Hello: I saw the Braillenote Apex this morning, and it's a really cool device.
The device is just as wide as the mPower, but much thinner. The Apex has a User replaceable battery which is long overdue, although what I was told is that Humanware will charge $50 for new batteries. The Braille display, which only comes in a 32-cell size right now, is quite responsibe. It seems to be very comfortable to read. It has built-in bouetooth which can handle multiple connections at one time, including headphones. It has three host USB ports on the back. The client USB has moved to the right side of the unit, and can be used as a Braille display with computer. In addition to displaying output from the computer, I'm told in Braille terminal mode that you can type into the computer application, using Computer Braille. I noticed that up between the dot 1 and dot 4 keys there is a scroll wheel. You can use that to move through menus, and there's a button in the middle that you can press enter on. You can also read through documents by sentence or paragraph with the wheel. I'm not sure I'd have much use either for the wheel or the buttons, although having the up button above the wheel as an escape key is simpler than doing E-chord. I am pleased that the thumb keys were maintained on the Apex. I did not get to see things like E-mail or internet in action, but have heard that the web browser is much more reliable than on the mPower. All in all, I am very pleased with the Apex. It really seems to contain many of the enhancements Braillenote users have been requesting for some time. While it took longer than many of us would have liked, I am glad HW has been listening. I do not know if the word support or handling of HTML e-mails is better, but I think based on the Apex running Windows Mobile 6 those things can be included later if need be. Thanks, Ray Campbell, Adaptive Technology Help Desk Technician The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired 1850 W. Roosevelt Road Chicago, IL 60608 312.997.3651 (Voice/Relay) or 888.825.0080 (Voice/Relay) [email protected] www.thechicagolighthouse.org ___ Replies to this message will go directly to the sender. If your reply would be useful to the list, please send a copy to the list as well. 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
