[nabs-l] Note takers

Fri Oct 22 02:19:31 UTC 2010

Has any one used the braille sense? RJ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nicole B. Torcolini" <ntorcolini at wavecable.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2010 9:27 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Note takers


> 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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>>
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