Hi Andre,
That’s very interesting. I specifically asked FS—or whatever they are
now—about this, and at the time, they said files could only be saved as txt.
Are you saying that the files you tested were saved as BRF files? Also, does
the focus have WIFI? I figure if I’m getting a new display, I want one that
can download from Bookshare and Bard.
After seeing Janice’s post, I checked out the Brailliant specs on the Humanware
site. It does have WIFI, and does appear to connect to Bookshare—not sure
about Bard. I’ve emailed Humanware to ask about editing BRF files, so am just
waiting to hear back from them.
Cheers,
Donna
On May 3, 2022, at 12:18 PM, andre.williams.1965@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
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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