anyone use the Bard mobile app?

[prairiewindmomma]

Ds has used a NLS talking book player for the last few years, but I think we are going to get him his own iOS device so that he can use the Bard mobile app. The app limits you to 100 downloaded books a month, but the selection sounds much broader.  Learning Ally is still out of our budget right now (therapy costs--ugh!!) and Bookshare's computer voice is starting to be a problem.  Our state library branch has a VERY limited selection of books, and the collection continues to get culled. Ds does not read braille, as his visual disability does not put him into the low/no vision category.

 

Does anyone use the Bard app?

[Pen]

I have not used BARD with an iOS device, but have used it with the NLS player by downloading to a flash drive which then goes into a slot in the side of the NLS player.  If you can use this option you might want to try it for reasons of saving $$$ for a flash drive as compared to an iOS device.  I no longer recall what systems requirements it took to use the download to a flashdrive option.

 

I have never had any issues with needing more books than allowed (I haven't downloaded a whole hundred yet total in however long I've had this option) and yes, there are more titles via BARD than on the cassettes--I also like that I do not need to keep track of the cassettes or have the NLS upset with me about late returns.  Some books do not download well, but that may be my antiquated systems problem...or that I am trying to get books that have had their original masters start to go bad perhaps.

 

Also to be aware, NLS has interlibrary (or multistate) loan options which increases the things available even via the cassette options and sometimes if something is not on a new format cassette they will copy it onto one for you if the master is good enough and if you can wait for them to do that.