Not really Josh as I already have a laptop however most PDA's have what I want in a bn. Including the software don't forget that what we use isn't all that is there. That isn't being critical its just a fact. There are versions of excel word and PowerPoint on many PDA's these days.
However having said that there aren't many that have GPS and sendero group has really done a wonderful job with that product. Since I use my GPS every day I sure wouldn't want to loose that not for anything. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Josh Sent: July 29, 2005 12:27 AM To: Braillenote List; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [BrailleNote] KeySoft version 6.2 Sounds like what you want is more like a laptop and not a PDA. Josh > ----- Original Message ----- >From: "Bray, Terry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: Braillenote List <[email protected] >Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 14:40:39 -0400 >Subject: RE: [BrailleNote] KeySoft version 6.2 >Hi: >What you say makes perfect sense and of course although most of us >would like things for as little as possible the realities are >different. I don't personally take exception to what you are saying >however in 3 years I have been faced with the purchase of a bn that >with in a year a new mother board was made available then I was told >sorry 4.1 is the last version that will work on your machine and then o >yes you bought the GPS well the maps we promised o they aren't >available then when they were well sorry all the new features can only >be run on the newer board. >The other problem is the cost of upgrades if your really interested in >seeing us move up then don't offer the upgrade for the hardware for a >month then increase the cost. Sometimes on a fixed income it takes >longer then that to find the money. The second problem is that when >they offered the upgrade it cost something like 600 us. That's fine not >bad but why did it cost 1500 in Canadian dollars? Even the exchange >rate doesn't justify that kind of an increase. >So since everyone else is giving you advice let me just this once. >1. offer the upgrade at a reasonable price but not for a month but for >anyone who wishes to upgrade. 2. in the long term develop a Braille >display that is detachable that way you don't have to build in the cost >to have a tech. sit there and move it over to the new hardware. >3. as you know many have yelled loud and clear for removable batteries >make this change its cheaper for you and it's a lot cheaper for the user >and they don't have to do with out the unit while they are being >changed. >4. develop car adaptors, it seems to me companies that developed >technology for the blind forget that not all of us sit at home. A car >adaptor would make using the products easier and you would have a full >charge when you get where your going. This goes for all humanware >products including the daisy players. >5. something needs to be done with the case. I have been working on a >design for a while for my own use but I hate walking with it exposed and >the cover just hanging down. I have been stopped so many times by people >who think I am going to drop the machine. >6. provide full access to the full sweet of Ms office products for those >of us who require spreadsheets power points ect. On our job. Please >nobody write back and tell me how wonderful Linux is the fact is that to >be competitive weather you like it or not most offices use MS. Products. >7. provide support for html in e-mail. One of the reasons I don't use it >for e-mail is because so many e-mails come in htm format now. I don't >like it but I have to live with it. >8. now that we have a better media support provide access to daisy >format both txt and audio. >9. a lot of users like to use chat provide a messenger interface. I know >there are others but you can't have everything. >10 redesign the file manager so you can open files, delete files, move >files, copy files and run applications. It seems to me it would be >easier to use one interface to handle multiple tasks rather than >different utilities in different menus. >Of course I could go on but that really wasn't the point. I actually >think that human has led the way with its products for many years and >as a company they have been much more responsive to there users than >lot of others that I won't name since I don't like talking about >freedom scientific. Ups did I say that. >Jonathan thanks for your reply. Maybe its good I am going on holidays >laugh. >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: July 28, 2005 12:55 PM >To: Braillenote List >Subject: RE: [BrailleNote] KeySoft version 6.2 >Hi terry, I'd like to take a few bytes to give you a HumanWare >perspective on the issues you raise, because as a blind person myself I >know it's something that I've given a lot of thought to. There are two >issues we need to balance here. How can we do business in a way that's >commercially >viable and allows us to keep innovating, and how can we make sure we >recognise the unique economical and usability characteristics of this >market? >the complexities involved in producing quality hardware and software >for >this market, coupled with the much smaller volume of units produced >compared to, say, HP or Dell, mean that the price is going to be >higher. >There's nothing I want more than to put this empowering technology in >the hands of as many people as possible. But we need to make sure that >we price the products in such a way that we can continue to innovate, >research new and exciting solutions, and produce new versions of our >hardware and software. Because the more technology that gets in the >hands >of our customers, the more they demand greater functionality, and that's >as it should be. We're very much driven by our users at HumanWare. When >the BrailleNote first came out, people said, wow this is cool, now can >you make it browse the web? Then we added synchronisation, rewrote the >Planner, got it to play Media files, included the world-leading Duxbury >Braille translator, etc etc. With the mPower, we added a whole bunch of >very frequently requested user features in one hit, in particular the >USB >support and the streaming. So it's inevitable that we must release new >hardware and software from time to time. The thing to judge us on I >think >is whether we leave our loyal customers in the dust, or whether we >demonstrate through our actions and policies that we try as best we can >to >give our custoemrs a way to keep current. >In the mainstream world, when you buy a PDA and another model comes >out, >if you want that model you buy it at the same price as anyone else who >wants a new PDA, irrespective of whether you're a current customer of >that company or not. But the much higher cost of blindness technology >coupled >with the socioeconomic characteristics of our market mean that such an >approach simply isn't appropriate. So we did two things that I think >are >quite unique and demonstrate that we really do care about doing the >right thing by our customers. Firstly, although it's going to take some >development effort, we are going to continue to produce software for the >unit you have. While I'm not yet in a position to get into specifics >because the project is in its early stages and subject to change, >KeySoft 7.0 is going to be one of our biggest releases ever in terms of >the amount >of functionality we add in one hit. And a lot of that functionality will >work on the machine you have. Secondly, the transplant offer allows you >to update to the next generation much cheaper than it would cost you to >buy a >machine from scratch. In fact, in the case of a 32-cell unit it's about >a >third of the cost. >You are right, our product is not mainstream and I'm personally proud >of >it. It was designed with a lot of input by blind people, for blind >people, and allows efficient access to your information. And equally, >our generous >policies in terms of supporting older hardware and allowing you to get >new >hardware reflect the unique nature of our community as well. >Hope this helps in terms of where we're coming from. >Jonathan Mosen >BrailleNote Product Marketing Manager >HumanWare >DDI: +1-925-566-9265 >http://www.humanware.com >"Bray, Terry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >07/28/2005 07:07 AM >Please respond to >Braillenote List <[email protected] >To >"Braillenote List" <[email protected] >cc >Subject >RE: [Braillenote] Keysoft version 6.2 >In the context of the messages what I was saying was that I paid $8000 >for my unit and it was out of date with in a year. >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Richard >Ring >Sent: July 27, 2005 3:59 PM >To: Braillenote List >Subject: RE: [Braillenote] Keysoft version 6.2 >Could you please clarify this message? I honestly don't quite know >what you are saying here. >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bray, >Terry >Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 2:39 PM >To: Braillenote List >Subject: RE: [Braillenote] Keysoft version 6.2 >You would true they didn't 8 thousand and it was out of date with in a >year. >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Sarai D. >Bucciarelli >Sent: July 27, 2005 3:24 PM >To: Braillenote List >Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Keysoft version 6.2 >You'd think they could drop hints to new custamers to wait to buy the >latest one. >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Bray, Terry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: "Braillenote List" <[email protected] >Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 1:37 PM >Subject: RE: [Braillenote] Keysoft version 6.2 >O so true I have already been burned by that. When I bought mine it >wasn't to long until they had the new mother board it cost nearly 1500 >In Canadian dollars and I didn't have it at the time. >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Sarai D. >Bucciarelli >Sent: July 27, 2005 2:34 PM >To: Braillenote List >Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Keysoft version 6.2 >Yeah but not everyone can upgrade it for financial reasons. >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Bray, Terry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: "Braillenote List" <[email protected] >Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 1:21 PM >Subject: RE: [Braillenote] Keysoft version 6.2 >Yes but if you upgrade the BN. You end up with the mpower. >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Sarai D. >Bucciarelli >Sent: July 27, 2005 2:15 PM >To: Braillenote List >Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Keysoft version 6.2 >>From Jonathan's demo, he said they'd developed it and the nexre is >>6.2, >>but >that all of the features won't be available because of hard ware >constraints. What I don't get is why the hype and big upgrade to the BN >if the m power was coming out, especially sense the M power is the next >generation so to speak. The regular BN will eventually stop being >developed and be outdated. >----- Original Message ----- >From: "bob mates" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: "Braillenote List" <[email protected] >Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 12:58 PM >Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Keysoft version 6.2 >Hi, Kathy and list: The Humanware folks claim that they'll continue to >produce upgrades for the older line of BN's. It is interesting that >this new upgrade is still using numbers beginning with 6, but the PK # >6.0, and so, I guess a new upgrade for the older BrailleNotes could be >something like 6.12 or something along that line. When Matthew was in >Pittsburgh, he assured us that there would be future upgrades for our >units. Hope this >helps. Bob and Maxy-wax >___ >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 >___ >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 >___ >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 >___ >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 >___ >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 >___ >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 >___ >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 >___ >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 >___ >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 >___ >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 >___ >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 ___ 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
