I have been fortunate to have access to a Braillenote since early July 2000. I have had access to the Pac Mate from another company out there since May of 2004. I believe that all in all, the Braillenote mpower is a stable device. Will it lock up? You bet! Any device that is remotely like a computer will lock up sometimes. My computer locks up sometimes, this certainly does not mean that I have now and forever foresworn computers! I can only honestly remember two specific individuals who have had problems with microdrives. I have seen reports of lock ups, but they are relatively rare. The Mpower is not, I repeat not, a full blown computer. Accordingly, it cannot be assumed to be as robust as a PC. Nor when it comes to it, will all peripherals that work with a PC work with the Mpower. That is reality. Many devices do in fact work with the device including thumb drives, microdrives, and compact flash cards as well as wireless cards and SD cards. One thing that makes the unit as cool as it is, is that if you know something about the Braillenote, it is probably still something you can use with the Mpower. The Keysoft menuing system remains consistent and logical (for the most part) throughout. The unit has only been on the market since July, and Humanware is working with the help of dealers to provide a comprehensive list of products that can be used with the machine. One of the problems with mailing lists is that if some individuals experience a problem, rather than looking in the users guide, or calling Humanware Technical support, they write to the list all in a panic wondering why the sky has fallen. Mailing lists are simply like that. Perhaps the best course of action for someone who is uncertain as to whether or not to purchase an Mpower is to wait until some independent reviews are published and decide based upon such unbiased (hopefully) information. I can understand being concerned, it's not as if one is purchasing a $5 device here, however mailing lists are not always the best way to determine a product's strengths and weaknesses. The individuals who contribute to a mailing lists are from all walks of life and from all levels of technological knowledge. What one person may find frustrating and complex could be another person's piece of cake. I can tell you that the Pac Mate locks up, and at one time it locked up so much that for me it was not usable. That is no longer the case, the unit is fairly stable. My point being that you cannot judge a product by its mailing list. And as for sending out trial units, were I Humanware, there is no way I'd do that! I can just imagine how many of such units would come back broken or with cables and/or chargers missing. It's just human nature that some people who received such units would not be as careful as they might. My state agency loaned a perfectly wonderful unit to someone who proceeded to spill jelly on the display. These machines are too expensive to be sent out to people who will, in all probability, not purchase them simply so they can try and then return.
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of kim Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 12:38 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Braillenote] some observations Upon hearing about the Braille Note Mpower, I was very excited, and have seriously considered purchasing one for some time. After reading the list however, I have felt more discourage for a few important reasons. The first of these involves the new unit, whether it is a transplant, or a completely new one's ability to lock up for some unexplained reasons. Just today in fact, someone posted about her Braille Note locking up after she received an attachment, which she could not read, because the unit claimed it was not a valid word for windows 6.0 or word 97 file. Does this also mean that Word 2003 files are not supported? This is only one instance of the unit locking up, but there have been others mentioned, which are unexplained. One of these occurs, when the braille note will not accept peripherals such as micro drives. From negative micro drive experiences that users have had, the use of the PCMCIA card slot will cause the unit to lock up, and in some cases, cause a reset loop. When asking about peripherals, and their compatibility with the Braille Note, there are severe limitations, and no real desire on the part of people from Humanware that I have observed to expand it. This lack of enthusiasm for expansion extends not only to peripherals, but to any limitation that is mentioned concerning the Braille Note Mpower The most recent example, is the person who asked about being able to pause a recording, and resume in the same file. The answer was no, but that a new file could be created. This could have just been an idle question, but it is something which would be a usable feature for people to have. There was no promise to look into it farther. I realize that this unit is new, and therefore, a lot of improvement is to be had. It will not be perfect, but taking suggestions or questions from users seriously, instead of deflecting them with a band-aid-like solution is quite discouraging. Sincerely, Kim __________________________________ Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. http://farechase.yahoo.com ___ To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
