Mike, I sent the note below in reply to your post to the list which I felt partially answered my question. Perhaps partially, because I'm still learning as I try to make a decision about which to buy, but I asked if you would be more specific on the limitations of the Pac Mate when compared to the Braille Note, only as a GPS. More specifically, if the Pac Mate is "point A to point B", what does that mean it's limitation is in your view? Are you saying that the Pac Mate does not have some of the features such as POI'S or the ability to look around? or, for example, virtual traveling? Thanks in advance, Dave Stop mad cowboy disease Check out my homepage at: http://myweb.cableone.net/dwgordon/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave" <dwgordon@xxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 10:39 PM Subject: Re: [gps-talkusers] Earthmate, Magellan, BrailleNote and Pac Mate > Mike, could you please differentiate between the Pac Mate being a "primarily > is a Point A to Point B routing system", and the Braille Note? > > Stop mad cowboy disease > > Check out my homepage at: > http://myweb.cableone.net/dwgordon/ > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Michael May" <MikeMay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > To: "GPS-talkusers-freelists.org" <GPS-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 3:46 PM > Subject: [gps-talkusers] Earthmate, Magellan, BrailleNote and Pac Mate > > > > To the question about the Earthmate's size, the receiver that goes on your > > shoulder strap is about 2 inches square and an inch thick. There is a > > separate battery/serial cradle that is twice that size and goes in the > > accessory pouch of the BrailleNote. > > > > There have been 2 Magellan receivers used with the BrailleNote. The first > > was the 310, which did not have WAAS. The Sportrak does have WAAS as of > > course does the Earthmate. > > > > In addition to Chip's comments about the BrailleNote GPS verses some other > > systems, a couple other points. The Pac Mate GPS to be out later this > year, > > is more like $500, but it doesn't do many of the things the BN GPS does. > It > > primarily is a Point A to Point B routing system and it appears to do a > > good job of that. If you are already a Pac Mate owner, it is your only > > option. If you are considering which PDA to purchase the BrailleNote GPS > is > > a very good reason to choose it. Four years of user input and 10 years of > > experience with accessible GPS does give maturity to the BrailleNote GPS. > > > > Many GPS systems for sighted folks understandably use arrow and click menu > > driven user interfaces. Both the Trekker and Pac Mate interfaces operate > in > > this fashion. You can't just type Chord F, Starbucks and Enter to find the > > location of the nearby coffee shop like you can on the BrailleNote. You > > have to choose Points of Interest, then Restaurants, then Fast Food, then > > arrow to McDonalds. On some systems, you can choose each letter, one at a > > time. Think of the BrailleNote GPS as the Cadillac of accessible GPS > > products but not everybody likes or needs a Cadillac. > > > > After being on my soap box for 10 years about accessible location > > information, I am very happy to see alternate accessible GPS products. > > Choices are good for consumers and first and foremost, I am a consumer. > > > > Mike > > > > > > > > > > > > Michael G. May > > > > CEO Sendero Group > > > > Developers and distributors of BrailleNote GPS > > Now distributing BrailleNote, VoiceNote, Miniguide, The Tissot Silen-T > > tactile watch and the ID Mate, bar code reader > > > > MikeMay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > http://www.SenderoGroup.com > > > > (530) 757-6800, Fax (530) 757-6830, Mobile (530) 304-0007 > > Sendero Group, LLC > > 1118 Maple Lane, Davis, CA 95616-1723, USA > > > > Latitude, 38 33 9.239 North > > Longitude, 121 45 40.145 West > > > > >