[blindkid] BrailleNote use

[David Andrews]

An ultrabook is a class of computer, not a specific machine.  It is 
basically a small, powerful laptop.

Windows machine makers have come out with them to compete with some 
of the very small, slim Apple laptops.

Dave

At 09:37 AM 9/6/2012, you wrote:
>Hi Bernadette,
>In what way does one use Ultra Book?  HOw is it unique for the 
>blind?  I looked
>it up, and it appears that is is a laptop.  Can you say more about it.
>
>Much appreciated.
>Bo Page in CT
>
>
>
>
>________________________________
>From: Bernadette Jacobs <bernienfb75 at gmail.com>
>To: "Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)"
><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Thu, September 6, 2012 7:33:34 AM
>Subject: Re: [blindkid] BrailleNote use
>
>Firstly, I'm one who's been burned by the world of notetakers.  I,
>myself, will never, ever have another notetaker.  I've found the
>drawbacks are as follows:
>
>1.  The turn-around time if your notetaker should have to be in for
>repair can be a whole six months.  I've heard others' tales of woe
>that sometimes even when people have gotten their notetakers back,
>they weren't even in the same condition they had previously sent it.
>
>2.  In my instance, for example, I had upgraded the software on mine
>two years in a row.  Then when I went online to upgrade for a third
>time, I was told that there was a serious hardward upgrade problem.
>When I called the outfit, they of course informed me that they had
>failed to tell me about hardware upgrades that I needed and until I
>paid out mukobucks for the hardware, I couldn't even touch the
>software.  In essence, the hardware upgrades, in addition to the
>software upgrades I needed would cost me three-fourths the price of a
>whole brand new machine!!!  NEVER AGAIN!!!  NEVER AGAIN!!!
>
>3.  Good news, however, I talked with the folks here at the National
>Center and they've informed me that something new called the
>"Ultra-Book" has come out.  One can get them through Amazon and almost
>anywhere one can purchase computers.  Yah--windows based and all!  You
>can use it like your personal PC or laptop.  As for the price, even
>that's not too bad!  You can get 'em for around $1300.00ish or so.
>Far less also than a notetaker!!!  You don't have to worry about your
>machine sitting in some shop on the other side of tim-buck-two for six
>months to a year only to have it come back to you Lord knows how.
>It's far easier to upgrade software on a PC, laptop, or "Ultra-Book"
>and you can connect with any printer or PC VIA usb connection or
>whatever.  One could do the same with a netbook.  Just like having a
>laptop.  I do know many parents right here on the list whose counties
>purchased this equipment, (notetakers and all), for their
>blind/disabled students in order for them to continue to compete in
>their class rooms.
>
>That's my take for whatever it's worth!
>
>Have a great day!
>
>Bernie
>
>On 9/5/12, Carly B <barnesraiser at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hello all!
> >
> > I am hoping to get some thoughts/advice regarding my son's school
> > situation. My son is 10 and he just entered 4th grade at the state academy
> > for the blind. He's been there since 1st grade. At his IEP meeting last
> > spring, I asked that he be provided with a Braille Note for his home use. I
> > thought I had requested it starting at the beginning of the summer (2012)
> > but that it would be something he would use at home during the school year.
> > Somehow this was misconstrued and it was entered in his IEP that he would
> > be provided the Braille Note for the summer only. Sadly, the instructor in
> > charge of technology (even though I had communicated with him *months*
> > prior to the IEP meeting and had gotten his "buy-in" then) did not have the
> > Braille Note ready for our son's use until the end of July. It was really
> > frustrating to be put off for 4-5 months after our initial request, but
> > since I thought that once we had it, we would have it indefinitely, that
> > helped.
> >
> > Well, we've had the use of it for 4 weeks and I just received a request to
> > return it. Reading the IEP a little more carefully (yes, I glossed over
> > portions, including that one) I realize now there was a misunderstanding
> > about it.
> >
> > But my question is: how many of you have technology at home provided by the
> > school? I mean, how unusual a request is or isn't this? Early on in this
> > process I encountered several TVI's who said they provide Braille Notes to
> > their students for use at home and school from an early age. So I got the
> > idea that it is somewhat standard.
> >
> > Should I request another IEP meeting and make the request again, being
> > clear this time what I want? Should I expect to receive it? I mean, the
> > Braille Note is available to my son at school for *maybe* 30 minutes a day.
> > The amount of Braille material we have at home is quite limited. The
> > Braille Note is like a Kindle for Braille books... my son is part-way
> > through two books he downloaded from BookShare that he would not be able to
> > finish. He needs the extra practice time to increase his proficiency and
> > his reading speed. Of course I'm afraid they will say that he doesn't need
> > that...
> >
> > Anyway, any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I just need to figure
> > out what to do from here...
> >
> > Thanks in advance!
> >
> > :) Carolynn aka Brian's mom