The Braillemate was a notetaker produced by Telesensory systems, I believe around 1990. I believe that it was the first to utilyze refreshable Braille, even though it only had one cell. Andy
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Chris Hallsworth Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 8:57 AM To: Braillenote List Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Disappointed with Humanware Tech Support Well I have cerebral palsy, which of course can cause memory problems, so yeah, menus or letter navigation is an excellent feature of Keysoft. Can I ask what is the Braille Mate? Just curious. I heard Window-Eyes supports it, but that's about all I know. Thanks. Powers, Terry (NIH/OD/DEAS) [E] wrote: > Hi Mary and Others; > Just like the days when I was training on a Braille mate and did not > have a good teacher. Then we found errors in the manual. It made me > just give up. At that time, I had not even been asked what device I > wanted. It just came with my new computer, or you might say, it was > dumped on me. I think they were trying to get rid of them. > It is just sitting... > I love my M-power and the logic behind it. I am thankful for the > choice to use menus or letters. Menues cuts down on what commands I > have to memorize. Those out there, with memory problems, I am sure > will know what I am talking about. > I have not had any problems with customer service, but I have only > used them 2 or 3 times. A tole free number sounds like a great idea. > > Three chears for Humanware and also Roger Bemm! > Where are you Roger. You have been rather quiet, lately. > Did not find you at convention. Miss you! > > Terry Powers > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mary Ward [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 12:13 AM > To: 'Braillenote List' > Subject: RE: [Braillenote] Disappointed with Humanware Tech Support > > Richard: > > I wonder if articles about our problems with bad tech support could be > published in consumer publications like Braille Monitor and Braille > Forum, also by AFB publications. > > A few years ago, I remember there was an article in the Braille > Monitor about companies who sold very expensive Braille displays, > Braille note-takers and Braille embossers but didn't provide any > Braille documentation for their products. There were a few companies > that did provide Braille documentation, but the quality of the Braille > was so bad that it was almost as if they were thumbing their noses at us. > Suddenly, after this article, these companies decided that Braille > documentation was important after all. > > I don't remember the year or month of this article, but I remember its > effect. > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Richard > Ring > Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 2:51 PM > To: Braillenote List > Subject: RE: [Braillenote] Disappointed with Humanware Tech Support > > > First impressions mean a great deal. > I can tell you horror stories about every company in the blindness > field. I have said it before, and I will say it again; if the > companies who sell these products were in a mainstream business, they > would have gone belly up a long time ago. For the most part, none of > them provide first class service, they do not provide first class > customer support, and they do not seem the least bit interested in improving upon this. > And now ladies and gentleman, here's the reason why. If you have > purchased a Pac Mate, or a Braillenote, it is highly unlikely that you > will suddenly be able to afford to purchase the other product. In > other words, if you've had had a difficult time with Freedom > Scientific, chances are you will not be able to simply go out and > purchase a Braillenote. And the reverse is also true. These devices > are too costly, and the majority of the purchases are made by state > and Federal agencies in the United States and the companies who are > not providing first class technical support and first class repair > services don't have to change anything because people are still purchasing their products. > What is needed is some way to make all of the companies in this field > feel that they are indeed accountable. If a car manufacturer produces > bad cars, the news media are on it like flies on dead meat. > Unfortunately, when we deal with products whose total market is > probably less than one per cent of the population, that isn't going to > happen. I am not damning or praising any particular company here, I > am stating that in this man's opinion none of the companies in this > field are providing either technical support and/or customer service > at a level that reflects much respect for their customer base. No one > should be told that a call will be returned and then no call is ever > received. I have also seen cases where individuals call a company and > receive conflicting information. The only way I believe that this > situation will ever change is if an independent group of individuals > from state and Federal agencies and consumer organizations and other > interested parties forms and attempts to monitor the kind of service > that customers are receiving from these companies. Perhaps such a > watch dog group could publish newsletters discussing the kind of > service people are receiving. Without such a mechanism in place, we > always receive second class service from all of the companies in this field. > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Milissa > Garside > Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 9:00 AM > To: Braillenote List > Subject: [Braillenote] Disappointed with Humanware Tech Support > > > Hi Everyone, > > For those of you on the list who live in the united states, what has > your experience been with Humanware tech support? I have called tech > support out in California several times regarding a battery issue with > my voice note > > MPower. Each time I have called, I have always been told either by an > actual person or by a recorded voice to leave a message and someone > from tech support will get back to me. This method is all well and > good except that a humanware tech support person has never returned > any of my calls. > Considering I have paid over 2000 dollars out of my own pocket for my > MPower, not being able to get in touch with a tech support person is > unacceptable! I hate to say this but, in terms of tech support, > Freedom Scientific takes much better care of it's customers than > Humanware in the United States does. I have been more than happy with > Humanware in every other aspect accept for tech support. It should not > take me a month and a half to get in touch with a tech support person. > > For those of you who are part of humanware on this list, how can I get > in contact with a humanware tech support person? I suspect that my > MPower is going to need to be sent out for repair. I begin my fall > semester of school on September 5th. If in fact my MPower needs to be > sent in for repair, I > > need to send it bakc very soon and need to have it back in my hands by > Tuesday September 5th. Any help you can give to expidite this process > would me much appreciated. > > Thank you. > > Milissa > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > ___ > 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
