I asked about the price of a Focus 40 Blue. They said $2,800. Now I think that's high, but it has 40 cells. The more cells, the more money. I think $5,000 is for those 80 cell displays. What you're going to do with your braille, display just like computers, determines how many cells you need. I have to have 40 because of doing braille proofreading. However, if I wanted one to carry around for church so I could read my Bible or hymn music, on an iPad, maybe one of those 12 or 18 cell ones would be the ticket. It would be even better to carry around with an iPad or iPhone if the price were less than $1500. You would have to have a good reason or be lucky enough to afford the luxury to spend $1500 on a display for your iPad while traveling. I have found, because I do a little traveling with my 40 cell display that it does add significantly to the weight of your MacBookPro to carry the display around.
To make this topic more Mac related, I was impressed, to say the least, when I found out how many braille displays would work with VoiceOver. There were ones on the list I had never heard of. I don't believe any of the other screen readers could say that their program could support that many displays. There's a fair number with Jaws, and somebody could correct me about this, but I don't think it's as many as VoiceOver. Regards, Gigi Eugenia Firth gigifi...@sbcglobal.net On Apr 3, 2012, at 9:06 PM, David Tanner wrote: > I understand where you are coming from, but it is good to see that there are > some displays starting to come down to a somewhat more reasonable price. For > example, the Braille PPen with 12 cells for $999 is not a bad price even > though it only has 12 cells. The new 16 cell display and basic notetaker > from Perkins Products for $1,549 is a better deal too. And, the Refresh A > Braille from American Printing House for the Blind with 18 cells for $1,695 > is a good deal, and a very well made display. > > Don't get me wrong, I realize these prices are still too high for many > people, but at least we are starting to see prices down to where more people > may at least have a chance of saving up to buy one. But, at $5,000 for a 40 > cell display very few people can afford a Braille display without help from > somewhere. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Mannion" <mannion...@gmail.com> > To: <macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > Sent: Monday, April 02, 2012 11:13 PM > Subject: Re: A Question Regarding OCR > > >> Hi Mark, >> I envy you acquiring the braille display especially. I really wish I >> were incorrect, but I know I am not missing anything or out of date in >> my understanding that the price of braille displays are just >> rediculously out of sight in price about 3 to 4 times over and then >> some. Still being a common man and feeling blessed and lucky to be >> able to achieve a few thousand in savings at any point in time at best >> I don't think a braille display for personal use is anywhere in my >> near future. Maybe I have already said too much, but what it takes to >> be able to obtain such technology just makes you throw your hands up >> in frustration. >> >> On 4/2/12, David Tanner <david.tanner...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> And, I bet it is a lot cheaper too. >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Jim Gatteys" <jgatt...@gmail.com> >>> To: <macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> >>> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2012 9:35 PM >>> Subject: Re: A Question Regarding OCR >>> >>> >>> Hi all! >>> Has anybody used Abby fine reader express for the mac? I just downloaded a >>> trial version and it was much better than a few years ago. It worked with >>> my old epson perfection scanner and I was able to scan and edit a document. >>> I guess it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of kurzweil but for basic >>> stuff it seemed fine. I am seriously considering a purchase of fine reader. >>> Jim >>> >>> On Apr 2, 2012, at 8:21 PM, David Tanner wrote: >>> >>>> It is alive and well... Do you have version 12 patch 4? That is the >>>> latest release and there is some support for at least one digital camera >>>> in that patch upgrade. >>>> >>>> As far as Kurzweil 1000 on the Mac; the news isn't good. There is >>>> Kurzweil3000 for the Mac, but the folks at Cambian Learning don't think >>>> they can make enough profit on us blind folks so they say they will not >>>> release a version for Apple because if every blind person baught a copy of >>>> >>>> Kurzweil1000 for Mac they still couldn't make enough profit to make it >>>> worth it for them to do that. >>>> >>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brent Harding" <br...@hostany.net> >>>> To: <macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> >>>> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2012 8:04 PM >>>> Subject: Re: A Question Regarding OCR >>>> >>>> >>>>> Any hope for those of us Kurzweil users? I could live with my old Epson >>>>> Perfection scanner, but the new HP all in one takes forever. It's true >>>>> that it's quieter by a lot, but it's probably 30 to 45 seconds on the >>>>> scanning phase. I hate the mail now more than I ever did, but I don't >>>>> have the space nor USB ports for both devices on the desk. If I ever went >>>>> >>>>> back to college, I'd seriously look into a sighted person over what I >>>>> have now. >>>>> >>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "M. Taylor" <mk...@ucla.edu> >>>>> To: <macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> >>>>> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2012 5:30 PM >>>>> Subject: A Question Regarding OCR >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> Hello Everyone, >>>>>> >>>>>> In addition to being the proud owner of a Focus 40 Blue, I also obtained >>>>>> Freedom Scientific's Pearl camera along with OpenBook 9.0. >>>>>> >>>>>> To put it simply, I am stunned with the OCR performance in both OpenBook >>>>>> >>>>>> and >>>>>> the accuracy of the camera along with the dazzling speed of the image >>>>>> acquisition experience. >>>>>> >>>>>> I think what blows my mind the most is the motion detection that allows >>>>>> one >>>>>> to turn pages and when the new page is in view of the camera, it >>>>>> automatically takes a photo and begins the OCR process. >>>>>> >>>>>> I swear it feels as though I have a sighted person reading for me. >>>>>> >>>>>> I could go on and on but ... >>>>>> >>>>>> I realize that the pearl has been out for quite some time and am >>>>>> wondering >>>>>> if anyone knows if it will work with anything on the Mac. >>>>>> >>>>>> I know one thing for sure, with the Pearl in my toolbox, I have put my >>>>>> scanner away for good. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Mark >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>> Groups "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>>> >>>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>> >>> >>> ----- >>> Chat with me on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jimintexas >>> Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimintexas >>> Skype: jimintexas >>> Yahoo or Aim/Ichat: jgatteys >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>> >>> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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