[nabs-l] Notetaker Reviews

Mon Sep 7 16:48:04 UTC 2009

Joe,
Yes FS either sells the PacMate Braille Display separately or with the 
PacMate.
Jessica
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
To: "'NFBnet NFBCS Mailing List'" <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, September 07, 2009 9:49 AM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Notetaker Reviews


> Dean,
>
> Good point.  I should have included what I was looking for.
>
> I'm looking for greater compatibility with mainstream devices.  I agree 
> with
> Gary that the Braille quality on the BrailleNote is pleasantly sharp, but 
> I
> may consider trading that for quicker connectivity and conversion between
> file formats.  Braille is, by the way, my main reason for wanting to
> evaluate new units.  I like the benefits of the Icon and such products, 
> but
> I like a unit with a built-in Braille display as opposed to the Pac Mate
> which at one point was selling as a detached piece.  Is that still the 
> case?
>
> I don't know how much I need third-party applications.  The BrailleNote,
> unless I'm mistaken, does not offer much support for such collaboration, 
> so
> I've never had the opportunity to really delve into what is available for
> Windows operating systems, or Linux for that matter.
>
> On that note, I would be willing to learn Linux if anyone has experience
> with the Elba, even if it does appear to be on the heavy side of the scale
> compared to the weight of the Braille Sense and BrailleNote.
>
> In brief, I bought a smaller laptop for greater portability, but for
> presentations I want a good Braille display system that can talk with the
> laptop without much fuss or additional file conversion steps.  I could
> invest in a small Braille display, but there are trips when I want to be
> able to not have to carry two pieces of equipment when only one could
> suffice.
>
> At any rate, I really appreciate people's feedback.  Like I said, the 
> prices
> on these things are ridiculous.  The price to fix them when they bust is
> equally disturbing, so I want to make sure my money is being well-spent.
> Your advice is good because it seems the only thing we can do without the
> opportunity to check into a store and play with one.  Maybe Apple will
> figure out Braille display technology and give the current players a run 
> for
> their money.
>
> Joe Orozco
>
> "A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the
> crowd."--Max Lucado
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dean Martineau
> Sent: Sunday, September 06, 2009 10:26 PM
> To: 'NFBnet NFBCS Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Notetaker Reviews
>
> In this sort of thing, the first question is, what do you want
> to do with your device?  Pac Mate runs Windows Mobile6, or
> maybe 6.1, so you can install third-party software on it, but
> it is less simple to use than the Braille Note. The more you
> can delineate about your intended use for the product, the
> better able you will be to elicit comparisons.  If you want a
> package that does what it does out of the box but is not
> expandable, then Braille Note or Braille Sense would fit.  Icon
> is somewhat expandable if you want to delve into Linux.  Also,
> for the same reason that sighted people aren't buying PDA's
> much any more, many of us do many of the tasks formerly done on
> notetakers on powerful cell phones that are smaller and cheaper.
>
> Dean
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ryan Mann
> Sent: Sunday, September 06, 2009 7:13 PM
> To: NFBnet NFBCS Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Notetaker Reviews
>
> Another note taker is the Icon from Levelstar.  I don't know
> that much about that notetaker, but I do know a few pros of it.
> 1.  It has a hard drive  instead of flash memory, so it can
> store a lot of information.
> 2.  It can play the new digital books from NLS.
> 3.  It runs Linux, which is a really stable operating system.
>
> On Sep 6, 2009, at 9:09 PM, Joe Orozco wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> Sorry for the cross-post.
>>
>> Is it correct that the Braille Sense Plus, BrailleNote mPower and Pac
>> Mate are the only three Braille notetakers at the moment?  I have an
>> mPower I want to get rid of, but at six thousand dollars for a new
>> device the damn thing had better do what I need it to.
> KeySoft is not
>> all that amusing for me, but for anyone considering the mPower it has
>> more to do with personal preference.
>>
>> I found a comparison chart on GW Micro's web site over these three
>> products, but I would be interested in another round of personal
>> reviews from anyone who can speak to their likes and dislikes on the
>> units.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any assistance.
>>
>> Joe Orozco
>>
>> "A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the
>> crowd."--Max Lucado
>>
>>
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