I've still got my original stream, still works well though I think the internal speaker is just about shot, the machine just doesn't get used these days as I use the Voice Dream Reader etc for my reading tasks, that's how things stand at the moment of course <smile>.
On 7 Jun 2014, at 8:39 am, Dave McElroy <d...@drakelroy.com> wrote: > i have an old original stream and it still works well for me. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Pc-audio [mailto:pc-audio-boun...@pc-audio.org] On Behalf Of John > Heath > Sent: Friday, June 06, 2014 9:54 AM > To: PC Audio Discussion List > Subject: Re: Different Roads For Humanware and Hims Inc > > In defense of the Stream: > > First I'm not making an argument again using Apple products. My friends who > are blind have and love them. > > However for some of us there is a very good reason to choose the Stream. > Money! > > Those people I talk to about their i-phones tell me they pay between 45 and > 60 Canadian dollars a month for the provider and data. This along with the > initial price of buying a phone either outright or part of a contract with > the provider.. > > I use a simple blind friendly phone, cost 100 dollars with 25 more dollars a > > month for a provider The new generation Stream when I get will cost me about > > a hundred dollars more than the original. > > Dane I envy your ability to buy and test as many wonderful products; if I > had t he resources I know I'd be doing the same thing. But until I win a > lotto it's Humanware for me! > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dane Trethowan" <grtd...@internode.on.net> > To: "PC Audio Discussion List" <pc-audio@pc-audio.org> > Sent: Friday, June 06, 2014 11:21 AM > Subject: Re: Different Roads For Humanware and Hims Inc > > > A couple of things here. > > I got a VR Stream - First Generation - in 2009, 5 years ago. > > At the time I was warned about the VR Streams dreadful speaker but - given > the size and not knowing any better - I defended the VR Streams speaker, > after all it seemed its better to have a speaker than not have one as my > previous player - Bookport - didn't have one. > > So 2009 rolled on and we came to December 9 when I took delivery of an > iPhone 3GS and this proved to be an eye opener. > > Not only did the speaker of this device sound ten times as good, the device > had 100 times the functionality of the VR Stream as I was soon to discover. > > Now yes, the VR Stream is a Daisy/Audio player but the iPhone did all that > soon and it wasn't long before I started using the iPhone to play Daisy > Books and so forth with, not only that I had the benefits - even then - of > Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology so I could stream my material and even listen > > to Internet Radio stations in much the same way as those who use the current > > generation of the VR Stream do so really, the VR Stream is offering > absolutely nothing that we don't already have if we choose to look around. > > On the other hand, Hims Inc are breaking new ground with their new offering > and we find - yet again - that Human Beware are on the catchup roundabout > and still trying to tell us all in their marketing stuff that they know the > market for the visually impaired? What they actually mean is that they know > their own loyal market. > > > On 7 Jun 2014, at 1:04 am, Adrien Collins <adriencollins22...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Hi Dane >> >> Yes I see where you are coming from, I don't have much use >> for bluetooth regarding an mp3 or daisy player such as the >> vr stream but to have built in bluetooth for earphones would >> have been nice, I was one who requested it but I think I was >> in a minority. I do use bluetooth on my mobile phones, for >> pairing the phones etc and have unsuccessfully tried to link >> a bluetooth keyboard but have ordered a different one so >> don't give up that easily. I think humanware should give us >> the choice, whether they will incorporate bluetooth into a >> future product is anyone's guess, they will have to do >> something good otherwise they will lose out to the market >> again, when the vr stream was first released there was not >> many similar players but now you have many more and some of >> them are better in their own way but it depends on what you >> require. I think they had to bring out the new stream mark 2 >> rather quickly to keep the market otherwise many people >> would have gone away from humanware products in favour of >> say I devices or similar gadgets which can do much more in >> their own way. Again it is personal choice. What will come >> after stream mark 2 has gone the whole way as it will >> inevitably do in perhaps 5 or more years time, there will be >> much different demand. It is good that stream mark 2 has the >> wifi so there is several options as to what they can put >> that to use with. So far it is just internet radio for me in >> the uk and Europe and some book services in the states but >> of course for me they are not available. They will add more >> features in time. >> >> Regards >> >> Adrien >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Pc-audio [mailto:pc-audio-boun...@pc-audio.org] On >> Behalf Of Dane Trethowan >> Sent: Friday, June 06, 2014 4:38 PM >> To: PC Audio Discussion List >> Subject: Different Roads For Humanware and Hims Inc >> >> Hi Adrien, I've changed the subject line to better suit the >> discussion. >> >> I didn't know that a survey was done so thanks for pointing >> this out. >> >> I can see how a lot of people wouldn't have rated Bluetooth >> as being critical to them but really that does illustrate >> more than anything to me just how Human Beware actually >> work, that company doesn't really want to market to people >> in the real world it seems. >> >> For example, those of us who have been using mobile phones >> over the last 10 years now take Bluetooth for granted thus >> we buy the appropriate equipment such as speakers, hands >> free kits, keyboards, headphones and the like to take full >> advantage of it. >> >> Hims Inc obviously want to market their products far and >> wide to help those who need good accessibility live as >> independent life as is possible and - wherever possible - >> integrate into a full working environment and use - wherever >> possible - all the tools that are available in the >> mainstream. >> >> I don't have any problems with the approach that Human >> Beware takes but its not what I want, I want to move ahead >> and make things as smooth and as uncomplicated as is >> possible whereas - with the other approach Human Beware >> takes - doing surveys and just making products specific to >> survey needs for their blind clients - means some isolation >> from the real world of changing technology, again its up to >> the user what road he/she chooses to travel. >> >> >> On 6 Jun 2014, at 11:54 pm, Adrien Collins >> <adriencollins22...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Hi Dane >>> >>> I don't know if you know, last year sometime humanware did >> a >>> survey of what the users of the vr stream wanted, I think >>> there was more demand for wifi than bluetooth, I think >>> bluetooth would mean another hardware up-grade, I am not >>> sure. I think bluetooth would have been great but as we >> can >>> use an adapter for listening to bluetooth earphones, it is >>> not much of a problem, not for me in any case. >>> >>> Regards >>> >>> Adrien >> >> ********** >> >> Dane Trethowan >> Skype: grtdane12 >> Phone US (213) 438-9741 >> Phone U.K. 01245 79 0598 >> Phone Australia (03) 9005 8589 >> Mobile: +61400494862 >> faceTime +61400494862 >> Fax +61397437954 >> Twitter: @grtdane >> >> >> >> I use BullGuard to keep my computer clean. >> Try BullGuard for free: www.bullguard.com >> >> >> >> > > > ********** > > Dane Trethowan > Skype: grtdane12 > Phone US (213) 438-9741 > Phone U.K. 01245 79 0598 > Phone Australia (03) 9005 8589 > Mobile: +61400494862 > faceTime +61400494862 > Fax +61397437954 > Twitter: @grtdane > > > > > > ********** Dane Trethowan Skype: grtdane12 Phone US (213) 438-9741 Phone U.K. 01245 79 0598 Phone Australia (03) 9005 8589 Mobile: +61400494862 faceTime +61400494862 Fax +61397437954 Twitter: @grtdane
