Sabahattin, I certainly agree with you regarding bugs and software shortcomings which become apparent once the software is in use by users.
I really think PDI is addressing many of these in both the os and keysoft upgrades. I feel certain that although not all will be addressed in 6.1, they are laying the groundwork for addressing even more issues. One can certainly disagree with certain aspects of PDI's philosophy concerning the bn and what it should be and do. But, I think I see this philosophy changing a bit in order to respond to user demands and needs as well as technological advances. No one is ever totally and one hundred percent happy with a particular device since by the time it's original planning is in place, software is written and tested, technology has moved on. I think this is even more apparent with a nitch market such as that for the bn. You're always going to be playing catch up, and then someone has to be willing to take the gamble and put up the money too. I think the sdk will really be a good thing for the bn and it really does sound like PDI is aware of this and working towards it's release. It's a hard line to draw; between bug fixes and new features to attract more customers. I certainly agree with you about the need for users to take the time to learn their devices. I certainly don't mean to imply that all users should become experts, and if people do have problems and questions they should have a place to bring them up and hopefully get satisfactory responses. But, at the same time, PDI has put together learning materials for the bn and people should be expected to at least look through some of this material since that's what it's for. Some of this could be better, but again, PDI is working on this and I've seen tremendous improvements both in documentation as well as bn functionality since I've been a user. I think the archives are a great source of learning materials too, and maybe info on accessing them should be posted to the list on a periodic basis. Along this same line, archives could be more easily searched when subject lines more adequately reflect the message content. Of course, this is always a problem and isn't going to go away, but maybe it doesn't hurt to mention it every now and then as we are all guilty of just going with the subject line of the moment. I think this is probably enough said on this subject from me. Thanks for your thoughtful and constructive responses Sabahattin. On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 23:51:26 +0100, Sabahattin Gucukoglu wrote: Don Hi Don, On 4 Aug 2004 at 15:19, Don Bishop <[email protected]> spoke, thus: > I was definitely being sarcastic. I've been on this list for over 3 years > and maybe that's just too long. But, time and time again, I hear people > wishing the bn could do all sorts of things which are really beyond the > capability of a notetaker or pda. They seem to think it should be able to > be a replacement for their pc and it isn't. That depends on the features in question. I don't suggest that you are wrong, necessarily, but the point of my last message was to emphasise the need to concentrate on fixing existing bugs that are - time and time again and without any real justification - popping up again and again on this list. It is too much for me that if anyone searched the archives they would probably find at least ten copies of the answer they are seeking. I have that archive, right here, easily accessible as a mail folder which I imported from the MBOX which is downloadable from the list page. I am seeing the same stuff, over and over again: PackMate vs Braillenote, why the translator doesn't work like x, why the email program isn't doing y, why this and that error occurred when saving a document. Given the recent discussion about the incidental file erasures and the so- called "Email overload", these are problems which I can see a number of ways of fixing, and which don't require any change of hardware at all. They require only a change of software and a change of attitude, and possibly a change of release cycles. It is these sort of fixes, if anything, that need attention now rather than later, and certainly before implementing any new features (when the SDK becomes available, that will be the community's responsibility). > The bn is a great device and getting even better, but a pc it will never > be, certainly not with the current hardware configuration. A handheld is never a PC, whatever its configuration. But, and I say this with some regret, I can see myself alone with the competition and surviving without a PC and simply cannot see the same for the BrailleNote. Why? Because the email program is, from where I am, useless. The competition has the industry, mainstream advantage. Yes, I agree with you that the BrailleNote is an excellent device and generally does what it does do well, exceptionally well. I am looking forward to all the new features, as well as some fixes. But there are much-needed improvements in programs that are already there. Those improvements must come first! > But, this keeps coming up time and time again, and I really do wonder > sometimes if people really do realize just what the capabilities and > limitations are of the device they're purchasing. >From a technical viewpoint, the BrailleNote is a small computer. It has a CPU, some storage modules, controllers for operating various devices, and so on. Theoretically, that little BrailleNote can do anything, albeit slowly. People out there have taken the trouble to port a version of UNIX to varying numbers of handhelds, and use them for doing everything from web browsing to developing programs. I aint kidding you here. There are two things you see differently: first, PulseData has already decided what you can and cannot do. Secondly, the operating system you are running and mainstream programs are not visible to you directly. The first point is a matter of PulseData releasing its SDK and being better at squashing bugs. The latter is a serious impairment. This impairment justifies people's requests for media players, instant messaging programs, and everything else that a normal handheld owner can already do. So, yes - a handheld is a handheld. But no - it can do more than PulseData decides it can do. We are going off-topic for the message I sent, I don't want another Packmate Vs BrailleNote discussion (yawn). I just wanted to make it clear that PulseData's decisions have a big impact on its users, not the case for other devices, and that as such these problems must be addressed now. It is not enough that we be expected to use buggy software whose three or four releases should have fixed most, if not all, outstanding problems in them, particularly those which have been talked about often or which appear to be critical or grave. [...] > Sorry I even mentioned it. No problem, here's a new twist for you if you haven't had it already. And I'm pleased you were just being sarcastic! Cheers, Sabahattin -- Thought for the day: Advertising (n): the science of arresting the human intelligence for long enough to get money from it. -- Stephen Leacock. Sabahattin Gucukoglu Phone: +44 20 7,502-1615 Mobile: +44 7986 053399 http://www.sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/ Email/MSN: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ___ To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
