which ipod for blind person

[nlehman]

I have several blind clients who are now using the archos devices for voice navigation.  I would like to start updating them with the newest ipods which support full voice navigation.  Which ones work well?

Thanks, Ed

[JdGordon]

all... that part of the code is exactly the same for all devices supported to rockbox...
just dont get the 80gb video because its not supported yet, or the 2g nano

[Llorean]

Be aware that voice support on the software codecs (any of the non-Archos players) is not as reliable as it was on the Archoses. And the iPod specifically have a variety of issues still to be worked out (poort battery life, most specifically.)

If you wanted a 'newer' player, they may not be the best choice, and you should certainly acquire or borrow one and try it out for a period first to make sure it suits your needs.

[nlehman]

Is there a player I can buy new which does have reliable voice support?

[Llorean]

I wouldn't describe it as being "unreliable" but bugs are more likely to crop up in it. Unfortunately, this is true of all the "new" players.

[Febs]

If I were buying a new player today, I would probably get one of the Toshiba players (X or F series) supported by Rockbox, rather than an iPod.  They're less expensive and they have better screens and significantly faster processors.  Also, I would think (though this is admittedly speculation on my part) that the controls are better for blind users because they provide more tactile feedback than the iPod's clickwheel.

[nlehman]

The point about the tactile controls is certainly true.  Even on the Archos devices, the dial was confusing to some of our clients.  The screen however won't make a difference to our clients.  Is there anything else I need to know before purchasing a Toshiba device?  I see I can get a Gigabeat 60gb device for $249, 30gb for around $160.  I have only used  Rockbox on Archos devices to date (Albeit many many of them) and I'm scared I am going to hit some new issue which I won't be able to get by.

Thanks for all the help

[irfan]

if they want an ipod and tactile sense then probably a 1st gen since the can find the play/FF/RW/menu buttons easier... same with a 3rd gen.. I cant remember exactly how a 2G ipod does it.

[pixelma]

if they want an ipod and tactile sense then probably a 1st gen since the can find the play/FF/RW/menu buttons easier... same with a 3rd gen.. I cant remember exactly how a 2G ipod does it.

Please don't take this as advice  - Rockbox doesn't run on 1st and 2nd gen Ipods and even though there is a port to the 3rd gen Ipods it is very immature. And as far as I know the original firmware doesn't have a voice user interface.

[Mad Cow]

How about the iriver H3xx, H1xx or iaudio X5? They all have good rockbox support and use joysticks instead of touchpads.

[nls]

Except the h3xx which doesn't have a joystick, but buttons instead. I find it quite easy to feel the buttons through my jeans pocket and skip tracks/change volume/power on/power off without taking the device out. The only bad thing I have to say about it is that it is too large, but if that is not a problem... (it is smaller than the archos devices supported by rockbox).
However it is quite hard to find and probably almost impossible to find new.

[Llorean]

While I haven't tested the voice support on the Toshiba Gigabeat, the rest of Rockbox's functionality seems to be very consistent now. Voice functionality should be at the same level it is for all the 'new' players.

For tactile feedback, there is a 'touch-sensitive' cross on the front of the device, but a light touch will not trigger it (at least on mine) so it's very easy to feel where your finger is before putting pressure, and the buttons on the side are just regular buttons.

As well, because USB mode works within Rockbox on the Gigabeat, the experience of using it is more consistent.

And with the iPods, plugging it in (or turning it on) while Hold is on can boot you into the retail firmware, which could cause some difficulty for blind users.

[GodEater]

I tried the voice menu system out on my gigabeat yesterday - all seemed to work very well.

I can't seem to make the voice directories work though - although I may have done something screwy when generating the _dirname.talk files...

[nlehman]

I tried the voice menu system out on my gigabeat yesterday - all seemed to work very well.

I can't seem to make the voice directories work though - although I may have done something screwy when generating the _dirname.talk files...

Great news!  Should I worry about the voice directories?

[GodEater]

Great news!  Should I worry about the voice directories?

I'm not sure - I noticed a similar problem with my H140 a while back after using Voicebox (the .vbs script that someone wrote to automatically generate the _dirname.talk files across the filesystem) but since I'm not blind - it wasn't a show stopper for me.

I'll play with it a bit today and see if I can make it work properly - and then get back to you.

EDIT
[glowing with embarassment]They weren't working because I hadn't turned the feature on[/glowing with embarassment]

So - ahem - to recap - voice works absolutely fine on the gigabeat. And it's a very well polished and fine player in all other regards. It craps all over the iPod in terms of battery life and performance - and IMHO would make a fine DAP for your customers. Just make sure you get either F or X series - the S isn't supported.