Hi Terri and Joseph:

The original PAC Mate had a user replaceable battery. This was done because customers asked for it. At that time, Freedom Scientific was bound and determined to give the customers what they were asking for whether it was practical or not. . I haven't followed for a few years now, but last I saw a PAC Mate the battery was internal and could not be replaced by the user.

If you want to go way back, The VersaBraille II also had a user replaceable battery pack. TeleSensory invested in an alternate battery door that could handle off the shelf batteries. I never saw anyone really take advantage of these, and I often wondered if the resources dedicated to that second battery door could have been of greater value to customers if they were invested differently.

I respect and appreciate the reasons people want to be able to replace their own batteries, but HW really should do what is best for the majority of it's customers and the only way a user replaceable battery is a good idea in my book is if it meets all of the following criteria: 1. It doesn't make the unit heavier or more awkward. User replaceable batteries might change the weight balance in some undesirable ways.
2.  It doesn't reduce the battery life by a minute.
3.  It doesn't create a fire hazard.
4.  It doesn't reduce reliability.
5. It doesn't negatively effect the company's profit on the product. (I know that may seem like a strange comment, but as users, we really want the KeySoft family to be profitable so that the company continues to support and develop the product family. KeySoft is easily the longest lasting software of this type and let's hope it lives for many more years)

If all those could be achieved it might be a good idea, but based on past experience, I doubt whether all of these can be easily accomplished.

Thanks for reading.


Alan Holst



----- Original Message ----- From: "Joseph Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Terri Pannett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 1:55 PM
Subject: Re: [Braillenote] battery points


Hi Terri,
Slightly off topic (I'll promise that this is the last thing I'll post about this): You might want to talk to Jonathan Mosen about this (from PM perspective because he followed PAC Mate closely from its beginnings).
Cheers,
Joseph P.S.  Sorry again for off topic post.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Terri Pannett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "peter greco" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
<[email protected]
Date sent: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 10:18:06 -0700
Subject: Re: [Braillenote] battery points

Competition is the best way to encourage
HumanWare to make some changes.  I
have always been a loyal customer of
HumanWare and a loyal fan of Keysoft.
The competition's products can't meet my
needs as well as the BN can.

But that doesn't mean I shouldn't comment on
an improvement HumanWare should
make for its product.

I cannot understand why a slide-out external
battery would be unsafe or hard
to use.  I still have a Keynote Companion and
I've never had trouble
replacing its battery myself.

So, it's possible to design an external
slide-out battery which is safe and
easy for customers to replace.

Dean Jackson was right about the present
battery and the design of the BN.
But why can't HumanWare make the necessary
changes?  If they want to
continue to sell their products, they'll have
to be willing to look at the
competition's products and implement features
to keep ahead in the market.
If they don't, HumanWare's products will fall
by the wayside.

Terri Amateur Radio call sign KF6CA.
----- Original Message -----
From: "peter greco" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: <[email protected]
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2007 10:35 PM
Subject: [Braillenote] battery points




---- Original Message ------
Subject: battery points

Hi Keith.
I don't know how to replace batteries and I
feel very comfortable getting
a professional to do it!
I'm sure if you read my email literally and
didn't put your own
interpretation into it, you'll find I said
nothing about "never
criticising"!
Yes if you pay for your Braille Note of
course I agree you can do whatever
you like with it, oh, provided you accept
the consequences and not look
for someone to take out your frustrations or
inadequacies on!
Terri I think the idea of a redesign for the
battery in the Braille Note
is indeed a grand idea, however, that wasn't
what was being so negatively
criticised!
Those of you who like so much what the
Braille Sense does and the company
that makes it stands for, please buy it and
vote with your democratic
cheque book! credit card or green backs!!
I'll always use a carot rather
than a stick!


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