Laughs... Hum, maybe you are a gorilla and you have enormous arms that you can use to carry around big stacks of hard copy. Maybe it's a strength test in your tribe or something. Maybe you just hate trees and oxygen and fresh air and shade and the little woodland animals that enhabit borial habitats, smiles. Me, I could never read hard copy braille without counting down the number of pages I had left to go every time I turned one. That's no way to be. If you're reading for the sake of reading, then why do you want to be distracted by forcing yourself through the next line, the next page the next chapter? It just always felt like a merathon or a slog whenever I would attempt it. My little 32 sell display feels like taking a paperback book with me, only I can take as many books as I want and it fits in my pocket. It sits on my desk when I'm not using it, and takes up no space what-so-ever. I don't have to refresh it to the toon of $80 a box every thousand pages or so. I couldn't run an embosser in this place. I'd seriously have the cops called on me, and considering that I moved 4 times last year and I'm moving again in a couple of months, I'm awefully glad not to be lugging an embosser.
In short, you're crazy. I can't think of one single advantage to paper braille other than personal preference. Best, erik burggraaf A+ sertified technician and user support consultant. Phone: 888-255-5194 Email: e...@erik-burggraaf.com On 4-Jul-09, at 10:27 PM, 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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