[nabs-l] Note takers

[Nicole B. Torcolini]

It really depends on what you are going to use it for. As a college student, 
I have both a laptop and an MPower BrailleNote, and I would find it very 
hard to choose one or he other. However, I realize that this is not possible 
for some people. Here are my thoughts on my bn verses my laptop:

BN:
Pros
1. Turns on and off in less than a second
2. built in speech and Braille display
3. Braille input
4. portable
5. don't have to worry about Jaws quitting on me
6. don't have to use headphones
7. not vulnerable to viruses (may not be true for other notetakers)

Cons:
1. does not support certain file types
2. bad at formatting
3. slow internet and problems with some websites
4. no third party software unless it is a web application or a z game

Laptop:
Pros
1. fast internet
2. faster processor
3. can download third party programs
4. works with more file types
5. other people can work with me on it

Cons:
1. bigger and harder to transport; does not have built in carrying case
2. particular model is slightly easier to damage than BrailleNote (computers 
have spinning hard drives where as the bn uses flash memory)
3. takes more than a minute to power on
4. requires Jaws, which can fail
5. no Braille display
6. need head phones if going to use in class
7. can get viruses

That's all that I can think of at the moment, but I will write more if I 
think of more. If you want something with functionality similar to that of 
the Braille n Speak, then a bn, pm, or bs would be fine, but, if you need 
the functionality of a computer, I would recommend getting a laptop.

Nicole

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2010 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Note takers


> Hi Curt and All:
>
> First, for those who have the Pacmate what made you switch to the
> Braille Note whether it be Apex or one of the other ones?
>
> Here is my delemma.
>
> I had the option of getting a notetaker about five years ago in 2006.
> At that time, I didn't know how to research very well and wasn't as
> into technology as I am now.
>
> Having used Jaws and liking it, and seeing that pocket Jaws was on the
> Pacmate and it ran windows which was the same OS I was using, I just
> stupidly decided on the Pacmate without doing much other research or
> comparing the pacmate to other notetakers. Also, because I was so into
> computers at that time, I got the QX pacmate thinking the laptop style
> keyboard would be better for me.
>
> When I first got the Pacmate it was nice and I played with it all he
> time. But, now I hardly use it. First of all, the internet on it is
> terrible...very very very slow. It takes forever for a webpage to
> load. Also, the Pacmate doesn't have an internal wi-fi card so you
> have to use one of those compact flash cards which are pretty much
> obselete now. The Pacmate only has a mini usb port so to connect
> anything to USB you have to use an external object. All I find I use
> it for now is reading BRF books from NLS or Bookshare and taking notes
> in class. The Pacmate doesn't even have bluetooth! It also doesn't
> have sd card slots...only ones for those obselete compact flash cards.
>
> I look at more modern notetakers like the Apex and get excited and
> think...I should look into modernizing and get one of those. But, then
> I think...I have the pacmate (even though I hate it) that does have a
> braille display, I have a netbook, I have a laptop, I have an Iphone,
> and I want to get an Ipad...that essentially all do the same thing. I
> think...would I really use a newer more modern notetaker enough to
> justify the $6000 price when I have all these other devices?
>
> But, then if I had a notetaker that I could just whip open and take
> notes portably, or write contact info down quickly, and could have
> more functionality I wonder if I'd use it more?
>
> What do you think I should do...stick with what I have or look into
> modernizing and getting a better notetaker?
>
> How is the Internet browsing on the apex? Is it very slow and sluggish
> or is it fast like wireless internet on laptops and netbooks is?
>
> Thanks,
> Kerri
>
> On 10/21/10, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Dear Listers,
>>   Even with the netbooks and braille displays out there, I still use
>> my notetaker.  (I just got an apex and I love it, although switching
>> over from the PAC Mate has been kind of hard)  I know laptops with
>> braille displays are cheaper.  But, for me, having a notetaker as
>> opposed to a computer in school/church/wherever is a godsend.  I can,
>> for instance, whip out my Apex and put someone's phone number in my
>> contact list without waiting 1-3 minutes for my computer to start and
>> get a file somewhere open.  It's so nice to have instant access to
>> everything, without having to wait for the laptop to load up, jaws to
>> start, and then having to open such and such application to do my
>> thing.  It's so much easier to turn on a machine, usee 1 or maybe 2
>> keystrokes, and be right where I need to be within seconds.  That's
>> why I still have my notetaker because a computer just can't do that.
>>   All the best,
>> Kirt
>>
>> On 10/21/10, Danielle Montour <hypoplexer at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>> I am a BrailleNote Apy user, the latest
>>> notetaker.  Although the Apex has great potential, there's some
>>> work to be done on it.  It's a good don't get me wrong, don't get
>>> me wrong, it just has room for improvement.  Here is a comparison
>>> between the BrailleNote Apex and BrailleSense Plus.
>>>
>>> HTH
>>>
>>> Danni
>>>
>>> Courtesy: Alex Hall.
>>>
>>>  Here is a look at the BrailleNote Apex and its closest
>>> competitor, the Braille Sense Plus (from GW Micro).  I do not
>>> know enough about the Pac Mate Omni (Freedom scientific) to
>>> include it in this comparison.
>>>
>>>   chinin Internal Storage: the BSP has 8 gigabytes of storage.
>>> The Apex has 8 gigabytes as well.
>>>   chinin RAM: The BSP has 128 megabytes of RAM, as does the Apex.
>>> However, the Apex has an additional 126 megabytes of storage for
>>> operating system and temporary files, whereas the BSP has 64
>>> megabytes for this purpose.
>>>   chinin Processor: the BSP's processor, type unknown, runs at
>>> 400 megahertz.  The FreeScale IMX31 processor in the Apex runs at
>>> 520megahertz.  Both the BSP and the Apex processors are 32-29t
>>> versions.
>>>   chinin
>>>   chinin Underlying Windows CE The BSP runs on CE 5.0.  While
>>> this is an improvement over the BrailleNote mPower's CE 4.2, it
>>> is not as good as the Apex's CE 6.0, which allows for many new
>>> features to be introduced, namely better RAM management and tens
>>> of thousands of processes to run concurrently; CE 5 still has a
>>> 32 process limit.
>>>   chinin USB: the BSP has 2 (1?) USB master port(s) for storage
>>> devices, printers, keyboards, and so on.  The Apex has 3 USB
>>> master ports for these purposes.  The BSP has one mini USB port,
>>> used to connect it to a computer to connect to ActiveSync or use
>>> as a removable disk.  The Apex also has one mini USB port, though
>>> it cannot act as a removable device.  Unlike the BSP, though, it
>>> can synchronize its contacts, calendar, and other items with
>>> Microsoft Windows computers.
>>>   chinin Other Storage Options: The BSP has both an SD card slot,
>>> which supports SDHC cards as well as standard SD cards, and a
>>> compactflash card slot.  It can also use its bluetooth to
>>> transfer files between itself and any other bluetooth device
>>> supporting object exchange.  The Apex has an SD card slot
>>> supporting regular and high-capacity (HC) cards.  It does not,
>>> however, have a compactflash card slot, nor does it support
>>> bluetooth object exchange, though Humanware could add this option
>>> to Keysoft with little trouble thanks to the new Windows CE 6
>>> bluetooth stack.
>>>   chinin Audio: Both devices have built in stereo speakers,
>>> stereo headphone jacks, external mono microphone jacks, and a
>>> mono internal microphone.  The Apex also supports bluetooth audio
>>> devices, the BSP does not.  Both devices can create recordings
>>> via either microphone, with adjustable microphone gains and
>>> quality levels, however the BSP can record in MP3 format or WAV
>>> format, whereas the Apex only supports the larger WAV format
>>> (maybe).  The Apex contains an FM radio internally and uses
>>> anything plugged into the headphone jack as an antenna.  The
>>> radio can be recorded as though it were another input source for
>>> the recorder.  The BSP also has a radio which works in the same
>>> way, but it cannot be recorded.
>>>   chinin Wireless Communication Both devices contain both an
>>> internal BstG wifi card and an internal bluetooth 2.1 card.
>>>   chinin Battery Both devices have about the same battery life,
>>> and both contain a removable battery.  The Apex has a way to
>>> charge the battery outside of the computer itself, the BSP does
>>> not.
>>>   chinin Jacks and Ports BSP: two master USB, one slave (mini)
>>> USB, cable ethernet, VGA, SDSTSDHC slot, compactflash slot, mono
>>> microphone, stereo headphone, AC power port.  Apex: 3 master USB,
>>> 1 slave (mini) USB, cable ethernet, VGA, SDSTSDHC slot, mono
>>> microphone, stereo headphone, AC power port.  Basically, they are
>>> the same except that the Apex has one more master USB port than
>>> the BSP, and the BSP has a compactflash card slot whereas the
>>> Apex does not.
>>>   chinin Visual Output The BSP can print what is spoken or
>>> brailled to a monitor through its VGA port, or through its
>>> built-in LcD display.  The Apex can also print to a monitor with
>>> its VGA port, or through use of a Windows program called KeyView.
>>> This means that the Apex can connect to a Windows computer via
>>> USB or bluetooth (or through serial using a serial-USB
>>> converter).  KeyView will then display the Apex's text on the
>>> computer's screen.
>>>   chinin Microsoft Word 2007 Neither device currently supports
>>> the disdocx (Word 2007) format.  Humanware has promised that the
>>> Apex will handle disdocx files in the near future, providing a
>>> free upgrade to all Apex owners so they can have this support for
>>> free when it is released.  GW Micro has not commented on Word
>>> 2007 support, though another device of theirs, a digital book
>>> reader called the Book Sense, does support Word 2007, so it is
>>> likely that the BSP will support this format in the near future
>>> as well.
>>>   chinin Internet Communication: Both devices have a web browser,
>>> an email program, and an instant messenger.  The BSP's browser
>>> cannot handle cookies like the Apex can, but that is the only
>>> major difference between the two.  The email programs are pretty
>>> well matched, except for one under-the-hood difference: the Apex
>>> stores all emails in a database, making it difficult to copy a
>>> message somewhere else for storage; copying the text is easy
>>> enough, but copying the message headers along with the text is
>>> all but impossible without going through a lot of tedious steps.
>>> The BSP stores its messages as diseml files, allowing users to
>>> not only copy entire emails to different locations, but to view
>>> these messages on other Windows computers.  The BSP also allows
>>> users to view HTML-encoded messages as web pages; the Apex, as
>>> far as I know will not let you do this, though it may be the case
>>> that it is, in fact, possible.  The instant messenger on the BSP
>>> only supports Windows Live (formerly known as MSN) Messenger,
>>> though this is a very popular network.  The Apex supports all
>>> XMPP networks, which include, but are not limited to, Google
>>> Talk, IC-HAT, and Jabber.  The Apex, essentially, supports a
>>> range of less popular networks, whereas the BSP supports only one
>>> network, but that one network is very widely used compared to the
>>> networks supported by the Apex.
>>>   chinin Braille Codes and Languages The Apex supports 6 and 8
>>> dot computer braille, grade 1, grade 2, and UEB, plus it has
>>> computer Braille tables for English, French, Spanish, and Italian
>>> and it can speak in those languages.  The BSP supports only
>>> English computer braille (6 or 8 dot unknown), grade 1, and grade
>>> 2.  However, the BSP will let you write in any grade, even in a
>>> text document or on a web page; the Apex allows only computer
>>> braille in text documents and web page forms.
>>>   chinin Braille Scrolling and Navigation The BSP has four keys,
>>> two on either side of the Braille display for moving the Braille,
>>> for navigation, as well as four function keys for quickly
>>> switching tasks, closing programs, and performing other basic
>>> tasks.  The Apex has four thumb keys on its front, where the
>>> thumbs naturally rest while reading Braille.  These keys act like
>>> the scroll keys on the BSP, except they are more conveniently
>>> placed.  The Apex also has a scroll wheel, which lets you quickly
>>> scroll through lists and files.  The wheel also has a button in
>>> the center to act as an enter key, and four buttons arount the
>>> outside edge to act as hotkeys for commonly used keystrokes, such
>>> as calling up the help prompt for the given situation on the
>>> Apex.
>>>   chinin Multi-Tasking The BSP can run 7 programs at once; you
>>> could leave your wordprocessor open while you quickly switch to
>>> your email to read something, then leave the email open to go the
>>> the file manager to copy a couple files...  For this reason, the
>>> BSP contains task manager, which is a large part of the
>>> functionality of the four function keys.  The Apex cannot, as far
>>> as I know, do this.  You can leave a media file playing in the
>>> background or do other things on the Apex while you wait for your
>>> machine to connect to a wireless networo, but you cannot let your
>>> email download in the background while you read a book.  The
>>> Apex, though, now (thanks to CE6) has the ability to do a lot of
>>> multi-tasking, far exceeding the BSP's limit of 7 applications at
>>> once, though such functionality is not yet implemented in
>>> Keysoft, much like bluetooth object exchange could easily be
>>> supported but is not yet there.
>>>   chinin External Media Controls Tge Apex has only one media key:
>>> the record button.  The BSP has buttons on its front, where the
>>> Apex's toumb keys are, for skipping tracks, recording, playing,
>>> pausing, and so forth, not to mention its media switch, which
>>> lets you select a mode for your media keys: media, DAISY, and FM
>>> radio.  While both machines support playing media, playing DAISY
>>> files, and an FM radio, only the BSP has external buttons to
>>> facilitate easy manipulation of media.
>>>   chinin Synthesizers: The Apex comes with two speech
>>> synthesizers: Keynote Gold, which supports only one voice, and
>>> Eloquence, with five voices to choose from.  The BSP only has
>>> Eloquence with its selection of
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "RJ Sandefur" <joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com
>>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:36:18 -0400
>>> Subject: [nabs-l] Note takers
>>>
>>> I use a braille 'n speak which I've had for ten years now, and
>>> its on its last leg.  What types of note takers do you guys use,
>>> How much does it caust, and does it live up to what is advertised
>>> concerning it? I'm not shure wheather or not to get a packmate, a
>>> braille note, or a braille sence.  I'm on disability, due to some
>>> other disabililities I have.  I'm also in a distance learning
>>> Seminary, going for my doctorate degree in theology.  I'm not
>>> shure how I can purchose a note taker, due to the fact, I have
>>> alot of bills to pay.  Would my local lions club be able to
>>> assist me in this reguard? RJ
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>>
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