That was the 12 pound laptop for me and a 8 pound Alva display that was
barely portable because it could run on a built-in battery.
Oh, the Versa Braille wasn't a lightweight either.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Teresa Cochran" <vegaspipistre...@gmail.com>
To: <macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 8:49 PM
Subject: Re: Braille displays
Not to sound mean or anything, *but* :) I remember the days when I carried a
ten-pound laptop around, not to mention the earlier days when I carried a
tape-recorder and two Braille volumes. Should I mention the steam-powered
computer with the coal hopper? (grins)
Anyway, I suppose that it depends on what is important to each person. For
me, 40-cell displays are very important, so I don't mind the 1-pound extra
weight.
Teresa
"Slow down; you'll get there faster."
On Apr 4, 2012, at 4:05 PM, Scott Howell wrote:
I have the Refreshabraille and really like it. I would not mind having
something like 40, but you cannot beat the 18 cells for travel and at
$1,700 it is a good deal. The build quality is certainly there and I
gather there are some displays for less, but may not be worth
consideration.
On Apr 4, 2012, at 12:03 PM, Christine Grassman wrote:
I would like to jump in for some opinions from those who have purchased a
Braille Pen, RefreshaBraille or the Perkins nottetaker: I want a Braille
display, solely for purposes of reading iBooks and Read to Go Books on my
iPhone. I have always preferred Braille, and miss it terribly, though I
am thrilled to be able to download a newspaper and listen as I commute.
As far as I am concerned, I just want something simple and
straightforward for this purpose. Please feel free to write me off-line
about this, and if anyone has a link for information comparing the less
expensive, lightest-weight, portable Braille displays, I would appreciate
getting it. Thanks.
(I don't care much about input on the display, just output.)
Christine
On Apr 4, 2012, at 11:42 AM, Teresa Cochran wrote:
I had to buy a new Braille display when I got my Mac Mini, because I
couldn't use my Braille Lite 40.
I much prefer 40-cell displays, and as far as I'm aware, the Focus 40
Blue is the least expensive of those by far. Most run around at least
$5000 US.
Teresa
"The Golden Age of science fiction is twelve."--Pete Graham
On Apr 4, 2012, at 4:42 AM, erik burggraaf wrote:
Well, window-eyes actually supports a lot more than apple does, but
apple for sure supports all of the modern ones. Except that they are
footdragging on the brialliant BI displays. Most of the ones they're
missing are legacy serial and parallel devices.
Best,
Erik Burggraaf
Currently on ebony promos: Ebony consulting on android accessibility,
New drive imaging services available. To read more and subscribe,
visit
http://www.erik-burggraaf.com/mailman/listinfo/ebony-promos_erik-burggraaf.com
Ebony Consulting toll-free: 1-888-255-5194
or on the web at http://www.erik-burggraaf.com
On 2012-04-04, at 6:46 AM, Eugenia Firth wrote:
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
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