Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The Intel® Reader is Friendly

A great benefit of working at the Lighthouse is that I get to try out new items that fall into the category of “vision-friendly technology.” Recently, I had the luxury of borrowing one of the newly released Intel® Readers.

I am pleased to report that I find the Intel Reader is as user-friendly as it claims to be. This, I know, is no small feat, because just about every device I come in contact with makes this same assertion, and way more often than not, I don’t make it past “Step 2” or “3.”

The key to my success…the relative simplicity of good design, along with the quick-start guide built right into the Reader. The user manual is also built in, eliminating the anxiety I usually feel upon encountering an instruction book that I will never be able to read. The buttons are tactile, each unique in its shape and position.

I’m feeling pretty proficient and I know that if I can operate this little machine…anyone can. (In fact, it feels kind of like one of those things you’ve borrowed from a friend but really don’t want to give back.)
Its function and assistive nature have grown on me, and it will be interesting to see what happens when I have to return it. Until then, I am discovering new ways to use it every day, and I am going to share my experiences in coming posts to talk about how the Intel reader works for me. Stay tuned.