hi
a couple of years ago, a pal of mine replaced the batteries in my
bn. i had no problem afterwards.
they were 6 1.5 volt standard-type double a rechargeable lithiam
batteries, the sort that you would put in a walkman.
i don't know how many milly amps the batteries were but i don't
think they were particularly special batteries.
cheers, richard.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chad Fenton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "BrailleNote list" <[email protected]
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 10:43:39 -0500
Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Battery Replacement
From a bit of research, I've determined that two competing
products of the
BrailleNote, LevelStar's Icon and GW Micro's Braille Sense, offer
the
feature of replaceable batteries. Another competitor, Freedom
Scientific,
offered replaceable batteries in its first incarnation of the PAC
Mate, but
my understanding is there were problems with these batteries, and
so they
moved to an internal battery that could only be replaced by the
manufacturer. This is similar to the BrailleNote's design. This
may not
lessen your concern, but I believe I am correct in assuming that
if your
product is under warrantee, your battery will be replaced by
Humanware at no
cost to you. Granted, depending on your location, you may be
parted from
your BrailleNote for a week or two while the battery is replaced
and shipped
back to you. I believe your chief complaints are the extended
time without
your unit in replacing the battery, and the inability to
accomplish the task
yourself without having to send it back to the company.
I'm sure that Humanware is keeping abreast of recent research
developments
with batteries. An example is the research being done at MIT to
develop a
so-called super battery that more or less recharges from flat to
full in a
matter of minutes with a multiple year life span. Should this
battery come
to the market, its first application would likely be for electric
cars.
Another example is Boston Power's Sonata battery likely to be
used by HP in
the near future to power their laptops. Boston Power claims
their Sonata
battery charges from flat to 80% capacity in a half hour, with a
life span
of at least two years, around as long as a typical laptop lasts.
I can't
say whether either type of battery would change the design enough
to allow
consumers to change the batteries themselves, but I'm sure
Humanware would
want to capitalize on a battery that lasts longer and recharges
faster, at
such time as such a product is available and affordable.
Regards,
Chad
----- Original Message -----
From: "Eugene Manfrinie" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "BrailleNote list" <[email protected]
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 9:11 AM
Subject: [Braillenote] Battery Replacement
Dear Andy, Joseph and all you Braille Listers,
I want to state at the outset that I love my BrailleNote. Not
only is it a marvelous piece of equipment but it has actually
made my life livable since being wheelchair bound over a year
and
a half ago. A very good friend of almost 60 years, a
fellow-wrestler, sent me the BrailleNote as a gift for which I
will always be indebted and eternally grateful because I
couldn't
possibly have afforded it on a fixed income.
What I can't believe or understand is Humanware's unforgivable
decision in producing a wonderful computer with an
unconscionable
situation with the battery replacement. In my opinion this is
the worst feature by far of the BrailleNote and Humanware has to
be aware of this unfortunate problem and has chosen not to
address it. I am certainly not a connoisseur of electronic
equipment, I am definitely of piano tuning and rebuilding,
performing and composing music, and wrestling, but not
electronic
equipment, however, I do know what a battery is, what it's
supposed to do and how to replace it, but not on the
BrailleNote!! Why!?, because Humanware has chosen to make it
impossible for a blind user to accomplish this normally simple
task with a penalty, to boot, if you try. I still can't believe
that Humanware has the gall to charge such a steep price for a
portable computer and then tack on other exorbitant expenses
including the sending and receiving of the battery, the cost of
the replacement which is certainly excessive, and, the expiable
length of time before it is returned. I dread to think of the
next time I am compelled to send my BrailleNote Classic to
Humanware (updated to 6.11 build 26), because the last and only
time I sent it in, about a year ago, there was only one problem
with it but it was returned to me with two, an unfortunate
occasion that has apparently occurred to quite a number of you
people judging by what I've read on the List, (my "previous"
thumb key still doesn't function at also). What really drove me
to express my views on this subject was discovering that W. G.
Micro has the changing-the-battery-yourself feature on their
BrailleSense which infuriates me no end, the fact that I can't
do
a simple installation on a more expensive competitive P D A.
Think about it: Wouldn't it be terrific to be able to finally
change your battery in your cherished BrailleNote which you can
already do in just about every piece of equipment you own
whenever you need to without having to send it away or worry
that
it'll go flat? What a relief that would be. It is such an
obvious and essential feature to have on our BrailleNote that I
hesitate and am somewhat embarrassed as to the reason, my brain
has dredged up, why Humanware has imposed this unnecessary
burden
on us. I'd better not continue on this "thread", a word
much-used on the List.
My hope is that Humanware will seriously consider putting
"battery replacement" at the top of the "update" list, instead
of
those that some of us probably will never use anyway, and not at
the bottom as it so wrongly has for years. However, as is
usually the case my little voice in the wilderness will fall on
deaf ears and we'll go on never to falter except when it's
necessary to replace the BATTERY. Just remember, we can perform
any task that the BrailleNote possesses but absolutely nothing,
zero, without the BATTERY. That's important!, isn't it?
Eugene Manfrini A K A Eugenio
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