[nfbcs] Programming with a Braille display

[Ronald Smith]

Focus 40 is now under $3,000!

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tami Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
To: "NFB in Computer Science Mailing List" <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 12:35 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Programming with a Braille display


> Aaron,
>
> I've been dragging my feet getting back into programming because I haven't 
> managed to get a braille display, and trying to get started again using 
> speech only makes me crazy. Also, Hearing code read to me sounds like 
> incomprehensible gibberish. I'm starting to just suck it up and set aside 
> time regularly to practice listening to code and path names for linux 
> config files or terminal commands, but... It's coming slowly for me.
>
> My own queries around and about indicate that most professional 
> programmers find the 80-cell display to be their best option. My former 
> employer was prepared to purchase one for me when I was losing the ability 
> to read print, only we needed the VR agency to get someone out for an 
> onsite evaluation and more information about the technical details, so... 
> I hope they found someone good to do that job when I had to give it up 
> because I couldn't read and the agency still couldn't get anyone out 
> there. Sigh. The price of an 80-cell then, as now, is around $10k.
>
> A 40-cell is around $5k, although I guess the Focus is only $4k these 
> days... There are rumors that prices will start to come down soon, so I'm 
> waiting for that with bated breath.
>
> You're the third person I've ever heard of who does programming with 
> speech only. /smile/ So I'm sure there must be others. You've bummed me 
> out because if other people can program with speech only, then I don't 
> have any excuse to put off learning to do that myself, do i? /grin/
>
> I would say you're dead on about efficiency. I can only guess for myself, 
> but there do seem to be a lot of little tasks or bits of tasks that 
> involve squirrelling around with the screen reader that people who use 
> braille just read with their fingers... My assumptions on my expectations 
> for improved efficiency are also based on the simple fact that even as a 
> pretty new braille reader, I recall waht I read through my fingers much 
> more accurately and clearly than I do what I hear read to me... I'm 
> getting better due to experience but ... That's not saying much. /smile/ 
> Proofing is also more time consuming and also fatiguing for me. That could 
> be mostly just me and how I respond conceptually to the spoken word as 
> opposed to the read word... My fingers do a much better job for me at 
> replacing my eyeballs than do my ears.
>
> I don't know if that is helpful, but I thought I would throw it out since 
> I'm in a similar place.
>
> I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone else has to say. /smile/
>
> Tami
>
> On 11/08/2011 06:46 AM, Aaron Cannon wrote:
>> Hi all.
>>
>> I'm wondering how many programmers use a braille display?  I have been
>> programming for the past several years, but I've never tried to use a
>> braille display.  Do you feel that it makes you more efficient?  If
>> so, how exactly?
>>
>> I assume the larger the display, the better?
>>
>> Any advice would be appreciated.  Anything I can do to make myself
>> more efficient is great.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Aaron
>>
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