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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Dear Eric:<?xml:namespace prefix = o
ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT size=3
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Thanks for providing the pricing for
the braillenote from Humanware and your experience about users learning the
braillenote and pacmate omni. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">I will just say that I did go down
to the technology center of the nfb and did sample all the note takers on the
market. My main consideration to purchasing a note taker for my own personal and
professional use was price, <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>customer support And technical support.
The pacmate Omni from Freedom Scientific was the most affordable and I have been
extremely happy <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>with the technical
support if any question arises regarding my product. I used the Braille lite for
sixteen years, prior to purchasing a new note taker. I was happy dealing with
Freedom Scientific when issues arose with my Braille lite. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Regarding the learning curve, I was able
to master how to use the mobile applications of Microsoft word and excel and
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>the pacmate omni's word processing
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>and calculator as well as how to
read books I downloaded onto the unit.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The main issue I realize is that all
documentation of any manufacturer of assistive technology is that to learn any
product one must learn how to use the product from the help file on the product
or go online and use the documentation provided on the manufacturer's website.
Another blind consumer and I have felt that this practice inhibits a learner to
learn how to use the assistive technology product and its capabilities. This
observation applies <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>for both the
Pacmate Omni from Freedom Scientific <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>and the braillenote from Humanware.
Humanware offers documentation for the braille note in a text format or pdf
format which is inaccessible with a screen reader such as Jaws for Windows.
Freedom Scientific allows the user of a product to go online at their website
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>documentation to be read
continuously or by each topic. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The best solution is for <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>manufacturers provide braille hard copies
of basic commands of their assistive technology.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have discussed this issue with the
manufacturer Freedom Scientific and have been told that an owner of a product
can print into braille user documentation. As a result, I have printed the
appendix of all the commands and have found it easier to learn the pacmate
omni.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The braillenote does contain some
problems though. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have also been
told by a consumer of the braillenote that when this product is used as a
braille display for a computer the note taker freezes. Consequently, the note
taker and computer have to be restarted. A blind friend of mine used a
voicenote from Humanware and found it hard to connect to many sites on the
internet and download emails and read emails as well as emails with attachments.
Ultimately, my friend has stopped using this product and has learned how to use
Jaws for Windows to type and use the internet and read email. I do hope that
humanware has been open to correcting the ability to display sites using the
internet and downloading emails and reading emails whether the emails contain
attachments or not. I also have heard that many customers and teachers of
students that use the braillenote are not happy with the technical supportand
the long timje for a unit to be repaired and shipped back to the customer <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>from Humanware.</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Sara Rooz</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Certified Teacher of the Blind and
Visually Impaired in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:State></SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
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