[icon-discuss] Re: Question about the noise level of the keys
- From: Andy <musicproandy@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, ritalharrison@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:53:44 -0400
Yo david:
Good thing I've got a braille note to work with. In two weeks is
standardized testing for the entire district. If I did not have
this braille note, and since my unit's probably been sent back
(don't know), I would, in short, be screwed. Like a lot of
people I rely on my unit for a lot--thankfuly, not schoolwork.
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Tanner" <David.Tanner@xxxxxxxxxxx
To: ritalharrison@xxxxxxxxxxxxx,icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date sent: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:46:04 -0500
Subject: [icon-discuss] Re: Question about the noise level of the
keys
I have a client who we baught one for in August last year. He
didn't get it until early September. Within a month after
receipt
it had to be returned to APH for repair. It was gone around 5
weeks
then. Now we have had to send it back in because it became
unusable
after installation of version 1.1.1. This client is a university
graduate student and really cannot be without a unit that he
depends
on for school this often for an extend period of weeks in the
middle
of a semester.
Now, realistically, given this kind of record plus all the other
problems I see people having I don't see how I can very well
recommend it for a college student or any other student with the
kind of reliability that I am seeing at this point. There are a
lot
of wonderful features, but the unit has been out for a year, and
there seems to be more issues now that cause the unit to become
unusable than in earlier versions. We have had to ship two units
back to APH just this week that could not be fixed without a trip
back to APH.
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
ritalharrison@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 4/17/2008 4:46 AM
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 awesome
technology, 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@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [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 not
possible to type on the Braille Plus nearly as quickly or
accurately
as on most Braille keyboards. And, I don't know what the Braille
keys 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 that
this 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 the
unit. 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 a
Braille 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 PM
Hi,
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 and
not 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
remember
having a professor who forbade laptops (except for me because I
was
a
special 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 PM
Subject: [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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