I think that Icon doesn't limit programmers to Python but, rather, demonstrates a strong preference for it. Mark and the gang who make Icon are a really great people and I am certain that if you got a unit and asked them for help they would be more than willing to spend a little time getting you up and going. I don't know about the other unit Ken mentioned. PAC Mate does have a lot of ways to write programs for it but it is also expensive and a bit flaky. cdh On Dec 10, 2009, at 9:58 PM, Ken Perry wrote: > > > > This is not true braille plus and Icon can do third party software anything > that runs on OE linux and anything someone wants to write in python. > > Ken > > From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Joseph Lee > Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2009 4:58 PM > To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: Survey: An SDK for proprietary systems > > > Dear programmers and engineers, > This is Joseph Lee, a computer science student at University of California, > Riverside. The reason for writing this post is to gather your thoughts and > opinions about a subject that I think a lot of you would be familiar with. > As of 2009, we have numerous blindness PDA’s and notetakers on the market, > such as BrailleNote from HumanWare, Braille Sense from HIMS/GW Micro and PAC > Mate from Freedom Scientific. Off all these products, only PAC Mate allows > development of third-party software via SDK’s and IDE for Windows Mobile, > such as Visual Studio and BASIC4PPC. For other products, there is no SDK for > KeySoft (BrailleNote) for individuals and an SDK exists for Braille Sense (in > language other than English). > As a student, I thought I could use my BrailleNote as a “test platform” to > develop programs for KeySoft and practice programming skills with it. > However, when I enquired about availability of keySoft SDK (via asking > another person to ask for me), the only response was that only companies who > shows interest in BrailleNote can consult with HumanWare for writing programs > for BrailleNote. A notable example is BrailleNote GPS from Sendero Group. In > other words, there is no widely available SDK so that an individual can write > external applications for KeySoft (just like Blazie programmers had done and > PAC Mate programmers are doing now). While I was thinking about this, I > remembered this list, thus deciding to appeal to you as to what should I (and > other potential student programmers) who are BN users should do (in order to > persuade HumanWare so that an individual can write external software with a > widely available SDK for KeySoft). This persuasion, if successful with > HumanWare, could work with HIMS/GW Micro to port Braille Sense SDK to English. > I thought of this list mostly because we have programmers who have experience > with this kind of issue, thus can give us (students and users of these > systems) some recommendations as to what we should do. > ]Here are the issues at hand: > · If we want competetiveness, I believe that an SDK for BrailleNote > should be widely available (with a cost) so that individual programmers can > develop useful programs for it. > · With the availability of this SDK, blind programmers can write > programs for the blind – thus giving back to the BrailleNote user community. > · In case of an SDK for Braille Sense, if an SDK is available in one > language (in this case, Korean), then I believe that it should be available > in English as well (where we have more potential for useful external > utilities). > So I (and others) would like to ask you as to your opinions and > recommendations as to what we should do next (as a collective action). Thank > you for your considerations. > Sincerely, > Joseph S. Lee > University of California, Riverside