Playaway Digital Audio Book - what is it? Other comments ...

Lynx-lynx · 09-01-2014, 08:08 AM

My Library has got the 2005, 2008, version of The End of the Affair (Graham Greene) narrated by Michael Kitchen, and the format is 'sound media player'. Which is described as a 'Playaway digital audio book'. What is that?

Here's the link to what is possibly a photo of a Playaway device.

Edit
Anyone used this device before? It appears that the audio file is preloaded, and I guess therefore inaccessible.

tubemonkey · 09-01-2014, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

My Library has got the 2005, 2008, version of The End of the Affair (Graham Greene) narrated by Michael Kitchen, and the format is 'sound media player'. Which is described as a 'Playaway digital audio book'. What is that?

Here's the link to what is possibly a photo of a Playaway device.

Edit
Anyone used this device before? It appears that the audio file is preloaded, and I guess therefore inaccessible.

Some of my libraries have/had them, but I've never used them. It's an older technology being phased out now that digital downloads are here. Essentially, it's an MP3 player loaded with one or more audiobooks. You physically check them out from the library like you would a paper book. The library supplies the battery and you supply the headphones.

Piepan · 09-01-2014, 09:04 AM

Yes, I've seen them at our library. (There is a clearer image of what it looks like on wikipedia BTW). On the shelf they come in a book-ly looking case so AudioBook really fits it visually, in its box. Plug in headphones to your "book" and play-away. Ha ha. Quite clever for libraries. And yes. No access to the file. No discs either. Quite clever for the publisher too.

tubemonkey · 09-01-2014, 09:13 AM

It's a nice technology for the visually impaired and tech challenged individuals. Pricing is similar to audio CDs, so it's more expensive than downloadable MP3s.

SleepyBob · 09-03-2014, 11:07 AM

I've used a few, and it seems that the batteries generally die before I can finish the book, but maybe I just have bad timing.

09-01-2014, 08:08 AM	#1
Lynx-lynx Treachery of images ... Posts: 4,069 Karma: 91561091 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Australia Device: Blackberry Playbook, Sony 650, Kobo Glo, H2O, Aura One, Forma, Libra 2	Playaway Digital Audio Book - what is it? Other comments ... My Library has got the 2005, 2008, version of The End of the Affair (Graham Greene) narrated by Michael Kitchen, and the format is 'sound media player'. Which is described as a 'Playaway digital audio book'. What is that? Here's the link to what is possibly a photo of a Playaway device. Edit Anyone used this device before? It appears that the audio file is preloaded, and I guess therefore inaccessible.

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09-01-2014, 09:04 AM	#3
Piepan Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 447496 Join Date: May 2014 Location: Somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the middle of MN Device: Kindle Fire HD6, Kindle Fire HD (Gen1), KT (original), KK, iPhone	Yes, I've seen them at our library. (There is a clearer image of what it looks like on wikipedia BTW). On the shelf they come in a book-ly looking case so AudioBook really fits it visually, in its box. Plug in headphones to your "book" and play-away. Ha ha. Quite clever for libraries. And yes. No access to the file. No discs either. Quite clever for the publisher too.

09-01-2014, 09:13 AM	#4
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,666 Karma: 158546452 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	It's a nice technology for the visually impaired and tech challenged individuals. Pricing is similar to audio CDs, so it's more expensive than downloadable MP3s.

09-03-2014, 11:07 AM	#5
SleepyBob Evangelist Posts: 420 Karma: 8522810 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Wisconsin, USA Device: Kindle PW3	I've used a few, and it seems that the batteries generally die before I can finish the book, but maybe I just have bad timing.