Amen here too. Hey, my unit might be in for repair, but if you want to know how many times I had to send my old bn in for a repair? Twelve? Hundred? The m-power which I have now, basically just had to send it back a meriod of times because of that dawned battery and the failure of it. So yes, the braille+ and icons are excellent compared to the other junk, err, I mean, other assistive technology out there.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Turner" <richard@xxxxxxxxxxxx To: <icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Date sent: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:56:27 -0700Subject: [icon-discuss] Re: Question about the noise level of the
keys
Amen!I've seen no higher failure rate with these units than the first
round of
Pac Mates, or BrailleNotes. And those units don't hold a candle to what this one can do.
Richard
-----Original Message----- From: icon-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx[mailto:icon-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rita L.
harrison
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 2:46 AM To: icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxSubject: [icon-discuss] Re: Question about the noise level of the
keys
I find it interesting to see all of the complaints going back and
forth
on this list, concerning the BP.
Yes, there are bugs in the unit, as there are with any new
product.
However, where have we seen anything close to what we all have
been
asking for as Blind and Visually Impaired individuals...
To have access to email, music, books, a recorder, a Braille
Notetaker,
the internet, and much more, with the portability at the fraction
of the
cost of a Braille Note Taker...
I find the keyboard layout to be easier to work with, than I
originally
thought, when I first received the BP. As any new device, you
can
adjust with time and practice. When there is Braille support,
this, in
my mind, will be the "perfect" package.
I would personally like to take this opportunity to thank the
folks who
are working to make this device, the product that we have all
been
asking for, for many years. I greatly appreciate this awesometechnology, and I do hope that the people in the positions of
making
decisions on buying this product for clients, don't deny others
from
receiving this great tool, because of their own personal view
points.
To withhold advancements in technology would be unfortunate and
very
disappointing...
-----Original Message----- From: icon-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx[mailto:icon-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David
Tanner
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:33 PM To: icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxSubject: [icon-discuss] Re: Question about the noise level of the
keys
I don't think that the sound is as critical as it is that the
design
and materials of the Braille keys needs a huge change. It is notpossible to type on the Braille Plus nearly as quickly or
accurately
as on most Braille keyboards. And, I don't know what the Braillekeys now are exactly like, but the Braille keys on the unit that
I
have are mushey, wobbely, and both feel and sound cheap and
poorly
made. I don't think I have seen as poor quality Braille keys on
any
other Braille device in a long time. And, I cannot believe thatthis keyboard is going to hold up very well, and is not designed
in
such a way to make it possible to type very fast when; as has
been
said before on this list; if you don't press in just the right
place
the keys won't register correctly or at all.
I had my Braille Plus less than three weeks and had to send it
back
to APH to have the keyboard adjusted, and it really needed more,
but
I didn't want to wait an additional 3 weeks to a month for it to
go
to Colorado to get that done. The bottom line is that the
material
used to make the keys on the Braille keyboard need to be changed, and something about how the keyboard is designed needs changed. Since I don't know what they are doing below the surface of theunit. The problem is that the current design is not any place
close
to what it should be when you consider how many people type on aBraille keyboard because of their habits formed back when they
were
using a Perkins Braillewriter.
David Tanner Rehabilitation Program Specialist 3 Assistive Technology Specialist Assistive Technology Department MN State Services f/t Blind Office- 651-642-0795 Cell- 651-270-2233 Skype name: dtat100
richard@xxxxxxxxxxxx 4/16/2008 9:24 PMHi, It isn't any louder than a standard keyboard. At least, none of the keyboards I've used.
And, as someone else pointed out, the ADA would not allow someone to be that picky.
I took notes on a slate and stylus all the way through a Masters program andnot one professor complained about the noise and the clicking of
a
slate and stylus is way more annoying than the keys on the Braille Plus.
So, go order it and use the 30 day return policy to find all this out for yourself. You won't be sorry you did.
Richard
_____
From: icon-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:icon-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rob Lambert Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 6:40 PM To: icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [icon-discuss] Re: Question about the noise level of the keys
Understand that I have not actually seen the unit myself, but I rememberhaving a professor who forbade laptops (except for me because I
was
aspecial case) because she thought the keyboard was too noisy -
she
hated the"click click click" sound. Essentailly I didn't want a set of
keys
that would be so loud that they'd annoy a teacher while a student was trying to take notes from a lecture situation.
_____
From: ljgehres@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To: icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [icon-discuss] Re: Question about the noise level of the keys Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:38:34 -0700
Hmm, I must be unique as I think the Braille+ keys are quiet, especially compared with the Braille 'n Speak.
----- Original Message ----- From: Rob Lambert <mailto:rml695@xxxxxxxxxxx To: icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:41 PMSubject: [icon-discuss] Question about the noise level of the
keys
I was curious. Several people on the list noted that the keys on the Braille Plus are noisy, both the rubber and plastic keys. Is the noise level the same on the Icon or is it quieter?
_____
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For answers to the most frequently asked questions about Icon and
Braille +,
Visit the LevelStar and APH FAQ pages: Visit the LevelStar FAQ page at http://www.levelstar.com/support-faqs.php Visit the APH FAQ page at http://sun1.aph.org/webcast/brailleplus2/faq.html
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For answers to the most frequently asked questions about Icon and
Braille +, Visit
the LevelStar and APH FAQ pages: Visit the LevelStar FAQ page at http://www.levelstar.com/support-faqs.php Visit the APH FAQ page at http://sun1.aph.org/webcast/brailleplus2/faq.html
Icon Discuss Mailing List icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx //www.freelists.org/list/icon-discuss To unsubscribe from the list send a blank message with unsubscribe in the subject line to: icon-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To post to this list, send your message to: icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx For answers to the most frequently asked questions about Icon and Braille +, Visit the LevelStar and APH FAQ pages: Visit the LevelStar FAQ page at http://www.levelstar.com/support-faqs.php Visit the APH FAQ page at http://sun1.aph.org/webcast/brailleplus2/faq.html