Product Evaluation: Plextalk Pocket PTP1 DAISY Book Player and Digital Recorder From Shinano Kenshi
By Kendrick, Deborah; Access World, Volume 13, Number 5Publication Date: May 2012
Product review evaluates the PLEXTALK Pocket PTP1, a Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) book player and digital recorder designed for blind users and those with low vision. About the size of a deck of cards, the device weighs less than four ounces. It includes a 2 gigabyte secure digital card, stereo earbuds, an AC adapter, a USB cable for transferring material from a computer, and a CD containing a user’s guide in HTML and Microsoft Word formats. All recording is done in DAISY format, allowing users to insert their own headings for improved ease of navigation. The device plays a variety of audio content, including books from Bookshare, Audible, and the National Library service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped; audio from commercial CDs; and downloaded podcasts or streamed content from Internet radio stations. Material is organized in folders. A Voice Memo feature is available by pressing the Record key for up to one minute. The reviewer found the layout of buttons on the PLEXTALK Pocket to be extremely well planned, with each button being distinctly shaped and textured. The device plays quaint melodic sounds when powering on or off or executing a command, which the reviewer found utterly charming while adding that they can be silenced if not enjoyed. The sound clarity was also deemed excellent when listening with headphones as well as via the built in speaker. It was also found to be an extremely stable device, as the reviewer never had to reset or troubleshoot operation during two months of testing.
Assistive Products Discussed: PLEXTALK POCKET (MODEL PTP1)
Published by: AFB Press (Website:http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=46)
American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) (Web Site: http://www.afb.org )
Link to text: http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw130503
