Actually, there are nice micro braille displays that an be added now that work extremely well.
The HTC Touch Pro plus small 12 cell display is hard to beat! Especially using bluetooth as the connectivity there's no pile of wires and muddle.
There are probably a place for both but for me it's hard to justify the extreme markup in Nitch products for the benefit.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jamie Pauls" <jamiepauls@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <accesscomp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 6:34 AM Subject: [accesscomp] Re: Need recommendations for a new notetaker
You didn't mention the Braille display. I work with children all day long and write notes on each one at least ten times a day. I teach a music appreciation class and lecture for three hours a night, take attendance, read exam study guide and syllabus content and play a lot of music for the students. I play for church and in two bands and write set lists for each show, reading them as I play. I get the whole argument that blindness products are over-priced and out-dated. The only counter argument that I will offer is that for extreme partability and ease of use these devicesstill have their place. We'll never settle this debate; just trying to givemy perspective. (smile) -----Original Message----- From: accesscomp-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:accesscomp-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Scott Granados Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 8:26 AM To: accesscomp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [accesscomp] Re: Need recommendations for a new notetaker Get off the blind devices. Go with a good PDA and mobile speak. HTC Touch Pro is working out great for me, combine with a small bluetooth keyboard and you're better off than any nitch market device anyday. Not to mention you'll have a phone / outlook integrated contact tool / bluetooth device/ tv / web browser and what ever else you want to do!----- Original Message ----- From: "Jamie Pauls" <jamiepauls@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>To: <accesscomp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 6:20 AM Subject: [accesscomp] Re: Need recommendations for a new notetakerI think almost five and a half years of daily use is about all that you can ask of any notetaker. I don't care for the Pac Mate for reasons other thanthe fact that it wore out but I can't fault it for that. -----Original Message----- From: accesscomp-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:accesscomp-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of arlene Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 9:53 PM To: accesscomp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [accesscomp] Re: Need recommendations for a new notetaker Hello Jamie< I would ask around about the upgrade to pack mate. I think you got a lemon! If that next one is going to break then I'd carefully research in a reliable note taker. Good luck! sorry the current pack mate is not working like it should! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jamie Pauls" <jamiepauls@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <accesscomp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 6:28 AM Subject: [accesscomp] Need recommendations for a new notetakerGreetings all: I have owned my Pac Mate QX 40 for over five years and it is literally falling apart in my hands; pins coming out where the Braille display locks in, keys coming off, and one Braille cell that no longer works. I have used the product every day for the past five years. I am going to ask my local rehab services for the blind agency to either repair the old unit or purchase a new notetaker for me. If I actually manage to make a good dpitch for a new unit, I am not sure whether to ask for a Braille Note or a Braille Sense. I have no one close to let me demo either, although I have briefly looked at a Braille Note. Here is what I need: 1. Need a smaller unit than my current QX 40; probably do not want a qwerty keyboard; will go back to a Braille keyboard. 2. Reliability; few lockups and the ability to recover data if lockups occur. Does the Braille Note or Braille Sense save data after a hard reset as the new upgrade to Pac Mate does? 3. Good media player functions; I use the unit now with my music therapy practice and might start using it in my music appreciation class with connected speakers instead of a boom box. 4. Ease of use when reading with the Braille display; I've always found the Pac Mate display slow to read with; don't know if this is a function of Braille displays in general, my own lack of proficiency when reading with a Braill display, or the Pac Mate display in particular. A repair and upgrade of my old Pac Mate is probably what I'll get. How good is the upgrade in terms of increased speed and reliability? Thanks for answering these questions as best as you can. 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