Heheheh, I had no choice. It was either a braille note and braille+, or a braille lite millennium running 4.1 revision, used, with 3 pins on the display, and an icon. I've gotta give this stuff back to the state apparently in, well. Lets see. I'm 12 now, gotta give in back in. 6 years...
----- Original Message ----- From: "David Tanner" <David.Tanner@xxxxxxxxxxx To: mmccarty@xxxxxxx,icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Date sent: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:42:11 -0500Subject: [icon-discuss] Re: Question about the noise level of the
keys
I love your assumption that all assistive technology people are sighted, and particularly if they don't recommend your product.
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
mmccarty@xxxxxxx 4/17/2008 7:17 AM
Thank you for what you said in this message. Rehab people shouldbe leaving it up to the cliant as to what notetaker works best
for
them (I hate it when sighted people tell me what works best for
me)
and you're right, we've never seen a unit that can do so much at this price point before. I mean, what do people want from a notetaker? If you want to compare the Braille+ to a Braille 'n Speak, don't, that's like comparing a model A Ford to a 2008Mustang. If you don't like the Braille+, send it back and
purchase a
Braille 'n Speak, we still have them and they are on clearance. We're marketing them as a person's first notetaker now because ofthe technology, but hey, if you like the way the keys work, like
the
spacing, like the sound they either do or don't make, please, purchase a Braille 'n Speak while we still have them. Here's the info from the APH Flea Market Page:
1-07320-01 Braille 'n Speak Scholar Talking PDA $1249.00 $375.00 1-07317-00 Braille 'n Speak Imagewriter Cable $32.00 $20.00 1-07318-00 Braille 'n Speak Serial Interface Cable $33.00 $15.00
ritalharrison@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 04/17/08 05:46AMI 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 originallythought, 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
whoare 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 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 that this keyboard is going to hold up very well, and is not designed insuch 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 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 remember having 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 Icon Discuss Mailing List icon-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx //www.freelists.org/list/icon-discuss
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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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