[Reader-users] help re-calibrating reader?

Tue Jan 22 22:38:05 CST 2008

Terry:

Who is this "they" you keep talking about? It is "we", not "they". And 
we had two alternatives: design a device from scratch making it totally 
accessible by the blind but costing far, far more money than the current 
KNFB Reader costs -- or using an off-the-shelf unit with special 
software. We chose the latter.

But this meant that there were some inherent limitations -- limitations 
that one can get around as you have done by keeping the unit plugged in. 
The limitation is one of the Pocket PC operating system -- not the 
Reader software. But we had to live with it if we were to use the system 
with off-the-shelf components.

And since the manual advises us to kep the units plugged in when not in 
use, we felt that the limitation wasn't so severe that we shouldn't sell 
the unit but rather could depend upon the users to be sufficiently 
intelligent to watch out for the problem.

In other words, while your indignation is certainly understandable, it 
is somewhat misplaced in that there were many considerations that went 
into deciding what design of machine we could live with.

Mike

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Powers, Terry (NIH/OD/DEAS) [E]
  To: Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list
  Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 12:11 PM
  Subject: Re: [Reader-users] help re-calibrating reader?

  Dave;
  First of all, why didn't they tell us about this recalibration problem
  when we bought the machine.  I am really shocked they would make a
  machine for the blind that we can not recalibrate ourselves.  A reset
  could have been created like in the Humanware devices, so we could
  recalibrate the unit ourselves.  It took me for ever to find someone 
who
  I could trust and match them up with someone to give them instructions
  on the calibration procedure.  I now keep my unit plugged in when ever
  not in use.

  Terry Powers

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Dave Wright [mailto:gymnastdave at sbcglobal.net]
  Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 1:58 PM
  To: Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list
  Subject: Re: [Reader-users] help re-calibrating reader?

  hey there,
  My name is Dave Wright and I've been working with Jim Gashel for a 
while
  now with trouble shooting the reader. My contact info is listed below. 
I
  will be in Washington after 12, so please feel free to give me a call.

  Regards,
  Dave Wright
  University of Illinois at Chicago, UIC
  Email: dwrigh6 at uic.edu
  Mobile: (832)518-0707
  Please visit and Support:
  http://www.blindscience.org

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: "Ed Meskys" <edmeskys at localnet.com>
  To: "reader-users" <reader-users at nfbnet.org>
  Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 12:14 PM
  Subject: [Reader-users] help re-calibrating reader?

  > Will there be anyone I can see Monday at Washington to help
  re-calibrate
  > my
  > reader? My sighted wife will be there, too, and she could learn to 
do
  it
  > for
  > me should the need arise again.
  >
  > In December I went on a trip where I would not need it, and I left 
it
  > plugged in to maintain the charge, but it was accidentally touched 
and
  the
  > wire fell out. When I got home it was dead.
  >
  > I find this to be a major flaw in the reader. The cord from the
  > transformer
  > makes a very weak connection, and I frequently find it out.
  Fortunately it
  > is
  > rarely out for more than one day when I go to use the reader, and
  nothing
  > was lost.
  >
  > Thanks, Ed Meskys
  > Edmund R. Meskys
  > NIEKAS Publications
  > National Federation of the Blind of N.H.
  > Moultonboro Lions Club
  > edmeskys at localnet.com
  > 322 Whittier Hwy
  > Moultonboro NH 03254-3627
  > my credo:
  > Clinton lied, nothing happened
  > Bush lied, thousands died
  > and over 3,000 permanently brain injured
  >
  > _______________________________________________
  > Reader-users mailing list
  > Reader-users at nfbnet.org
  > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users

  _______________________________________________
  Reader-users mailing list
  Reader-users at nfbnet.org
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
  _______________________________________________
  Reader-users mailing list
  Reader-users at nfbnet.org
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
-------------- next part --------------
Terry:

Who is this "they" you keep talking about? It is "we", not "they". And we had two alternatives: design a device from scratch making it totally accessible by the blind but costing far, far more money than the current KNFB Reader costs -- or using an off-the-shelf unit with special software. We chose the latter.

But this meant that there were some inherent limitations -- limitations that one can get around as you have done by keeping the unit plugged in. The limitation is one of the Pocket PC operating system -- not the Reader software. But we had to live with it if we were to use the system with off-the-shelf components.

And since the manual advises us to kep the units plugged in when not in use, we felt that the limitation wasn't so severe that we shouldn't sell the unit but rather could depend upon the users to be sufficiently intelligent to watch out for the problem.

In other words, while your indignation is certainly understandable, it is somewhat misplaced in that there were many considerations that went into deciding what design of machine we could live with.

Mike

----- Original Message -----
From:
mailto:powerst at dcpcepn.nci.nih.gov Powers, Terry (NIH/OD/DEAS) [E]
To:
mailto:reader-users at nfbnet.org Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list
Sent:
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 12:11 PM
Subject:
Re: [Reader-users] help re-calibrating reader?
Dave;
First of all, why didn't they tell us about this recalibration problem
when we bought the machine.  I am really shocked they would make a
machine for the blind that we can not recalibrate ourselves.  A reset
could have been created like in the Humanware devices, so we could
recalibrate the unit ourselves.  It took me for ever to find someone who
I could trust and match them up with someone to give them instructions
on the calibration procedure.  I now keep my unit plugged in when ever
not in use. 
Terry Powers

-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Wright [mailto:gymnastdave at sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 1:58 PM
To: Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list
Subject: Re: [Reader-users] help re-calibrating reader?
hey there,
My name is Dave Wright and I've been working with Jim Gashel for a while
now with trouble shooting the reader. My contact info is listed below. I
will be in Washington after 12, so please feel free to give me a call.
Regards,
Dave Wright
University of Illinois at Chicago, UIC
Email: mailto:dwrigh6 at uic.edu dwrigh6 at uic.edu
Mobile: (832)518-0707
Please visit and Support:
http://www.blindscience.org http://www.blindscience.org
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ed Meskys" < mailto:edmeskys at localnet.com edmeskys at localnet.com
>
To: "reader-users" < mailto:reader-users at nfbnet.org reader-users at nfbnet.org
>
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 12:14 PM
Subject: [Reader-users] help re-calibrating reader?
> Will there be anyone I can see Monday at Washington to help
re-calibrate
> my
> reader? My sighted wife will be there, too, and she could learn to do
it
> for
> me should the need arise again.
>
> In December I went on a trip where I would not need it, and I left it
> plugged in to maintain the charge, but it was accidentally touched and
the
> wire fell out. When I got home it was dead.
>
> I find this to be a major flaw in the reader. The cord from the
> transformer
> makes a very weak connection, and I frequently find it out.
Fortunately it
> is
> rarely out for more than one day when I go to use the reader, and
nothing
> was lost.
>
> Thanks, Ed Meskys
> Edmund R. Meskys
> NIEKAS Publications
> National Federation of the Blind of N.H.
> Moultonboro Lions Club
> mailto:edmeskys at localnet.com edmeskys at localnet.com
> 322 Whittier Hwy
> Moultonboro NH 03254-3627
> my credo:
> Clinton lied, nothing happened
> Bush lied, thousands died
> and over 3,000 permanently brain injured
>
> _______________________________________________
> Reader-users mailing list
> mailto:Reader-users at nfbnet.org Reader-users at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
_______________________________________________
Reader-users mailing list
mailto:Reader-users at nfbnet.org Reader-users at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
_______________________________________________
Reader-users mailing list
mailto:Reader-users at nfbnet.org Reader-users at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users