From: David McIntyre <plughie_at_gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 13:50:58 -0800

The newest ipods have a touch-sensitive wheel used for menu navigation.
There is no tactile feedback and no markers at the top, bottom, left, and
right which are click points. The center button is easy to find without
sight, but that's about all.
I suspect it would be possible to orient oneself by feeling where the screen
and center button are, but I must admit to having trouble as a sighted user
of an ipod navigating its interface while driving or other eyes-off use.
This is my only criticism of an otherwise excellent piece of hardware.
The size is great. I have a 30gig gen5 ipod which is thin and small with a
good, clear display. The battery life is excellent.
I'm not sure if it's a good device for the blind, though, because of the
lack of tactile feedback. It may be possible to overcome these limitations
with voicebox or by disabling the scroll wheel.

On 1/14/06, David Pedersen <dav-ped_at_frisurf.no> wrote:
>
> Well, glad you think about us, who cannot see what we are doing. Have to
> be
> honest, and say, I never hold an Ipod in my hand, so I don't know about
> the
> accessibility for blind users. But I realize, from the net, that there is
> other products in the same line. Rio Carbon - is that something that will
> be
> more accessible? And has the RB team any thoughts on the matter?
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Aman Singer" <aman_at_asinger.net>
> To: "'Rockbox'" <rockbox_at_cool.haxx.se>
> Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2006 3:27 PM
> Subject: RE: Archos v. Ipods
>
>
> > Hi.
> > Two issues about the Ipod. First, it's just more expensive than the
> > market in general, sometimes allot more expensive. On the same track,
> > you're
> > stuck, I think, with Apple's battery design. On the other hand, I
> daresay
> > there are far more ways of powering the unit through accessories.
> > Secondly,
> > I really don't know how accessible to the blind Rockbox can make the
> > Ipods,
> > given the touch sensitivity of the wheel. I realize this probably isn't
> > vitally important to many people, but it will trump most other
> > considerations for blind purchasers.
> > Aman
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: rockbox-bounces_at_cool.haxx.se [mailto:rockbox-bounces_at_cool.haxx.se]
> > On
> > Behalf Of Joseph Jones
> > Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2006 11:31 AM
> > To: Rockbox
> > Subject: Re: Archos v. Ipods
> >
> > Let's face it, once Rockbox is on the iPod, we've little reason to
> > eBay/Amazon around for obscure pieces of tech. Just wait for a sale at
> > the local consumer electrics place. That is certainly a big plus.
> >
> > Although I think I'm happy enough with my iRiver until it conks out on
> > me, rather than join the continuous, uniform masses of iPod owners.
> >
> > Joe
> >
> > On 1/14/06, "Frederik Möllers" <frederik.moellers_at_gmx.de> wrote:
> >> > Isn't this the Rockbox mailing list?
> >>
> >> It is, but this is a discussion why somebody would prefer an Archos
> > Jukebox
> >> instead of an iPod...
> >>
> >> > Rockbox on the iPod behaves in an identical way to all the other
> >> > Rockbox
> >> > targets - no iTunes needed. Just connect the iPod to your computer
> as
> >> > a
> >> > USB Mass Storage device and drag and drop files.
> >> >
> >> > Of course, Rockbox can't play those files yet, but we're getting
> there.
> >> > All help is welcome.
> >>
> >> Well I didn't even know that there was a Rockbox for the iPod in
> >> developement. If that's the case and when it's finished, there are of
> > course
> >> less things that speak against the iPod...
> >>
> >> --
> >> "The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make
> sense."
> >>
> >> (Tom Clancy)
> >>
> >> DSL-Aktion wegen großer Nachfrage bis 28.2.2006 verlängert:
> >> GMX DSL-Flatrate 1 Jahr kostenlos* http://www.gmx.net/de/go/dsl
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>

--
David McIntyre         plugh_at_mudbarn.com        http://www.mudbarn.com
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http://www.mudbarn.com/~plugh/plughinfo.txt for geek code, pgp key, etc.

Received on 2006-01-14