[NJTechDiv] Orbit Reader 20

Wed Aug 7 13:44:40 UTC 2019

I have the Orbit, and I like it quite a lot.  I really like the price.  It’s gone up a bit, but it’s still way more affordable than any other braille device I’ve bought, and it has 20 cells, not a mingy 14.  

I use it a lot for reading, and for note-taking.  I keep lots of files on it, like addresses, a calendar, and various kinds of note files.  I have used it in class, and it’s worked well.  Cursor routing would be nice, but Orbit says that would add a lot to the price, so you pays your money and you makes your choice.  

To me, the noise it makes when refreshing is like shuffling a deck of cards.  No one seemed to notice it when I was using it in a class, though, in a really quiet meeting, it could be annoying.

Tracy

From: NJTechDiv [mailto:njtechdiv-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Andy via NJTechDiv
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2019 9:08 PM
To: Brian Mackey; New Jersey Technology Division List
Cc: Andy
Subject: Re: [NJTechDiv] Orbit Reader 20

            I have used the Orbit Reader 20.  Some notes:

            * No cursor routing keys.  If this is a problem for you, you may not want one of these.  Cursor routing keys are useful for editing documents, since you can jump the cursor to the exact point that you're editing.  Unfortunately, Orbit doesn't have them.

* Very, very high-quality cells.  I work for the NJ Commission, and the quality of the Braille cells is amazing.  The technology the Orbit uses is different than most other displays.  If you have neuropathy, for instance, you may want one.  You can press down on these cells all day and night, and they won't give to pressure.  (Don't; I don't want your display breaking, but just to give you and idea).

* Very noisy.  When the display refreshes to the next line, it will make quite a bit of noise due to the newer Braille cell technology, which differs than the current widely-used technology.  If you're in an environment where that's a problem, then the Orbit may not be the best choice.

* Note-taking capability.  The display itself has a (very, very basic) note-taker.  It's primarily designed for quick notes.  I suppose it's possible to use for a lecture situation, etc, but there's no reverse translator: what you see is what you get.  So, if you tried to display your notes on a computer, for instance, you would see what essentially amounts to computer Braille.  If you had Duxbury or something, then you could translate your notes back to Word format or something similar, however.

* A basic reader.  The Orbit supports .txt, .brl, and .brf files.  It's possible, then, to read books from Bookshare and BARD/NLS with this device: from Bookshare, select .brf as your file format.  For NLS/BARD, all you need to do is download the Braille file (to my knowledge; I haven't tested NLS/BARD files).

* Bluetooth/USB support.  The Orbit is capable of pairing with your various devices for Braille output, and has an 8-dot keyboard for input.

* Made of plastic.  Some people may find that concerning, though it does feel pretty solid to me.

The various caveats would really depend on your situation.  For me, the noise is really annoying, and the lack of cursor routing keys make it, in my view, very annoying for editing documents, typing in edit fields, and similar purposes.  If you do a lot of Braille reading, though, you may appreciate its (very basic) reader functionality.  The reader supports setting bookmarks, and will save positions when you exit books.

On Aug 6, 2019, at 4:45 PM, Brian Mackey via NJTechDiv <njtechdiv at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Greetings to all,

I put my name down to consider getting the Orbit Reader 20, but I am still on the fence. Has anyone on this list used the Orbit Reader 20? If yes, what pros and cons can you tell me when you used it? The reduced price of $549 is only available until August 15, so I need to decide soon. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Brian A. Mackey

Brian A. Mackey
Owner, Mackey Enterprises, LLC
Webmaster, National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Iowa, & Illinois
Webmaster, National Federation of the Blind Deaf-Blind Division
Member, NFB Blind Users Innovating & Leading Design (BUILD) Team
 <tel:609-680-8488> 609-680-8488
 <mailto:Bmackey88 at gmail.com> Bmackey88 at gmail.com
 <http://www.mackeyenterprisesllc.com/> www.mackeyenterprisesllc.com

“Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to make those dreams come true”
      -Vince Papale

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