Hi Joseph
You said,
the processor speed of modern tablets is
between 500 Mhz and 1.2 GH-Z. The latest models of PDA's from AT
companies
boasts around 533 MHz of processor speed which, although quite
slow in
today's standards, is quite decent for a PDA like this, hence
blurring the
distinction between mainstream and blindness PdA'. What is the
speed of the Apex processor?
Peter so
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph Lee" <[email protected]
To: <[email protected]
Date sent: Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:57:34 -0700
Subject: [Braillenote] Opinion: Whatever is under the surface is
better thanwhat is seen from the surface
Hi folks,
Quite an interesting array of pieces here and there about the
role of a
notetaker. To summarize what we've discussed, as well as to
present my
opinions on things, I decided to write this piece:
This week alone, we saw two news that could motivate HumanWare
staff:
demonstration of Orion braille tablet from Levelstar and that
HIMS now has
an SDK (Software Development Kit) for their products (upon
request for
free). As I was participating in the demo of Orion, I thought of
Freedom
Scientific and their product, and that I became concerned that
Orion
(running on top of Android OS) could become the next PAC Mate -
virtue of
obsolescence due to changing landscape with Android. The size
suggests that
it's a firm competetor to BrailleNote PK, but the functionality
rivals and
exceeds that of Apex. Coupled with the fact that one can run
mainstream
Android applications means that the line between blindness and
sighted PDA's
has now become (well, almost) blurred.
Here, I use the word "blur" in two senses: functionality and
specifications.
Functionality, since the possibility of third-party applications
means that
any mainstream developer with the knowledge of braille and how
these
blindness PDA's work could produce a decent application for the
whole
community. For instance, the success of PAC Mate (until 2009)
has been usage
of programming tools that allow third-party development to occur,
thereby
benefiting both the blind and sighted since PM runs a version of
Windows
Mobile designed for Pocket PC's. Despite "outdated" hardware,
the endless
extensions from mainstream developers is still considered the
biggest
advantage of PAC Mate - and Orion, as these two can run programs
designed
for smartphones. Almost same analogy can be applied to other
devices such as
BrailleNote: when programmers and other "techies" think of
functionality,
they usually mean software side of things; after all,
BrailleNote, Braille
Sense and even Orion are just specialized PdA's with mainstream
OS
underneath customized interface or a suite of applications, with
the
keyboard and the braille display replacing a traditional
touchscreen
interface, hence almost the same functionality as modern
smartphones
(although sort of lacking in some ways and using a different
input/output
mechanisms).
This also brings the second usage of the word "blur" -
specifications. When
you examine a blindness PdA's hardware and software specs, you'll
notice
that it has almost the same specs as smartphones of today (more
towards last
year's specs). For instance, the processor speed of modern
tablets is
between 500 Mhz and 1.2 GHz. The latest models of PDA's from AT
companies
boasts around 533 MHz of processor speed which, although quite
slow in
today's standards, is quite decent for a PDA like this, hence
blurring the
distinction between mainstream and blindness PdA's in a way.
However, as any computer system professional would tell you,
computers are
not only made of silicon and metal chips - they are also powered
by
sophisticated rules and commands that humans write in the form of
programs,
or set of instructions. Thus, judging a notetaker as "good" or
"bad" just
because of hardware specs will not give you a complete picture of
what's
going around the computer industry, particularly AT industry.
For instance,
even though HW products might not have built-in compass, it has a
number of
nifty features which, if used properly by a skilled user, brings
a lot of
software potential, such as programs written by Marvin and Alex
that runs on
web browser. Or consider all the discussion on file management
hacks we had
several months ago - how could a user change registry keys on a
device that
is considered "obsolete" by some, or write the next audio game on
a braille
keyboard which has reputation for being loud? This is all through
software
functionality and creative human mind, which is the overall
objective of
using an SDK such as the one provided by competetors.
In conclusion, I'd like to wrap up my opinions regarding recent
threads by
saying, "whatever is under the surface is better than what it
seems from the
surface of the water." In other words, just because a product
does not give
you the functionality you need cannot be a judging point for
labeling things
as good or bad. There might be workarounds, unchartered
frontiers and other
useful info that'll allow you to achieve what you need to do -
after all,
BrailleNote, Braille Sense, etc. are just PdA's using
alternative input and
output systems to do almost the same things that our sighted
peers do on
their smartphones.
As for notetaking devices being fazed out, I have to say that,
unfortunately, it is the case - the trend is more and more
wireless
accessories, including wireless braille displays. The last
"chance" we have
on using our notetakers to its full potential will come in the
form of
development tools so that those who have talent could give back
to the user
community, especially those who need mainstream type apps that'll
run on
their prefered systems. As for "the holy grail of braille
display" i.e. 2D
paper-sized, touchscreen-based braille display, there are reports
of
research being done regarding this area - and if the current
mobile
technology implements tactile feedback, then we can see the
indirect end of
notetakers as we know it - how many people would want a tablet
that has
braille-like feedback that allows them to do anything they want
through
mainstream apps? Until then, I believe the most viable solution
for
notetakers is introduction of programming tools and, for those
who really
need it and can afford it, a PDA-like device like iPod Touch with
a cheap
wireless braille display. I do know there will be opposition,
stating the
fact that some prefer all-in-one device with braille
functionality; I
certaintly understand that camp, thus my word on using that
all-in-one
device to do anything you want through help from useful programs
written by
users - after all, it's really up to a user's preference.
The second picture I'd like to present is some misconceptions
regarding
notetaker devices. Some say that, since it's a braille input and
output
device with special functions, it is not a computer. I'll stress
one more
time that, notetakers are, in fact, computers - a specialized PDA
with
alternative means of input and output. One defining
characteristic of modern
computers is extendability through software; and certaintly,
notetaking
devices can run software and can be extended through programs
written for
them. Second, there are (and were and will) messages that say
that one can
replace the current system software of one device with another's
software.
I'm sorry to inform you that it is almost impossible to do that.
Certaintly
a way to do that exists, but it requires considerable human
effort and
talent that it is not possible to do that easily (as in
overnight). I'll
reserve this particular discussion in a future post (mostly
because, like
some of us, I'm a student, thus need to read more on it, and it
is hard and
complex).
That's all I want to say right now. If you have any comments
(clarifications, misunderstandings, mistakes, etc.), feel free to
post to
the list.
Cheers,
One of the Bn Experts.
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