry if that is the case.
Nikki B.
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Alex
Hall
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 9:39 PM
To: Ray Campbell; [email protected]
Subject: re: [Braillenote] FW: Bookshare Issue with Braille Notes
I agree. I think the worst part, though, is that the fix will
not be a
patch (this was indicated by the announcement made a couple weeks
ago by Mr.
Slone of Humanware). Instead, it will be a new keysoft upgrade.
This means
that (A) people have to buy the upgrade/use SMA counts to upgrade
just to
access a website that has been, at most, $50 per year since it
started and
has never had to be paid for in regards to special software or
anything of
the kind before and (B) this leaves classic users in the dust.
Humanware
has said it will not update the classics to fix this problem
because it is
no longer updating keysoft for classics, yet they released three
patches to
the most recent release of keysoft (7.5) which worked just fine
on all
models of Braillenote, INCLUDING the classic. With the exception
of the
braille display transplant, there is no trade-in or
price-reducing program
for moving from a classic to an mPower, and I know several people
that still
use classics, not counting some of the braillenote users in my
school
district whom I do not know well. None of them will be able to
access
Bookshare because Humanware is not updating the classics with a
patch that
needs to be released a month ago!
Have a great day,
Alex
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Campbell" <[email protected]
To: <[email protected]
Date sent: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:14:19 -0600
Subject: [Braillenote] FW: Bookshare Issue with Braille Notes
Hi All:
Below is a copy of a message I sent both to Humanware and
Bookshare regarding the inability of Braille Note users to access
Bookshare's new site. Read and enjoy. I'm using web mail to
forward this
which I hope will not mean it will come out in HTML.
If it does, I sincerely apologize for that.
Ray Campbell, Adaptive Technology Help Desk Technician, the
Chicago Lighthouse
[email protected]
________________________________
From: Ray Campbell [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Mon 1/26/2009 8:24 PM
To: [email protected]; [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Bookshare Issue with Braille Notes
Hello:
I have been reading with great interest and increasing concern
about
the inability of users of the Braille Note family of Products to
access
the new Bookshare website and download materials because of the
new
standard Bookshare is using to "pack" their books. I am a
Braille note
user, but not currently a Bookshare subscriber. I have worked
for over
three years in the Adaptive Technology field and I have over 15
years
experience in software engineering and development. The opinions
expressed herein are strictly my own.
I have come to the conclusion that while both Bookshare and
Humanware
are at fault for the now inability of Braille Note users to
access
Bookshare content, Humanware must take most of the blame.
Bookshare
should have been much more proactive with manufacturers of
products
like the Braille Note in working with them on the changes they
were
making and not putting their new site on-line until these
manufacturers
had the chance to appropriately modify their software so the user
of
products like the Braille Note would have uninterrupted access to
Bookshare content. After all, Bookshare was the first site of
its kind
to be usable directly by those with Braille Notes.
Humanware, However, is mostly at fault here. They have not
offered any
acceptable solution to the Bookshare issue. Then should have
been
prepared with a free software patch to their latest version of
Keysoft,
Version 7.5, so that when the new Bookshare site came on-line,
Braille
Note users could download and install it and enjoy uninterrupted
access.
Both Bookshare and Humanware are offering unacceptable, temporary
solutions to address this issue. Bookshare indicates it is
maintaining
its old site atstatic.legacy.bookshare.org so that Braille Note
users
can still download content. This is not acceptable because this
site
is not being updated with new content including books, newspapers
and
other things. This is particularly hard hitting to those who are
deaf-blind who have come to depend on access to Bookshare content
for
their news and information. While many of us were celebrating
the
Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack
Obama,
many of these individuals were deprived of celebrating along with
us
because they could not access the news and information they
depend on.
Many of these individuals do not own personal computers, so the
Braille
Note is the only internet access they enjoy.
For its part, Humanware has stated a solution will not be
forthcoming
until the next Keysoft release. However, they have offered no
idea as
to how long it will be before that release comes out. This means
those
for whom the Braille Note is their only access to Bookshare
content are
being left behind for an indefinite period of time.
The ball is in Humanware's court. Humanware must move quickly to
develop, test and make available a software patch for the Braille
Note
family of products so that Braille Note users can once again
enjoy
access to Bookshare through their new site. This should not be
too
hard to do as the software needed to unpack the new Bookshare
convent
is standard and available for the Windows CE platform on which
the
Braille Note runs. If for any unexplained reason they make
excuses as
to why this cannot be done, then Bookshare must commit to
providing up
to date content both on their new site and on their legacy site
so that
Braille Note users can access and enjoy it. Furthermore, either
Humanware or Bookshare must set up a program to refund part of
the
latest nearly Bookshare subscription fee to users who have been
shut
out of accessing Bookshare content.
What has happened with Bookshare and Humanware is a terrible
injustice
to people who are blind, especially those who are deaf-blind who
depend
on using the Braille Note with Bookshare.
Let's see a fast resolution to this problem which fully restores
access
for those who depend on it!
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No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.7/1894 - Release Date:
1/25/2009
6:13 PM
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