[Nfbc-info] Note-Taking Devices

Fri Sep 13 04:41:54 UTC 2013

Shannon, you bring up a lot of really great points. And I have to agree totally.

I personally love my braille note apex. Yes it has its problems, but the things that it is able to do are priceless.
I absolutely love my iPhone, but I definitely would not want to use it in any capacity for notetaking in classes etc. The main reason I wouldn't want to use it in this capacity would be because the battery life is not that great. And I would never want to run out of a battery on my cell phone. 
Hey cell phone should be used primarily for phone calls etc. Not as your main computer when you were out. Unless you have plans to recharge the battery etc. In a classroom environment your battery would die immensely fast.

Back to notetaking devices such as a braille note. These devices do many other things besides just take notes. You can use book share on them they have calendars email you can browse the web and an boss from them. 
If you were trying to stay within a particular budget, I would highly recommend going with a notetaking device, a portable laptop, etc 
  If you have to eliminate a piece of equipment from your list, I would definitely eliminate the focus 14. I own one and it is a very cool device but it is definitely not practical for taking notes in classes etc. Your Braille  note if you receive one will also pair with your iPhone and act very similarly to the focus 14. 
One thing to consider when choosing a note taker. Some of the notetakers nowadays will interface with dropbox excel etc. The braille note will not interact with dropbox which may be a downside for you. The products made by Hinz will do this and over all are pretty good devices.
May I ask who the rehab counselor is? I used to live in that area I know several of them. Smile I might be able to help more if I know who you're working with.

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 12, 2013, at 8:47 PM, "Shannon L. Dillon" <shannonldillon at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Chela,
> First, the Focus 14 is too small to be really useful with a laptop. It works
> fine for an iPhone, but it's no good for reading and getting an idea of
> formatting on the laptop screen. Don't leet your counselor BS you into a
> Focus 14. 
> 
> As for notetakers, I have had many people tell me their iPhone is sufficient
> to take notes with.  I have tried a couple of Bluetooth keyboards, and the
> Focus 14, and my experience has not been that great. The iPhone simply can't
> keep up with my Brailling. So I don't know what your Braille typing speed
> is, but I would really put an iPhone and Braille display or Bluetooth
> keyboard to the test before using it as your notetaker. And trying using
> them quickly like you're taking notes in a fast paced class. Don't just try
> writing a letter or something you can do without concern for time.
> 
> Plus, a notetaker you can always connect to a flash drive or memory stick
> and get files from other people.  You would have to use Dropbox or email to
> get files from other people with your iPhone. So it limits your options for
> sharing information with other people. 
> 
> My notetaker has been sick this last few months, and I've been trying my
> iPhone and my laptop and in my experience, they don't replace the notetaker.
> You can't just pop open your laptop and reboot it in the middle of the hall
> while talking to someone if they come up with something you want to write
> down.  You can't type while standing at someone's desk. You have to find
> somewhere to sit down, lay down the laptop and turn it on. I find the
> notetaker to be a lot more portable and flexible. And as I said before, the
> iPhone doesn't cut it because I type too fast and the words run together and
> it starts to drop characters. I never had that with a notetaker, not even
> back in the days of the Braille 'n Speak.
> 
> 
> Saying that, the laptop is great obviously for writing papers and reading
> books that are electronic. I wouldn't want to only  have a notetaker. I
> would still want a laptop, too.
> 
> Hope it helps. Feel free to contact me ifyou want.
> 
> -Shannon
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nfbc-info [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chela
> Robles
> Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2013 7:30 PM
> To: undisclosed-recipients:
> Subject: [Nfbc-info] Note-Taking Devices
> 
> Hello all,
> I have told you while back that I'm going to take the Administrative
> Assistant Program starting October 21st and through the summer of 2014 at
> Mt. Diablo Adult Education School in my hometown, Concord, California and I
> have made a list in conjunction with the financial aid adviser who will be
> working with my counselor and I to make sure I succeed. A couple of the
> items I listed I think are note-taking possibilities a windows professional
> 7 equipped laptop and the Braille Focus 14 display.
> My question to all of you since I'm not going to divulge my whole list which
> is only ten items, which I'm sure you guys don't wish to read unless I'm
> wrong about that then let me know.
> Anyway my question is what do you guys use for taking notes in school?
> Several people from the IOs listserv I'm on say they use their IPads,
> IPhones, IPod Touches, MacBookPro's, while others use PC Laptops in
> conjunction with braille displays that have the braille keyboard integrated
> with the laptop while still others use just the braille display because it
> has note-taking functionality itself, yet others still stick to the classic
> note-takers such as from Humanware or the pac mate from Freedom Scientific
> which mine didn't last. I just really think personally it would be easier to
> take the laptop and the braille display along with the digital recorder I
> have from Olympus to record lectures, but I want to make sure I know what
> others are using but to me it sounds like a lot of people are using their
> IDevices or Braille displays in conjunction with the IDevices or as a
> stand-alone note-taker, or in conjunction or without laptops whether from
> Apple or PC-based, now, but correct me if I'm wrong, but there are still
> those who use the older technology such as what I mentioned before from
> Freedom Scientific which again my Pac Mate did retire and I'd not get one
> again.
> I'd like to know before 8AM PST. Tomorrow.
> I don't want to limit myself yet I want to make sure I don't break Rehab's
> budget smiles.
> I have a meeting tomorrow with a tech evaluator name Steven Clark from
> Adaptive Technology Services, even though I already gave him the list, I'd
> still like to know what others are using to take notes in classes nowadays.
> Thanks for your kind responses.
> Chela Robles
> 
> --
> --
> Teachers have a sacred task:
> It is to give children the skills to understand the world and an expectation
> that the world is a trustworthy place; that it is full of light, and love,
> and music and that each student deserves--and will have--their own place in
> it and the chance to play their own song.
> And, as much of these expectations are transmitted non-verbally-and in
> Chela's case--out of sight.it is the voice and touch of a Teacher that sheds
> light on what the world can be.
> Academics-and no one will ever change my mind on this-take a distant second
> place. -Dr. Bil Hawkins
> --
> Chela Robles a Nationally Certified person in Customer Service, certified by
> the National Retail Federation Foundation (NRF):
> http://www.nrffoundation.com/
> E-mail: cdrobles693 at gmail.com
> Windows Live Messenger: cdrobles693 at hotmail.com
> Skype: jazzytrumpet
> I volunteer for Bookshare, to find out more and to volunteer with us,visit:
> http://www.bookshare.org/ Need more space, come join dropbox and start with
> two gigs of free space and 500 Megabytes as is this is my referral link to
> you: http://db.tt/XpUTe0E
> --
> 
> 
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