[blindkid] apple netbooks

[Arielle Silverman]

Hi all,
As a graduate student I have used a netbook with JAWS (an Acer Aspire
One) for the past 2.5 years and I have never had any problems with
speed or processing power. The netbook did not come with Office but
you can purchase a license (my university gave me one) and I regularly
use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on it along with e-mail and Internet.
I would highly recommend the netbook option to all blind high school
and college students and I honestly don't understand why so many VR
agencies spend so much money on laptops when a netbook can be just as
good for the basic word-processing, calculating and Web browsing
functions. Plus it's super-lightweight, so adding a small Braille
display won't break the student's back.
I was a devoted notetaker user (Braille Lite and then Braille Note)
until December 2010, when my Braille Note permanently crashed and I
was charged $1500 for repairs. I decided that notetakers weren't worth
it anymore. The notetaker technology is simply overpriced and
out-of-date, in my opinion, and all the essential functions of a
notetaker can also be accomplished on a netbook, with none of the
hassle of translating documents from Braille to print. The only real
advantage of a notetaker, in my opinion, is the Braille display. So if
you can get a portable Braille display for less than the price of a
notetaker, definitely go for it. Honestly, unless notetakers have
gotten a ton better since 2010, I'd think a student with a notetaker
would also need a computer anyway in order to browse the Internet
efficiently. So if you're going to buy a computer either way, skip the
notetaker and go for the netbook/display combo.
Arielle

On 5/22/12, Holly Miller <hollym12 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Lol!  I love Drake!
> At 8, Hank would have done the same thing.  He's old enough now that he'll
> use it as directed.
>
>
>  I guess my question is from a technical standpoint, can one get as much out
> of a NetBook/Braille display combo as a all in one note-taker?
>
> Holly
>
>
>
> On May 22, 2012, at 5:51 PM, Chantel Alberhasky <chantel at alberhaskylaw.com>
> wrote:
>
>> When Drake's TBS tried to get him to use an iPad with refreshable Braille
>> display he just wanted for read the iPad with his eyes.  We have two iPads
>> at home which he uses to play games so he is very familiar with an iPad.
>> The teacher turned off the screen and tried to get him to just use the
>> refreshable Braille display and listen to the computer voice but he
>> rejected it.   Drake is 8, btw.
>>
>> He has a laptop at school but they don't seem to use it much.  Perhaps I
>> can ask for the school to get a refreshable Braille display for it.   His
>> TBS has filled out a grant to obtain a notetaker for Drake - for him
>> personally but of course that means we would get stuck with the cost of
>> repairs.
>>
>> My concern is if Drake has a device that provides him with a screen that
>> will allow him to read print, than he will reject the Braille for print.
>> He uses an iMac at home for playing games and watching youtube videos - he
>> loves to watch amateur reviews of toys.
>>
>> Chantel
>>
>> Chantel L. Alberhasky, Esq
>> 419 Boonville Avenue
>> Springfield, MO 65806
>> 417.865.4444
>>
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>> ________________________________
>> From: Lynda Zwinger <lyndaz918 at gmail.com>
>> To: "Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)"
>> <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 1:04 PM
>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] apple netbooks
>>
>> Yes--amazon has a good, inexpensive one that is lightweight and works
>> with
>> iPhone as well as iPad and laptop.
>> Lynda
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