Dear Justin, No you aren't. I do miss hard copy braille too. In fact, I still use it. I love to handle a braille book!
BW, Simon On 5 Jul 2009, at 03:27, Justin Harford wrote: > > Lol am I the only one on here who misses hardcopy braille? > > Justin > On Jul 4, 2009, at 3:35 PM, Simon Cavendish wrote: > >> >> SCott, >> >> Braille is very important to me too. There are some small displays >> which perfectly adequate. Blazie have some small displays of 18 to >> 20 >> cells and they are quite adequate. You use a button or bar to advance >> the display but you can still read very fast. I think braille >> displays >> are just a must for braille blind readers. I would not be without >> them. Brlnote has a 32 cell display but it is a kind of computer as >> well - a bit too bulky. I have sen advertised some smaller and >> lighter >> almost pocket size braille displays which I crave. I do hope that we >> will always have Braille displays for those of us who just have to >> feel the letters with their finger tips. I know I do. >> >> Best wishes, Simon >> On 4 Jul 2009, at 20:25, Scott Howell wrote: >> >>> >>> You know Eric you got a good point. I want a braille display very >>> badly. I have a long commute, but headphones on the train is not an >>> option and I'd love to have a small and compact display I could use >>> to >>> do some reading. Actually f anyone knows of a good display that >>> would >>> of course work with Leopard and is reasonably priced (subjective I >>> know), please advise or at least let me know what you have used. I >>> might just dig into my pocket and stimulate some ones economy. :) A >>> really big question for me is I think there are some very small >>> displays out there and how do folks handle reading with these. I >>> think >>> they are wide enough to have maybe two or three words displayed at a >>> time? I assume you just learn to scroll right and read with one >>> hand? >>> I know it sounds like a silly question, but I have only read braille >>> books and the like, so a display is kind of foreign to me. >>> >>> tnx, >>> On Jul 4, 2009, at 2:04 PM, erik burggraaf wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> No, you're dead on, smiles. I'm a lazy boy myself, and generally >>>> speaking I'm just as happy to be read to. There's something about >>>> braille though. Listening is fine, especially if you have a good >>>> book >>>> with a really great narrater. Reading with a speech engine is OK. >>>> It >>>> would let me take care of odd chores while I'm listening and still >>>> get >>>> access to that book that I can't find in audiobook format. I like >>>> reading a book in braille once in a while though, and I'm >>>> especially >>>> going to like it if I don't have to be tied down to my computer >>>> by a >>>> usb cable to do it. Reading complements listening and helps keep >>>> spelling and grammer skills sharp as well as just providing an >>>> alternative to listening to cheesie speech synthesizers. I can't >>>> stand the thought of paper braille but there's definitely an >>>> attraction for me in pulling out my braille connect and going to >>>> town >>>> on a book. I have to run around the city all the time for work and >>>> the transit system takes a while to get anywhere. So, I can plan >>>> to >>>> be on the road anywere from one hour to 2 or three to get where I >>>> need >>>> to be on any given day. Braille books are really handy for >>>> that. I >>>> can take my braille display and read my book and still pay strict >>>> attention to stop announcements and such. I can even stand on a >>>> bus >>>> or a train with my arm around a pole and the other hand scrubbing >>>> the >>>> display. Kind'a makes me feel like any other guy with a paperback >>>> or >>>> a news paper. >>>> >>>> Best, >>>> >>>> erik burggraaf >>>> A+ sertified technician and user support consultant. >>>> Phone: 888-255-5194 >>>> Email: e...@erik-burggraaf.com >>>> >>>> On 4-Jul-09, at 1:15 PM, Jenny Kennedy wrote: >>>> >>>>> >>>>> Ah Eric, I think I see your point? >>>>> It looks as if the CNIB has what the NLS calls web braille. You >>>>> just >>>>> want to grab the books that come in the web braille brf format and >>>>> read them in braille from your mac like people do when they put >>>>> them >>>>> on something like a braille note? That's fair enough, some people >>>>> like reading braille over listening to spoken word. Pointless or >>>>> not, >>>>> brf seems to be the file of choice by groups who provide >>>>> electronic >>>>> access to their libries for braille content. There's nothing wrong >>>>> with wanting to read a book in braille via a braille display, note >>>>> taker or whatever. >>>>> Having said this though, I've gotta say I'm with Josh and find it >>>>> faster and just more enjoyable to have whatever it is read to me >>>>> and >>>>> wish that the different programs who offer etexts to us would >>>>> offer a >>>>> HTML or TXT version along with the BRF version. But then you run >>>>> into >>>>> all that copyright stuff so I guess you deal with things as they >>>>> are. >>>>> : smile : >>>>> >>>>> Am I kind of right? Or have I missed the mark altogether? >>>>> >>>>> Best regards >>>>> Jenny >>>>> >>>>> On 7/4/09, Josh de Lioncourt <overl...@lioncourt.com> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> With the advent of grade 2 translation in screen readers for >>>>>> English, >>>>>> the point of BRF files is basically non-existent. They only were >>>>>> ever >>>>>> there because, initially, screen readers didn't translate into >>>>>> grade >>>>>> 2, so BRF files were a convenient way to read books without the >>>>>> painful necessity of reading them in computer Braille, (AKA Grade >>>>>> 0). >>>>>> >>>>>> These days, BRF is convenient on some note taking devices, though >>>>>> hardlya necessity. It serves now, or so it seems to me, as a sort >>>>>> of >>>>>> quasi-DRM. They figure sighted users who might get hold of such >>>>>> files >>>>>> won't know how to read them, and therefore will not pirate them. >>>>>> >>>>>> If I was so fortunate to be able to afford a ridiculously >>>>>> overpriced >>>>>> Braille display, (LOL), I wouldn't bother with BRF at all. I >>>>>> think >>>>>> they are far more trouble than they are worth. I have always, and >>>>>> expect I always will, back translate BRF files to read them, >>>>>> regardless of them method. >>>>>> >>>>>> The only other use for BRF files, really, is if you plan on >>>>>> printing >>>>>> to a Braille hard copy. But really, who is going to do that? LOL. >>>>>> >>>>>> On Jul 4, 2009, at 7:11 AM, erik burggraaf wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> OK ppl. Here's what I'm reading. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> If I want to grab a fantasy novel from CNIB library in BRF >>>>>>> format >>>>>>> and >>>>>>> read the thing, I first have to back translate it. But if Louis >>>>>>> will >>>>>>> back translate the thing, won't it just open up nicely and allow >>>>>>> me to >>>>>>> read without any palaver? And if you have to back translate to >>>>>>> ge >>>>>>> access to a brf file, then what is the point of having brf files >>>>>>> in >>>>>>> the first place? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Maybe I should just stick to doing this on my phone, but I saw a >>>>>>> friend of mine using his braille display on his mac and it >>>>>>> looked >>>>>>> very >>>>>>> inspiring. Especially given that snowleppard will support >>>>>>> bluetooth >>>>>>> conectivity for braille displays. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Best, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> erik burggraaf >>>>>>> A+ sertified technician and user support consultant. >>>>>>> Phone: 888-255-5194 >>>>>>> Email: e...@erik-burggraaf.com >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On 3-Jul-09, at 8:19 PM, Josh de Lioncourt wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Back translating is really the best way to go. I mean, if >>>>>>>> you're >>>>>>>> reading with a braille display, TextEdit or any other text >>>>>>>> editing >>>>>>>> program should do the trick for you. If you want the TTS to >>>>>>>> read >>>>>>>> it, >>>>>>>> then what you're looking for is an app to do back translation >>>>>>>> on >>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>> fly. Either way, it amounts to the same. Personally, I'd prefer >>>>>>>> to >>>>>>>> just back translate it and get on with the business of reading >>>>>>>> it >>>>>>>> normally. That will also allow for easy searching of the text >>>>>>>> with >>>>>>>> standard find functions, and such. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Louis works great for back translating. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Jul 3, 2009, at 4:06 PM, erik burggraaf wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Well, no, I just want to hit command O on a brf file that I >>>>>>>>> download >>>>>>>>> from CNIB and read it. Does anything do that? >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> I guess if I had to I would back translate them but that seems >>>>>>>>> like a >>>>>>>>> wasted step. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Best, >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> erik burggraaf >>>>>>>>> A+ sertified technician and user support consultant. >>>>>>>>> Phone: 888-255-5194 >>>>>>>>> Email: e...@erik-burggraaf.com >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On 3-Jul-09, at 6:58 PM, Greg Kearney wrote: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Do you want to back translate brf files to text? If so Louis >>>>>>>>>> will >>>>>>>>>> do >>>>>>>>>> that for you. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Greg Kearney >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> On Sat, Jul 4, 2009 at 1:37 AM, erik burggraaf<e...@erik- >>>>>>>>>> burggraaf.com> wrote: >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Hi friends, I've just sifted a few pages of google results, >>>>>>>>>>> but I >>>>>>>>>>> haven't been able to find a brf reader for Mac OS. Can some >>>>>>>>>>> one >>>>>>>>>>> point >>>>>>>>>>> me to it please? >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Thanks, >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> erik burggraaf >>>>>>>>>>> A+ sertified technician and user support consultant. >>>>>>>>>>> Phone: 888-255-5194 >>>>>>>>>>> Email: e...@erik-burggraaf.com >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>>>> Gregory Kearney >>>>>>>>>> Manager Accessible Media >>>>>>>>>> Association for the Blind of Western Australia >>>>>>>>>> 61 Kitchener Ave. >>>>>>>>>> Victoria Park 6100 Western Australia >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>> >>> >>> >>>> >> >> >>> > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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