[nabs-l] Note takers

[RJ Sandefur]

What was your experence with it? RJ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <anjelinac26 at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2010 10:54 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Note takers


>I have used the Braille Sense.
>
> Anjelina
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Oct 21, 2010, at 10:19 PM, "RJ Sandefur" 
> <joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 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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