A most informative post and I see where you're coming from regarding the touch screen, I use one here though I know people who would have a lot of trouble using a touch screen particularly on a moving train and buttons have their place.
Unfortunately it seems that buttons are gradually being replaced with touch screens. I'm one who has never relied on voice and I think in some cases voice synthesis and voice guidance is a right pain in the bum, as you say when you're listening to music whilst out and about its usually the case that you just want to "Play, pause and stop" and you know where those controls are, after all! when using the old faithful walkman you didn't have a voice to prompt you <smile>. Even though I have an iPhone, will be getting an iPod touch before they're no longer available - they're being fazed out by Apple this year - and an iPad I see attractions in the Plextalk Pocket, you've noted a few. I've heard reports of the Plextalk Pocket having terrible battery life? According to email I've been receiving users are only getting around 4 hours instead of the 10 hours claimed? Well you know how it is, one's always hearing things and one has to try things for oneself <smile>. On 23/01/2012, at 8:44 AM, David Griffith wrote: > I have had a Pocket Plextalk since 2008. > One died on me a couple of weeks ago and I went straight down to the RNIB > for a replacement. > I do however use it every day, for several hours today so this is probably > why it has given out finally. > I hope that the RNIB will be able to repair my old one. > I know there are touch screen devices but I like the functionality with > very tactile buttons. On a noisy train for example, I do not really need the > speech feedback for many functions as I just know the key sequences. . > I use it in no particular order for > 1. Music - I still like the simple way it will just treat a folder as an > album and play it without having to mess with tags or playlist > 2. Daisy and audio books. > 3. Podcasts - I have abandoned using Juice on my PC or I-Tunes as it is much > easier to download and listen to Podcasts on the fly on the Plextalk. > Especially if you set up menu shortcuts to update the podcasts feed and > delete podcasts you have listened to. > 4. Reading of saved web pages such as a law judgment , word documents and > eBooks. I find the variety of documents supported on the Plextalk very > convenient. I put text books that I have scanned or downloaded onto it and > listen to them whilst I am doing the housework or dishes. This makes me feel > good as I am getting two jobs done at once! Also if going to a meeting I > simply stick the agenda on the Plextalk and do not bother taking a netbook > etc. In theory I could use the text input feature of the Plextalk to takes > some notes but honestly have not bothered with this. I either record > meetings or make some short audio notes afterwards. > 5.. Radio - apart from the general choice of web radio stations the sound > is better on standard BBC radio 4 etc than my Dab radio. > 6. Meeting Room Amplifier - if I am going to a meeting and I cannot hear > the speaker I put earphones over my hearing aids, put the Plextalk into > record mode and press pause. The Plextalk will then monitor in real time the > sound in the room. This effectively acts as an emergency hearing aid boost, > as the volume feedback from the Plextalk is so good. It is one of the > loudest devices I have ever had which is important to me as a hearing aid > user. Depending on environment it provides better sound feedback than my > highly expensive portable loop setup. > 7. The Plextalk is the best featured and highest quality recorder I have > ever used. > Allied to the fact that I can access all this without having to mess around > with a touch screen and it is unfortunately the case that I am a bit lost > without it. This is why I got another one and hope to have a spare. > Unfortunately devices like this are probably a thing of the past because > of mainstreaming of technology but which in some ways is sad. My sister > would never cope, for example, with a touch screen device like a I-Pod but > loves her pocket Plextalk. > > David Griffith > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Dane Trethowan > Sent: 20 January 2012 02:13 > To: Techno-Chat ... Technology Enthusiasm! > Subject: Re: Plextalk Pocket PTR1, a huge concern > > Gee! that's a nice price, I wonder if they'll ship to Australia? guess I'll > find out as that's considerably cheaper than I can purchase it for here. > > anyway getting back to the radio side of things, there's a directory of > radio stations being circulated specifically designed for media players on > computers and the Plextalk PTR1 to take full advantage of. > > Its simple in design, each radio station has its own M3U playlist file thus > each can be opened in your favourite media player or on the PTR1, so far so > good but not so good on the PTR1 perhaps if the radio station you wish to > hear is a AAC stream <smile>. > > The directory is comprehensive and is updated frequently which it will need > to be given that stream URLS do change frequently, new streams are appearing > all the time etc. > > As for me? Well I'll be purchasing the PTR1 but certainly not exclusively > for its streaming functionality as it seems to have some serious > shortcomings, a book player and a recorder will do me fine. > For radio I'll keep using my trusty Squeezebox Boom as it plays everything > that's thrown at it and the Ootunes App on my iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch. > > Thanks for the information on the Victor Reader Stream software upgrades, I > have one of these devices though it hasn't been upgraded for quite some time > so it will be worth my investigation. > > > On 20/01/2012, at 12:57 PM, Clifford Blackwell wrote: > >> I don't believe thos formats are supported. So far as streams, it is > limited to .mp3 and .wma streams. I'm hoping that in a futre firmware > update, they will expand upon this capability. >> >> It is a nice little machine though the transfer software is quite clunky. >> >> Freedom Scientific in the U.S. is selling the Pocket for $275.00 US. >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dane trethowan" >> <[email protected]> >> To: "Techno-Chat ... Technology Enthusiasm!" >> <[email protected]> >> Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2012 6:06 PM >> Subject: Plextalk Pocket PTR1, a huge concern >> >> >>> Hi! >>> >>> Perhaps a list member who owns one of these devices can confirm or deny > my concern below. >>> >>> I'm thinking very seriously about purchasing one of these players, vision > australia are selling them for $400.00 which appears to me to be a very > reasonable price. >>> >>> I've just been going through the specs which look quite okay except for > the fact that the machine doesn't seem to support either AAC or AAC+ > formats, too bad if you want to listen to anything from the iTunes store, is > this true. >>> >>> The specs make a huge point of talking about the PTP1's ability to stream > Podcasts and Internet Radio, I'm not doubting that for one moment but if the > device cant handle AAC then the ability for Internet radio streaming I > submit would be severely hampered as many radio stations stream using AAC > given its very good quality at lower bit rates, anyone anythoughts on this. >>> >>> I like the fact that the recorder can record in multiple Daisy modes, > that is to say you can record using PCM 44.1KHZ Wave with the Daisy > attributes as well as MP3. >>> >>> >>> -- >>> sent from my HP Powerhouse Notebook. >>> >>> >>> >>> ======================================= >>> >>> The Techno-Chat E-Mail forum is guaranteed malware, spyware, Trojan, >>> virus and worm-free >>> >>> To modify your subscription options, please visit for forum's >>> dedicated web pages located at >>> http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/techno-chat >>> >>> You can find an archive of all messages posted to the Techno-Chat group > at either of the following websites: >>> >>> http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/techno-chat/index.html >>> >>> Or: >>> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> >>> you may also subscribe to this list via RSS. The feed is at: >>> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml >>>> >>> >>> --------------------------------------- >> >> >> ======================================= >> >> The Techno-Chat E-Mail forum is guaranteed malware, spyware, Trojan, >> virus and worm-free >> >> To modify your subscription options, please visit for forum's >> dedicated web pages located at >> http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/techno-chat >> >> You can find an archive of all messages posted to the Techno-Chat group at > either of the following websites: >> >> http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/techno-chat/index.html >> >> Or: >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> >> you may also subscribe to this list via RSS. The feed is at: >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml> >> >> --------------------------------------- > > > ======================================= > > The Techno-Chat E-Mail forum is guaranteed malware, spyware, Trojan, virus > and worm-free > > To modify your subscription options, please visit for forum's dedicated web > pages located at http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/techno-chat > > You can find an archive of all messages posted to the Techno-Chat group at > either of the following websites: > > http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/techno-chat/index.html > > Or: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> > you may also subscribe to this list via RSS. The feed is at: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml> > > --------------------------------------- > > > ======================================= > > The Techno-Chat E-Mail forum is guaranteed malware, spyware, Trojan, virus > and worm-free > > To modify your subscription options, please visit for forum's dedicated web > pages located at > http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/techno-chat > > You can find an archive of all messages posted to the Techno-Chat group at > either of the following websites: > > http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/techno-chat/index.html > > Or: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> > you may also subscribe to this list via RSS. The feed is at: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml> > > --------------------------------------- ======================================= The Techno-Chat E-Mail forum is guaranteed malware, spyware, Trojan, virus and worm-free To modify your subscription options, please visit for forum's dedicated web pages located at http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/techno-chat You can find an archive of all messages posted to the Techno-Chat group at either of the following websites: http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/techno-chat/index.html Or: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> you may also subscribe to this list via RSS. The feed is at: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml> ---------------------------------------
