Hi all,
Just ran a quick test on the Focus14 and Focus40 braille displays. These
braille displays contain a small utility called the Scratchpad. This is a very
simple text editor. This little application's internal memory is broken up into
two folders: the Books folder and the Notes folder. If I place a BRF braille
book file in the Books folder I cannot edit the BRF file, which is ideal for me
since I don't want to accidentally add extraneous characters to my braille
books. On the other hand, if I place BRF files in the Notes folder, I can edit
BRF files all I want. I added a small 80 kilobyte BRF file and it allowed me to
edit just fine. I then tested with a Harry Potter BRF book, and you all know
how big those books are, and I could edit this 900 kilobyte file very quickly
and very easily. After I made my modifications to the Harry Potter file by
entering random text, this bigger file was saved instantly without making me
wait.
The Focus braille display's Scratchpad mini text editor is very basic, but it
contains a search feature for searching forwards and backwards. It of course
can be used to create and edit new files as well as opening and editing files
moved into it's storage. Moving files in and out of the device is very simple,
you need only hold a button then at the same time press the power button to
turn on the device in external memory mode then one can copy files into the
Focus's internal memory using File Explorer on a Windows computer.
HTH
A-W
-----Original Message-----
From: varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On
Behalf Of Janice Adams
Sent: Monday, May 2, 2022 1:31 PM
To: varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [varioultra] Re: Replacement braille display
Hi again. Donna, I agree with you. I had the Chameleon for a short time but I
hated not being able to edit my brf or braille files. I sent it back. Then I
very briefly had a hands-on with a Brailliant x and you can edit braille files
or at least I hope so. i think the Mantis and Chameleon are pared down with
less features than the Brailliant x family. I will be getting one and I just
hope it works. I have the same needs as you Donna, the ability to edit files,
get books from bookshare, Bard and
nlsand and read books.
Jusa
On May 2, 2022, at 3:57 PM, Donna Goodin <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I don’t have experienced with the Brailiants, but I do have experience
with the Mantis, which runs similar firmware, just with a qwerty keyboard.
The thing that I really hate about it is that it will not let you edit
BRF files over a certain—fairly small-size. You can open large BRF files, but
you cannot edit them. If you don’t care about that, you may be happy with that
display.
Cheers,
Donna
On May 2, 2022, at 2:50 PM, Janice Adams <janinfla@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:janinfla@xxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
HI listers, I, too, have to part with my VU because repairing
it would cost almost a thousand bucks. So, I'm in the same boat with you. i
like how the VU feels and it's more ergonomic than my previwhs braille
displays. I'm looking into Brailliant x 40. I just hope it will work well.
Does anyone here have any experience with the Brailliant x 20 and 40 models?
regards,
On May 2, 2022, at 11:59 AM, Steve Nutt
<steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
I can understand that.
All the best
Steve
From: varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > On Behalf Of Donna Goodin
("doniadonna")
Sent: 02 May 2022 16:50
To: varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [varioultra] Re: Replacement braille display
Well, to be fair, the second repair was my fault. I
knocked it off my desk while it was connected to the charger. When it came
back from the first repair, it was working fine. And this one could simply be
the result of a faulty USB port. I’m just getting tired of sending it in,
paying for shipping, etc. when it seems like it has no future.
Cheers,
Donna
On May 2, 2022, at 10:41 AM, Steve Nutt
<steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
Hi Donna,
I can only imagine that IRTI are not quite up
to my engineer’s repairing skills, since we haven’t had one back yet.
All the best
Steve
From: varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > On Behalf Of Donna Goodin
("doniadonna")
Sent: 02 May 2022 16:41
To: varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [varioultra] Re: Replacement braille
display
If I weren’t looking at sending my unit in for
its third repair, I’d be doing the same thing. :)
Donna
On May 2, 2022, at 9:51 AM, Steve Nutt
<steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
So do I, but I’m making the most, as I
don’t know of a nicer Braille display.
All the best
Steve
From: varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > On Behalf Of Donna Goodin
("doniadonna")
Sent: 02 May 2022 15:47
To: varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [varioultra] Re: Replacement
braille display
Yeah, but VisioBraille has ben alive—at
least sort of—for a while now, and no updates have been forthcoming. I share
the other lister’s concern that there will not be any further updates.
Cheers,
Donna
On May 2, 2022, at 9:03 AM, Steve Nutt
<steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
Hi Donna,
I’m OK with the VU at the moment, but I
do think they need to update it.
All the best
Steve
From: varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > On Behalf Of Donna Goodin
("doniadonna")
Sent: 02 May 2022 12:42
To: varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [varioultra] Re: Replacement
braille display
Hi Steve,
Happily, I don’t care that much about
the software. I would mostly be using it to read. Browsing the internet and
doing email are all things I do from my phone, iPad, or Mac. Honestly, if the
QBraille had WIFI, I’d buy it instead.
Cheers,
Donna
On May 2, 2022, at 2:14 AM, Steve Nutt
<steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
Hi,
There’s a lot of things I don’t like
about the BS6, such as the old Email client, which has to be set to less secure
apps to accept a Gmail account, even though it is an Android device.
The hardware is very much let down by
the software in my view.
All the best
Steve
From: varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > On Behalf Of Victor Tsaran
Sent: 02 May 2022 01:00
To: varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [varioultra] Re: Replacement
braille display
Also, looking at BrailleSense 6.
Really love VarrioUltra's form factor,
but I don't think the battery charge cycle justifies how little this unit is
able to do. Similarly, it does not look like this notetaker software will ever
get updated.
O well, I guess time to move on!
On Sat, Apr 30, 2022 at 8:59 PM Donna
Goodin <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >
wrote:
Hi Andre,
Nice solution, but I’m not looking to
Edit files on the computer.
If books aren’t readily available on
another source, I scan them. If I find errors as I read, I want to correct
them. That shouldn’t be much to ask, but apparently it is.
Cheers,
Donna
> On Apr 30, 2022, at 6:08 PM,
andre.williams.1965@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:andre.williams.1965@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Hi Donna,
>
> Regarding editing BRF files...
>
> I recently learned a neat little
trick for reading and editing BRF files. If you open the BRF file in Notepad on
your Windows computer, and within the jaws Setting center, if you set the
braille output and input to computer braille, and if you turn off dots 7 and 8,
the file will read on a braille display just like a UEB file saved to the
braille display's internal memory. The benefit here is that you can save a BRF
file to your desktop, open it in Notepad, edit the file at will, then save the
file, and it will read just the way you want it to on your braille device.
>
> Give it a try,
>
> A-W
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > On Behalf Of Donna Goodin
("doniadonna")
> Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2022 3:45 PM
> To: varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:varioultra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [varioultra] Re: Replacement
braille display
>
> Andre,
>
> I haven’t found anything that
compares. I’m currently looking at the BrailleSense 6, not because I’m in love
with it, but because I don’t like the other plain Braille displays. And the
brailleSense will do some things that I want such as:
> 1. Connect via WIFI to Bookshare
> And
> 2, Allow me to edit BRF files and
save them as BRF, regardless of file size.
>
> These things don’t feel to me like
too much to ask, but there you go. If there were another braille display that
handled the BRF issue I might forego the WIFI, but so far, none of them seem to
do that. The Mantis lets you edit BRF files, but they have to be pretty small,
or they exceed the file size limitation.
> Cheers,
> Donna
>
>
>
> On Apr 30, 2022, at 5:37 PM,
andre.williams.1965@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:andre.williams.1965@xxxxxxxxx>
<mailto:andre.williams.1965@xxxxxxxxx ;<mailto:andre.williams.1965@xxxxxxxxx> >
wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> Given Donna's comments
regarding looking for a replacement for the VarioUltra...
>
> What current braille display do
you guys and gals think is as feature-packed as the VarioUltra? As I've stated
before, I now use full-time at work a Focus 40 because it just works. It has a
very long battery life, it is easy to use, and it maintains a solid Bluetooth
connection with all devices. I also love that because it’s a Freedom Scientific
product, it just works with JAWS, and I can make modifications at work without
having to submit a ticket to tech support. I had a misbehaving pin on one of
the cells, and FS had a replacement braille display sent to me the next
day--that is very good service! I do admit that I don't like the size of it
since it is some 4-inches or so longer than the VarioUltra, and I don't know
why it has to be so long as it is a bit unweildy. Its length is really weird
when I have to hold it upright to insert and eject the tiny SD memory card. The
pins used for the braille cells seem a bit pointier/sharper than they have to
be, but I've gotten use to them. The focus is also a bit picky in terms of the
third-party TypeC cable it accepts since its rejected USBc cables that have
worked perfectly on other devices. I eventually found a 2ft cable which is much
smaller than the one it came with, but that original cable was a thicker less
flexible cable which I did not like, hence the third-party replacement cable.
>
> Hoping I get some great
feedback as I'm looking for a new braille display for use at home.
>
> A-W
>
>
>
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