[Trainer-talk] Blazie Products

Tue Oct 16 16:22:29 UTC 2012

Interesting rundown on Blazie & other products.  The latest update on my
Braille 'n Speak is June 5, 2003.  The unit still works, but my disk drive
doesn't, so I haven't been able to put the games back on.  Sad.  

Barbara Loos 

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Today's Topics:

   1. Happy 25th Anniversary to the Braille 'n Speak (David Goldfield)
   2. RefreshABraille18 for sell $1300.00 or best offer (Gabe Vega)

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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2012 22:25:14 -0400
From: David Goldfield <disciple1211 at verizon.net>
To: List for teachers and trainers of adaptive technology
	<trainer-talk at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [Trainer-talk] Happy 25th Anniversary to the Braille 'n Speak
Message-ID: <507B740A.9000108 at verizon.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

If my knowledge and memory on Blazie Engineering history is correct then
this week we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Braille 'n Speak from
Blazie Engineering.  This device was sold for approximately 15 years both by
Blazie Engineering and for a few years by Freedom Scientific.  
Here is what I remember regarding milestones from this time period.

October 15, 1987.  One of the first if not the first update for Bns is
released.  The unit contained just 45 pages of Ram equal to 180K.  Files
could not be made bigger or smaller and could not be renamed.  Cut, copy and
paste functions were not yet implemented.
March 1988.  Bns receives what was likely its first major update which
included cut, copy and paste commands and the ability to recover files.  
I believe this is also when the calculator and stopwatch were first offered.
Calc and stopwatch were a $99.00 option but eventually were offered in all
revisions probably around 1991.
February 1989. Update introduced to offer commands to make files bigger and
smaller and added rename capabilities.
Speaksys was likely available by this time; this was a DOS-based screen
reader which allowed Bns to act as both a synthesizer and a keyboard for
your PC, price was around $150.00. Speaksys was eventually revamped and
updated with more features and became PCMaster, sold for $395.00.  I have a
Braille copy of the PCMaster manual which I wrote.
July 1990.  Update was offered to add some voice inflection and the ability
to write macros to automate functions.  Braille Blazer embosser was also
introduced that year.  Also introduced was the Bns disk drive.  
Prior to the disk drive you could either transfer Bns files to a computer or
on casette tape using a tape interface device which was offered for $99.00.
October 14, 1991.  First revision of the Bns 640 was introduced. 
Contained over 150 memory pages and a smart calendar to obtain the day of
any date.
Summer 1992.  Major revision of the Bns 640 was offered including xmodem,
Ymodem and Kermit upload/download capabilities.  Ymodem meant that multiple
files could be downloaded/uploaded.  Also the ability to write programs for
the Bns was introduced and several developers took advantage of this meaning
that more external programs were offered including Braille translators, a
macro recorder and many games.  Blazie Engineering eventually offered a
checkbook manager and a third-party developer wrote a database called
Braille Base.  Two terminal programs were also offered.  I think I have
copies of nearly all of this software.
Late 1992.  Type 'n Speak was introduced.  This offered a paralel printer
port, an alarm clock and the ability for users to update their units via
flash.
Summer 1993.  Braille Lite 18 introduced.  I believe Windows Master was also
introduced around this time, possibly in 1992.  This was one of the first
Windows screen readers ever offered.
Braille Lite 40 came around probably in the summer of 1996.
I think the last revision to the Blazie line of notetakers was offered by
Freedom Scientific in the summer of 2002.

Blazie Engineering's products revolutionized the lives of so many blind
users, myself included, by offering innovative and inexpensive products
which were very intuitive.  Happy anniversary to the Braille 'n Speak which
started that revolution!!!!

David Goldfield

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 05:14:28 -0700
From: Gabe Vega <theblindtech at gmail.com>
To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Cc: List for teachers and trainers of adaptive technology
	<trainer-talk at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [Trainer-talk] RefreshABraille18 for sell $1300.00 or best
	offer
Message-ID: <3831F63E-3D05-4FB8-874C-4E654B98B5CF at gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hello,
I have a APH RefreshABraille18 for sell. Unit is in excellent condition, and
has seen very little use. 

The Unit comes with a Rubberized Swade slip on case for protection, and a
power only retractable USB charging cable.

The RefreshABraille 18 is a very reliable, instant on, bluetooth and USB
Braille display. I have used it with my iPhone 4S, my Macbook Air, and my
Windows laptops with no difference in usage or reliability.

I just bought this unit late March of this year and found that although I
thought it would be cool to try my hand at a braille display again, I am not
finding that I use it too much, more preferring the Verbatum external
bluetooth keyboard.

I accept Paypal, CreditCard and will absolutely accept a serious, decent
offer. so if you are interested. feel free to call or email me.

I have a verified, confirmed Paypal Business account and you can go to
http://commtechusa.net to check that out towards the bottom of the page.

All I ask is that being that the price is already low, for selling purposes
I ask that the buyer pays for shipping and insurance.

Again, if you are remotely interested, make me an offer, I am open and will
consider any offer given.

Thanks

Gabe Vega - Sent from my MacbookAir
Blog: http://thebt.net
iMessage/Email: theblindtech at gmail.com
Phone: (623) 565-9357

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