Re: [Techno-Chat]: Orbit Devices

[Gordon Smith]

Hi Roger.

It’s also worth adding at this point that, if you’re a member of the RNIB 
Connect group here in the UK, you can get up to a 10% discount on purchases 
from RNIB. This is something I plan to take advantage of next year, as a 
registered volunteer for RNiB’s “Technology For Life”team. I’m also going to be 
doing some remote volunteer work for them, via their helpline. That works by 
the customer in need of help calling RNIB, and they are connected to the most 
appropriate available volunteer with the skills to help the customer. Of 
course, this depends on which volunteers are available at the time. Once the 
person at RNIB’s HQ matches up the customer with the volunteer, then RNIB calls 
that volunteer and pipes the customer through to them. So no personal data is 
swapped between the two parties save Christian names.


On 20 Dec 2019, at 21:09, Roger Firman  wrote:

Dear Gordon,

Good to hear from you.

As you say, it is offering something at a lower price-point.

Regards,

Roger.

-Original Message-
From: Gordon Smith  
Sent: 20 December 2019 20:55
To: Techno-Chat ... Technology Enthusiasm! 
Subject: Re: [Techno-Chat]: Orbit Devices

Hi Roger

My apologies for the delay in responding to you here. Things have been really 
hectic lately.

Yes, indeed, it is a shame that they’ve increased the prices. But having had 
one on loan for the last couple of months, I can recommend the Orbit as an 
alternative option for those on a low budget. There are, of course, always 
drawbacks wen one pays for the cheapest option. For instance, the Orbit Reader 
20 has no routing keys, so it’s difficult to put the cursor on a precise spot. 
One thing I have discovered which annoys me is that if you’re reading 
something, and a Bluetooth® connection is established with a regular device 
using the Orbit as a display, the mode jumps to Bluetooth® whether you want it 
too or not.


On 25 Oct 2019, at 05:32, Roger Firman  wrote:

Dear Gordon,

That there is a choice for braille displays is a good thing, including the 
financial option.

In the next few years it will be interesting to see how developments take 
place, it is a pity that there has been such a price increase of the Orbit 
Reader and again this could place it beyond what some can afford to pay.

Best wishes,

Roger.



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RE: [Techno-Chat]: Orbit Devices

[Roger Firman]

Dear Gordon,

Good to hear from you.

As you say, it is offering something at a lower price-point.

Regards,

Roger.

-Original Message-
From: Gordon Smith  
Sent: 20 December 2019 20:55
To: Techno-Chat ... Technology Enthusiasm! 
Subject: Re: [Techno-Chat]: Orbit Devices

Hi Roger

My apologies for the delay in responding to you here. Things have been really 
hectic lately.

Yes, indeed, it is a shame that they’ve increased the prices. But having had 
one on loan for the last couple of months, I can recommend the Orbit as an 
alternative option for those on a low budget. There are, of course, always 
drawbacks wen one pays for the cheapest option. For instance, the Orbit Reader 
20 has no routing keys, so it’s difficult to put the cursor on a precise spot. 
One thing I have discovered which annoys me is that if you’re reading 
something, and a Bluetooth® connection is established with a regular device 
using the Orbit as a display, the mode jumps to Bluetooth® whether you want it 
too or not.


On 25 Oct 2019, at 05:32, Roger Firman  wrote:

Dear Gordon,

That there is a choice for braille displays is a good thing, including the 
financial option.

In the next few years it will be interesting to see how developments take 
place, it is a pity that there has been such a price increase of the Orbit 
Reader and again this could place it beyond what some can afford to pay.

Best wishes,

Roger.



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Re: [Techno-Chat]: Orbit Devices

[Gordon Smith]

Hi Roger

My apologies for the delay in responding to you here. Things have been really 
hectic lately.

Yes, indeed, it is a shame that they’ve increased the prices. But having had 
one on loan for the last couple of months, I can recommend the Orbit as an 
alternative option for those on a low budget. There are, of course, always 
drawbacks wen one pays for the cheapest option. For instance, the Orbit Reader 
20 has no routing keys, so it’s difficult to put the cursor on a precise spot. 
One thing I have discovered which annoys me is that if you’re reading 
something, and a Bluetooth® connection is established with a regular device 
using the Orbit as a display, the mode jumps to Bluetooth® whether you want it 
too or not.


On 25 Oct 2019, at 05:32, Roger Firman  wrote:

Dear Gordon,

That there is a choice for braille displays is a good thing, including the 
financial option.

In the next few years it will be interesting to see how developments take 
place, it is a pity that there has been such a price increase of the Orbit 
Reader and again this could place it beyond what some can afford to pay.

Best wishes,

Roger.



--

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whatever, implicit or otherwise, for any compromise to your systems as a result 
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within the boundaries of reason. We strongly urge you to do likewise! You have 
been warned!!!

You can find an RSS listing of all posts to this group at:

or at:


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Re: [Techno-Chat]: Orbit Devices

[Gordon Smith]

Hi Roger

Yep, that’s indeed the correct device. Unfortunately, I didn’t have it here 
long enough to perform a very in-depth evaluation. So it’s very probable that 
you’re correct. However, the guy who brought it to show me reckons you can now 
move in any direction you choose. It contains 2437 individual pins, asI said, 
and I saw my name written up on a screen, raised into tactile format. And I 
can’t deny that I was extremely impressed.

But my real rave at the moment is the Orbit Reader 20. I was somewhat dismayed 
to discover that the retail price for one of these devices has jumped up by 
more than £150 in the last 12 months or so. It became available in the UK on 27 
December 2018, and was then priced at £449.00 excluding VAT. Now, it’s priced 
at £598.00 excluding VAT and well over £600 if you have to pay VAT.

Of course, if you’re under the age of 29 and resident in the UK, you may be 
eligible for a grant for  this product. Also, if you happen to be a member of 
an RNIB Connect group, you can claim a discount, I believe it’s 10%although I’m 
not totally sure about that yet. I am a member of the Tees Valley Connect 
group, and also RNIB North-East Connect group. So I’m going to do my very best 
to get one of these things in the short term.

No, they don’t incorporate all of the features of a fully-fledged note taker 
such as the Braille Sense Polaris, Braille Sense U2 or the two HumanWare 
BrailleNote Touch models. But they aren’t intended as competitors against those 
devices. The Orbit is purely a simple note-taker and Braille display. However, 
it’s far more portable and durable than the Focus 14 Blue, although the 5th 
generation isn’t far behind it in that respect. But the Orbit uses patented 
technologies for its Braille cells, and they aren’t nearly as vulnerable to the 
same problem-causing issues which have plagued my Focus 40 Blue since 2013.

In it’s warranty coverage,  it went back to Sight And Sound no fewer than 7 
times to have blocks of cells replaced. I now have a dead display anyway, 
unfortunately, as there’s connectivity problem between the USB micro socket and 
motherboard which means that it’s no longer possible recharge the battery or 
use the display on USB. It’s had a hell of a lot of use, and I miss it greatly. 
However, I do have solutions which I can install in its place, all be it not as 
conveniently.

I also own a 4th generation Focus 14 Blue, which lives now inside of my 
ElBraille W14/G2. Not at all a bad little computer for what it is. If I am 
successful in starting my business up either late this year or early next, I’m 
going to apply to Access To Work for the 40-cell version. Much has changed 
since the original release, much has been improved.

But yes, the OrOrbit Orbit Reader 20 has a lot going for it. For what it is, 
it’s incredibly versatile. It handles every screen-reader I’ve tested it with 
extremely well, including both Google’s TalkBack and the Samsung equivalent 
when overlaid with BrailleBack which, happily, is now an integral part of the 
Google Accessibility Suite.

iOS and iPadOS both work well with it. Wish it were possible to use a Braille 
display with the Apple Watch. Love my watch, and wouldn’t be without it now. 
It’s like having my phone on my arm at all times. I even wear it when I go 
swimming, and in the shower. It’s waterproof up to a depth of 50 meters. Yes, 
it really is the height of laziness to sit in the shower and listen to music, 
the radio or whatever. But it’s so nice to be able to do it. Of course, you 
need to pair the watch with a Bluetooth® speaker. But there’s no denying it 
works well. Battery life is also great. I can use it extensively all day and 
just charge it at night when it goes into bedside  mode. In this mode, it acts 
like a large display alarm clock, minus the tick. It stays lit up during charge 
if you have Bedside mode turned on. And it wakes me every morning at 06:00.

Anyway, I’m waffling. But yep, the Orbit does have a lot going for it in my 
opinion. Especially now, as they’ve just upgraded the firmware fully support 
USB HID. And it’s good that groups like Freedom Scientific are adopting that 
technology as well. It means that we’ll never need to install hardware drivers 
again.


> On 24 Oct 2019, at 08:50, Roger Firman  wrote:
> 
> Dear Gordon,
> 
> Further to your message, are you by chance referring to the Graphiti – 
> Interactive Tactile Graphic Display?
> 
> If so, I had a short look at a prototype earlier this year and felt they have 
> missed a trick. I have a memory that it works in straight lines, it certainly 
> did at that time. For me, I felt that if it worked on the basis that you 
> could display material in both straight lines or in a more flexible way, it 
> would be much more adaptable to a much greater range of needs.
> 
> I look forward with interest to your discoveries.
> 
> Best wishes,
> 
> Roger Firman.
> 
> 
> --
> 
> This post, like all posts 

RE: [Techno-Chat]: Orbit Devices

[Roger Firman]

Dear Gordon,

Further to your message, are you by chance referring to the Graphiti – 
Interactive Tactile Graphic Display?

If so, I had a short look at a prototype earlier this year and felt they have 
missed a trick. I have a memory that it works in straight lines, it certainly 
did at that time. For me, I felt that if it worked on the basis that you could 
display material in both straight lines or in a more flexible way, it would be 
much more adaptable to a much greater range of needs.

I look forward with interest to your discoveries.

Best wishes,

Roger Firman.


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