Win bt is the updated version. It works with windows. -----Original Message----- From: Roger Stewart Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2013 10:11 AM To: Plextalk User Discussion List Subject: Re: [Plextalk] Firmware update? What's really weird is that in the built in manual for Plextalk Pocket, it even says right there that it can play .brf files! There's no disclaimer about us poor U.S. citizens being shut out of this format at all. I wonder where things went wrong. Anyhow, I have an old .brf2txt program that came from NFB originally I think. It was designed primarily to convert text files to brf but it works both ways. There's probably a more up to date version around somewhere. BTW, I've noticed that the Victor Stream can't read .brf files directly either but it has a built in translator program. When you first open a .brf file, you hear it say "Converting" and after a few seconds, reading starts. Roger On 7/6/2013 9:50 AM, kb7uengene wrote:
The thing I find most interesting about all this is the Plextalk has been around longer than the Book prot plus. I would've thought that it would've had BRL and BRF support prior to Larry Scucon negotiating the license agreement to go with getting the hardware he is using now. And it could be the fact that they both use the same hardware that separates the Plextalk from the Stream. Right now FS has the Plextalk for $275 on what seems to be a never-ending promotion. But if braille file support were important to you, which device would you go with? APH is going to get the business from some people even though they are going to spend more on a portable player because of that one reason alone.
On Jul 6, 2013, at 9:15 AM, "Clifford Blackwell" <blackwell3@ameritech.net> wrote:
I don't pretend to know all the ins and outs of the particular licenses involved in this situation. However, it is Plextald that licenses various products with various capabilities for it's line of products. Humanware licenses their products differently.
I suspect that when APH first contracted with Plextalk for the hardware/firmware package that became the Bookport, it said that it wanted exclusivity for the ability to read .brf and .brl books to limit competition from others using the same hardware. IRTI was selling the Pocket at the time and then Freedom Scientific got into the market. I presume APH saw this as a way to try to corner more of the market.
Plextalk didn't need to sell the exclusive license to APH, but they were trying to sell as many units as possible. With their distribution network, APH was able to extract exclusivity for their product.
It all comes down to economics not a desire to keep us from reading .brf and .brl content. These are all economic ventures that want/need to sell products to stay alive.----- Original Message ----- From: "Flor Lynch" <florlync@iol.ie> To: "Plextalk User Discussion List" <plextalk@lists.hodgsonfamily.org> Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2013 8:32 AM Subject: Re: [Plextalk] Firmware update?
but aren't Humanware also a competitor (with the Victor Stream, or perhaps they have a different licence obtained for their own line of products?) , and they're doing it? I think they or APH might accept payment, like. And not all .brf files are written necessarily according to the same Braille rules - they differ between countries, (UK Braille and North American Braille in english, for example, are presently different).
----- Original Message ----- From: "Clifford Blackwell" <blackwell3@ameritech.net> To: "Plextalk User Discussion List" <plextalk@lists.hodgsonfamily.org> Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2013 2:06 PM Subject: Re: [Plextalk] Firmware update?
You said it yourself. Licensing. APH holds the license for a certain device and they've shown no inclination to allow a competitor the ability to do what it can. ----- Original Message -----
From: "John J. Jacques" <kg7fa2@juno.com> To: <plextalk@lists.hodgsonfamily.org> Sent: Friday, July 05, 2013 9:51 PM Subject: Re: [Plextalk] Firmware update?
Hi all, I don't see the problem, since the Victor Stream can read them! I was told it was a licensing issue, but why can these other devices do it and not the Plex-talk?
John Jacques Amateur Radio Station: KD8PC "Where Cat Is, Is Civilization!" ____________________________________________________________ Want to place your ad here? Advertise on United Online http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/51d788ce810558ce4fb9st04duc
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