[nabs-l] Portable devices for school

[Arielle Silverman]

Good point Jewel, although I don't know if contraction expansion is a
tablet/Apple problem or if it has to do with the Bluetooth connection
between display and computer. I experience it with my iPhone. It is
probably best for beginning Braille students to learn via either
hard-copy Brailling, a special  Braille notetaker like an Apex, or
both. However, if kids can learn Braille when they are young, they
should be able to transition to mainstream computer technology without
too much hassle, whether with a Braille display or not.

Arielle

On 9/29/13, Jewel <herekittykat2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I just wanted to mention another problem with tablets, particularly the
> iPad. When typing in Braille, if you type something that is a contraction
> and pause too long, the contraction will expand. This means if you type bl,
> then pause to try to remember how to type the next letter, the bl will
> expand to become blind. This is a problem for students who do not have
> Braille code down perfectly yep. It will cause neverending frustration and
> may turn a child off Braille. I definitely recommend a netbook or laptop
> over a tablet for this reason. For those of us who already know the code,
> the contraction expansion is only a minor nuisance, but it can be very
> detrimental to the education of a student still learning the code. This
> expansion of contractions does not happen on a netbook or laptop.
> My two cents,
> Jewel
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Sep 29, 2013, at 7:08 PM, "justin williams"
>> <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Agreed.  The tablets really are to small.  I prefer a laptop with a full
>> keyboard over the netbook, but the netbook works well.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Arielle
>> Silverman
>> Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2013 6:15 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Portable devices for school
>>
>> I think the netbook is a good and cost-effective option for word
>> processing,
>> email and other essential computing needs. Braille display connectivity
>> is
>> also quite possible through the Netbook's USB port, so that's probably
>> what
>> I would recommend. Laptops or Macbooks with bluetooth capability would
>> also
>> be good candidates although they are more expensive. I would vote against
>> using tablets as I don't think they have enough computing power to act as
>> good writing devices for blind students by themselves.
>>
>>> On 9/29/13, trising at sbcglobal.net <trising at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>> If I could only use one device it would need to include a Braille
>>> display.
>>>
>>> Terri Wilcox
>>>
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