[nfbcs] Notetakers vs. netbooks

[John G. Heim]

Usually with GPS enabled cell phones, you have to have a cell phone data 
plan. That adds considerably to the price. I don't have a link to the 
article right now but when I looked into this recently, I saw an article 
that said the average iphone user spends $2000 a year for access. Iphone 
users tend to be early adopters, real technical nuts, so to speak. So tehy 
probably spend more than they have to. But data plans aren't cheap.

A cell phone with GPS and a data plan plus a notebook would be more 
expensive than a used Pac Mate.  This is why I went with the used Pac Mate.

I guess I could buy a used cell phone and a used notebook but then i'd be 
more likely to get junk. One thing you have to give Freedom Scientific --  
they provide great support.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "qubit" <lauraeaves at yahoo.com>
To: "NFBnet NFBCS Mailing List" <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, September 18, 2009 5:17 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Notetakers vs. netbooks


> If you want accessible GPS you can also get it on a cell phone, if you 
> have
> a Nokia phone.  I have Access, which accesses wayfinder.  Since I can't 
> walk
> and therefore don't travel much myself, I have little use for GPS, except 
> in
> a car with someone else driving.
> Anyway, thought I'd mention it.
> --le
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "John G. Heim" <jheim at math.wisc.edu>
> To: "NFBnet NFBCS Mailing List" <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, September 18, 2009 5:09 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Notetakers vs. netbooks
>
>
> I bought a Pac Mate because I wanted a braille display and a GPS. I got it
> used so the Pac Mate was only about the same cost as what it would have 
> cost
> me to buy a notebook and a talking GPS.
>
> I've found that I could get along without the braille display though. I'd
> rather have Windows XP so I could run more software. I am a systems
> administrator and I really need to be able to map network shares, do ssh,
> etc.
>
> That's why I said I'd buy a notebook if I had it to do over again. Not 
> that
> I don't like the Pac Mate.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
> To: <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, September 18, 2009 1:07 PM
> Subject: [nfbcs] Notetakers vs. netbooks
>
>
>> Is there a good reason, other than a built-in braille display, to buy a
>> notetaker instead of a netbook?
>> The weight of the netbook seems about the same as that of many 
>> notetakers,
>> and it runs off-the-shelf software.  Of course, one would have to add the
>> extra weight and space of a braille display, which could be a drawback.
>> Someone told me that netbooks have trouble running speech, but another
>> person said she'd had no problems.  The netbooks I saw online look to be
>> more powerful than my old laptop, and smaller.
>> And a netbook is a whole heck of a lot cheaper than a notetaker, even one
>> without braille.  So what are the drawbacks?  Why aren't most blind guys
>> buying netbooks instead of notetakers?
>> Just curious, and wondering if I should replace my old laptop with
>> something new and snazzy.
>> Tracy
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nfbcs mailing list
>> nfbcs at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbcs_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nfbcs:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/jheim%40math.wisc.edu
>>
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfbcs mailing list
> nfbcs at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbcs_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nfbcs:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/lauraeaves%40yahoo.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfbcs mailing list
> nfbcs at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbcs_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nfbcs:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/jheim%40math.wisc.edu
>
>