Richard And List, May I also add to your constructive criticism, the following? PDI should consider different models of the Braillenote for different markets. Possibly PDI could offfer a Braillenote Professional, and also a Braillenote Home model. In this way, one model of the Braillenote does not have to be all thing to all Braillenote users.
Sincerely, Jerry Weinger Then > ----- Original Message ----- >From: richard Van Driel <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: Braillenote List <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Tue, 06 Apr 2004 04:38:41 +1200 >Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Another idea for future upgrades: >Hi Kirstyn, >I know what you mean! >When I first got my braille note, it was the best thing going. >I tried the braillelite, and found the speech atrocious. >I have a hearing impairment, which basically means that, the device with the >clearest speech is going to get a high score, if it is just as good as the >other device with poorer speech. >I will be taking a class on the pacmate in may, (I hope) but I already know >that the speech is a little less clear for me because, 1 the speaker is >smaller and, 2 the amp doesn't put out as much power as the bn. >What prompted me to get the bn was the fact that I could use the braille >display and/or speech. >I taught a class in my church, and being able to use the braille display >without speech was a great help there, letting me hear my students and keep >track of my lesson without having to mess around with neckloops and earphones. >But I like what I've seen of the Pacmate, in that it just seems more versatile. >What I don't understand, is why pdi keeps harping on the (oh so nasty) >graphical interface. >For those of us who use Windows with Jaws, we get along ok with that nasty old >gui! >Why does pdi not concentrate on making gui easier for blind people to use by >adapting their product to handle commands so that we can use it with the >minimum of roundabouts? >I think many things might be automated, so that what might be a roundabout >could be done with one menu option or keystroke. >>From what I have read on the pm list for example, there's quite a little >>roundabout to disconnecting when online. >There is no such problem with the bn, so why not incorporate that same quick >way in whatever you use for your system, whether that's pocket pc or Linux or >whatever? >One thing that's becoming obvious to me is that Keysoft is out of date and way >too proprietorial and inflexible for users who need to modify it. >The Windows ce we use is the same, but even so, it has already built in some >of the things that would make the bn more versatile. >The results are sometimes a problem, since we are denied access to the Windows >Ce itself, we can't fix some things that, I would assume are handled quite >well on regular pdas. >For example, why is there not a way to erase or control the "history file on >the ks disk that we heard about some time ago? >It's a windows bile, not a keysoft file, and according to Pdi, the only way to >get rid of it temporarily is to do a hard reset. >IF you don't, it eventually takes up all the space on the ks disk. >Furthermore, Ks doesn't use this folder or file or whatever it is. >Ok, so here's my question. >How is this file or whatever handled on a regular pda? What is done so that >you don't lose all your memory just from this one thing on a regular pda? >I seriously don't believe that Ipaq or any of the other pda manufacturers or, >for that matter, Microsoft would market something with that glaring a defect >for long. >No, there is a way this is handled on a normal pda. >Why not take advantage of this Pdi, >Also, why create a trash folder etc, when this is already built into Windows? >Why have a very limited media player if the capacity is already there to have >a full one in Ce? >And why have a suite of software that, according to your own admission, is >really hard to make wireless compatible when Windows Ce gives you that >capacity? >Use a suite that lets us fully have access to Windows capability and make it >flexible enough that a user can get programs he wants or needs to work with it. >I don't give a darn if it's a gui or not, all I ask is that it be easy to use >and as consistent as possible. >The reality is that most applications that people use nowdays are, in some way >graphical, and that people want their technology to keep up. >Make the bn more versatile by, >1 making it possible to script for it (as is done on Pacmate) so that people >can add programs. >2 use all of the possibilities of the Windows Ce system, making as much of it >as possible available to the user. >3 At least make it possible for users to use some of the stuff available for >the pda, such as pocket excel and the latest Pocket word, if not for use, then >for translation so that we won't have all the problems with that that we now >have. >Use proprietary software only where the regular software doesn't work. >Pm did this with the Windows version of the calculator, and create a much >better calculator with more functions. >Because it uses Pocket Pc, it can accept programs that work with regular pdas >and because Jaws is a script capable program, scripts can be written so that >things that might not work normally on the Pacmate can and do. >That is what the Pacmategear site is all about. >Remember, there are people who use the bn in school and college, and it's >important to have as much flexibility as possible. >As for buying a laptop, Kirstyn already answered that one, and besides even >though laptops have gotten smaller, in comparison to the bn or pm, they are >still delicate and rather bulky, when you consider the case and all, and I >think they are also heavier. >WHY drag around a laptop when most pdas could handle what you want to do? >Only one reason, we can't see to use it. >But, if Pacmate can handle all these things, and still be accessible to the >people for whom it is designed, then, surely, the bn could and if the reason >it can't is because of outdated hardware and software, then obviously, it's >time for more than just a new planner, although that is good, and a more >advanced sync, it's time to update and upgrade and use that which will make >the unit more flexible, Gui or not. >Thanks for listening to my ramblings! (lol) >Richard ----- Original Message ----- >>From: "Kirstyn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>To: Braillenote List <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Date: Sat, 3 Apr 2004 11:56:05 +0000 (UTC) >>Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Another idea for future upgrades: >>Hi Jim, >> I hope fervently that PDI does not agree with your attitude. The BN >> users--or I should say, the former BN users--who are now on the PACMate list >> did exactly what you are telling us to do now just to get us to shut up. >> They sold their BN and got a PAC Mate. The difference between them and >> those who, like me, are still hoping to see the BrailleNote keep pace, is >> that--we are still hoping, while they decided not to and just switched. >> What PDI and users like you, Jim, should do is not to tell more users to >> switch or treat those who have as though they made the wrong decision, but >> to show us that in time, we will shake off the feeling of wanting to switch >> because the BrailleNote is still keeping abreast. >> Stop challenging BrailleNote users to sell their BrailleNote and get a >> PACMate because if it is not yet obvious to you, this is counterproductive >> for PDI. Instead, use your fingers to type a post for PDI, urging them to >> get their act together and find better ways of facing the competition and >> prevent their customers from taking the expensive leap of getting a PM. >> This is not about ranting. This is about telling PDI that we are willing to >> hang on to our BrailleNotes, but not forever. I'm tired of reading posts >> from Jonathan Mosen or whoever assuring us that this and that request will >> be taken into consideration for a future upgrade. Anyone can say that, and >> who in his right mind will say otherwise? But I want to see action. >> I do not want to see a version 5.2 with just one KeySoft application >> being improved and the long-standing urgent problems linger. 5.0 was >> released in late August 2003, 5.1 was released in March 2004. I am >> disappointed to see that in about seven months time during which PDI was >> expected to develop an upgrade, we got only a new planner system and a word >> count feature that only solves the inconvenience of using the spell checker >> to get the number of words--I was able to check the number of sentences and >> lines with my BrailleLite. Meanwhile, in the same amount of time, other PDA >> users got more speed and more memory, and discovered more third-party >> applications that work well with their product. >> We waited longer for 5.0 and got a bit more, but I still feel it was a >> half-baked upgrade. We got a stopwatch that could not be used as a >> countdown timer. We got a media player that plays only MP3 files with >> certain limitations to sample rates. We got a better translator that does >> not agree with the speech and so words that appear right in Braille are >> translated incorrectly to text and read wrong with speech. We got KeySync >> but it only works for contacts and calendar, not email, and still the speed >> of synchronization or the choking on large files was not addressed. Add to >> that the lingering problems with KeyMail and KeyWeb, and the File Manager >> that lacks some useful functions that Richard posted a rehash of a >> suggestion that I have seen from other users before but sadly, still no >> response--concrete response--from PDI. >> Like I said, they are way too slow in playing catch-up. And with a post >> like yours, users are beginning to think that PDI will never catch up so you >> are advising us to shut up and get a PACMate. Do you realize that in your >> desire to defend the BrailleNote, the faster you are causing it to plunge >> downhill? >> Another misinformation about the PACMate. You do not lose data as soon >> as the battery goes flat. The Lithium Polymer battery used by newer PM >> units, or the Lithium Ion used on the version 1.xx units, will guarantee >> that if the battery goes flat, you will retain your data in 72 hours--that's >> three days. I do not suppose any wise user will wait for three days before >> charging the battery. You say, "What if I'm out of town and forgot my >> charger?" As it is obvious, that's user error and irresponsibility, not the >> product's fault. >> PM users also save files to cf cards and they do not lose these files >> when the batteries go flat, even if the cards are plugged in. With the >> BrailleNote, you may lose the files in your cf card if you had been working >> on a large file saved to a cf card. The problem with large files getting >> truncated or wiped clean--which I still experience with 5.1 and .rtf >> files--is not linked to where you have the file; whether it's in the Flash >> Disk or compact flash card, you can still lose it. Like I said in my other >> post, if you overwrite your bacup of the email database with one you did not >> know was already corrupted, you'll lose that, too, even if it's on the cf >> card. >> No, I did not write those last two paragraphs merely to compare the PM >> and the BN. My purpose? To show you and PDI that you cannot claim the >> BrailleNote is still leading just because of the battery and losing of data, >> since this is no longer an urgent issue with the PACMate. So stop focusing >> on what you think the competition cannot do and hail that the BrailleNote >> can do that. Start looking on what the BrailleNote cannot do, and that the >> competition can, and do something about it, and please, at least for our >> money's worth, do it fast while we're still holding on to our BrailleNotes. >>Sincerely, >>Kirstyn >>___ >>To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >>http://list.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote >___ >To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >http://list.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
