[nabs-l] Pacmate versus Braille note apex versus Braille sense

[Humberto Avila]

As to my knowledge, the pacmate would be more like a laptop--it runs on
windows mobile 6.0 just like any other mainstream device out there.
According to Freedom Scientific's pacmate headquarters web page, the pacmate
is the ultimate computing  solution for the blind--and that might be true
because the pacmate can run third-party applications and can even run mobile
versions of office applications (like word, excel and powerpoint). 
So in my opinion, the pacmate sounds like a more "off-the-shelf" notetaker,
it has more openness regarding applications and features, and it even runs
JAWS pocket version. So the pacmate is more like a windows pocket PC
mainstream device or phone, but except it is accessible, runs a screen
reader, and instead of a touch Screen interface, it has a full querty or
Braille style keyboard depending on your choice.

In regards to the Braille note or apex, those notetakers do not run
third-party software, and have a more closed environment than the pacmate.
Yes they have features such as WyFy (for the apex) and built-in Bluetooth,
they have glitches too. For example, if your primary internet browsing
experience is done by a Braille note or apex, you will see that many web
sites do not support mobile platforms, or, will not be
accessible--especially if they employed flash like youtube. In addition, the
Braille note family of products--including the apex--does not, and will not
open, Microsoft word tables or documents with complex formatting--which the
pacmate does a better job at. It is known, by my personal experience, that
the Braille note will eat your homework at some point--you know, you will
open a document and you saved it with your Braille note, and then you try to
open it later, the contents are wiped out! at least that's what happened to
me when I had my Braille note00especially with documents that contain
formatting such as lists or tabs.

Hope this helps you and hope you have good luck with your notetaker hunt!
Cheers, Humberto

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of David Andrews
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 4:21 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Pacmate versus Braille note apex versus Braille sense

While these devices are somewhat different in their approaches, they 
mostly do the same things.  If you are like most of us, a change of 
this magnitude would have to have a good reason.

So, are there things that you can't do on the Pac Mate that you could 
on Apex or Braille Sense?  Or is it that PM isn't as glitsy any more?

Dave

p.s.  I still use a PacMate.  It has synching options that the others 
don't have, and I need them.  Plus I can use pocket versions of Word, 
Excel etc. which I need to do for work.

Dave


At 06:09 PM 7/11/2011, you wrote:
>Hello everyone,
>Right now I have a pacmate but while at the convention I got a 
>chance to learn about the apex and the braille sense. What do you 
>guys use and do you think it would be worth making a switch?
>
>Amanda


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