[blindkid] Braille note

[Richard Holloway]

I was speaking in general terms on the pricing. Humanware currently charges $6379 for a for either a Braille or QWERTY 32 cell unit, and $4529 for an 18 cell. That means they are up-charging $1,850 for the larger display (14 more cells.) That includes "free" shipping. (I find it hard not to chuckle at the use of the term free. What is that, about a one quarter of one percent discount?)

I suggest that the choice is more of a case by case thing. I would hesitate to tell anyone what is better, except to say that having a note taker with a display is most likely far better than not having one.... 

Kendra started with an 18 cell mPower at school and also has used a 20 cell PAC Mate as well as the larger mPower (32 cell). She now uses the Apex 32, as well as a 40 cell display from Freedom Scientific on her computer. She MUCH prefers the larger displays.

For anyone buying, I'd suggest you try your best to let your potential user get to the technology display area at the convention to get hands on and try things out. If your school is buying, they probably have their own guidelines. My suspicion is that the wider display may support more effective reading of Braille materials on paper as these are wider, more like the bigger display. I wonder if any of our TVI's here could speak to that.

Ultimately, the important thing for reading Braille is doing what works best for the reader, not conforming to standard practice. Kendra doesn't share the reading between her hands they way most readers are taught to do, but she is so fact with her right hand (and yet can read fine with her left as well) that her TVI's have suggested leaving this alone. That's how I feel about all of this. It something works better and you can get it, that's what you need to use. 

Either way, if budget won't allow for a larger display, an 18 cell unit certainly has a great many uses.

Sent from my I

On Mar 29, 2012, at 11:15 PM, "Brandy W" <ballstobooks at gmail.com> wrote:

> Just about everyone I know who actually reads on their Braille note prefers
> the shorter display, but the people who connect it to a computer and use it
> for a display like the longe displays. I a agree for sure that I can read
> faster on the shorter display.
> 
> 
> 
> "To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is
> a spark." 
> - Victor Hugo 
> 
> Brandy Wojcik  Discovery Toys Educational Consultant and Team leader
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> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Bonnie Lucas
> Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 10:18 PM
> To: 'Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)'
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Braille note
> 
> I'd also like to add that there is also the possibility of getting an 18
> cell BrailleNote which is almost half the price. Aubrie, who is a very good
> Braille reader, had 32 cell notetakers until we moved to Alaska. She was not
> happy when she found out that this district only uses 18 cell and now she
> has come to like it much better. I sure wish I had known that before I got
> my 32 cell. She feels she can read much faster. She hates using mine because
> it seems to slow her down and she misses words more. I know that some folks
> wouldn't agree here but this seems to be the case with us. Of course, it may
> not be the case for younger children. 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Holloway [mailto:rholloway at gopbc.org]