[nfbcs] using note takers vs. Braille displays/tablets

Fri Jul 28 18:13:32 UTC 2017

I don't own an Orbit Reader yet, but plan to buy one. Note that, unlike other devices mentioned, the Orbit Reader contains an editor for braille, but does not have any onboard facilities for forward or back translation. It is expected that you will run translation programs on devices or operating systems connected to it.

Lloyd Rasmussen, Senior Staff Engineer
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20542   202-707-0535
http://www.loc.gov/nls/
The preceding opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Library of Congress, NLS.

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Brian Buhrow via nfbcs
Sent: Friday, July 28, 2017 1:57 PM
To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List
Cc: Brian Buhrow
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] using note takers vs. Braille displays/tablets

	Hello Liz.  I had the same thought last year and bought a Hims Smart
Beetle, Him's 14 cell offering which only acts as a braille terminal to a
screen reader.  My thought was that I could connect it to my iPhone and use
the iPhone as a note taker, message center, etc.  I found the experience to
be most disappointing.  The Hims Smart Beetle is a solidly built device which
exhibits stability, long battery life and a good feel under the fingers.
(I purchased it with the advice of other braille display users who told me
the Focus 14 had a number of reliability issues.)  the problem is iOS.
Braille support under iOS is very good, but it's very clear that the
developers of iOS are not braille users and there are a lot of places where
braille support just doesn't work.  In fact, when I started experiencing
these issues, I polled other braille display users who were using  iOS
capable devices and discovered that no one else that I spoke with was
trying to use their braille display as a primary interface to their iOS
device.  Specifically, all of them had note takers that they occasionlally
interfaced with iOS to dash off a quick text message or e-mail.  No one
thought using iOS as the primary note storage device was a good idea.
Sadly, after a year of trying to make it work, I must conclude that they're
right.  The problem is that the iPhone really wants you  to interact using
the touch screen.  So, yu can get into a lot of situations where the
braille controls just don't get you where you want to go and you have to
pick up the phone and navigate using the touch screen.  Also, because the
phone is a multi-tasking device, it sometimes wanders off, processing
something other than what you're writing, causing keystrokes to be missed
or mis-interpreted.  Other folks I talked to said they didn't have this
problem, but when I questioned them more closely, it turned out they didn't
use their phones for composition in any real way.
	As I said earlier, like you, I like the idea of having one primary note
taking device and the phone seems like the perfect tool to do that.  However,
given that you're a reporter and I imagine that there are a lot of times
when you just need your technology to get out of the way and  let you
capture the story, quickly and efficiently, without fuss or fanfare, I
think the iPhone in conjunction with a braille display is not the right
answer.  There are too many moving parts and I think you'll find yourself
trying to make the technology work for you when you should just be writing.
If you get something that's capable of driving the iPhone, as well as
acting as a note taker, i.e. the Hims Braille Edge or the Vario Aultra, then you 
can experiment with moving in the direction you're thinking about without 
committing yourself in one fell swoop.  The Focus 14 and the Hims Smart Beetle 
don't give you that choice.
	I'd love to be proven wrong and told that it's just operator error on
my part, but since my admittedly unscientific polling of folks on the issue
yielded no other pioneers, I suspect there's a reason.  
	Anyway, that's just my two cents.  Let us know what you decide to use.
And, happy shopping!

P.S.  If you can wait a couple months, the Orbit Reader 20 from APH and
Orbits Research looks like just the thing for you.  priced at $450, it's
a combination note taker and braille terminal.  So, you can use it as a
stand alone note taking device or as a display for a screen reader,
including VoiceOver on iPhone.  I bought one of the few units available at
the convention, and the braille is good and it's responsive as a note
taker. I've not tried attaching it to my iPhone yet.  Curtis Chong, who
also bought one of the units, did attach it to his phone and he reports
that it works.

-Brian

On Jul 28,  8:20am, Elizabeth Campbell via nfbcs wrote:
} Subject: [nfbcs] using note takers vs. Braille displays/tablets
} Greetings all,
} 
}  
} 
} I need to replace my BrailleNote Apex that I've had for about six years.
} 
} I've used it out in the field quite a bit,and it's crashing at inopportune
} times.
} 
}  
} 
} I had opportunities to look at various Braille displays and at the El
} Braille at the NFB convention. I'm writing a proposal requesting that my
} employer help with purchasing some new equipment.
} 
} I'm wondering if the best option would be to get a small Braille display
} such as the Focus 14 and use it in conjunction with either my iPhone or a
} Windows-based tablet.
} 
} I'm not sure if I need a note taker as I need a device for taking notes,
} posting to social media and recording when I'm out in the field.
} 
} On the other hand, I like the idea of having one device to carry instead of
} several.
} 
}  
} 
} Thanks in advance for your help and advice.
} 
}  
} 
} Best regards.
} 
}  
} 
} Liz Campbell
} 
}  
} 
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>-- End of excerpt from Elizabeth Campbell via nfbcs

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