Bob And List, The competition between PDI and Freedom Scientific is good for us, the customer. The competition drives both companies to make a better product. Where would we be if either one of these companies were the only show in town?
Sincerely, Jerry Weinger > ----- Original Message ----- >From: bob <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: Braillenote List <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Mon, 05 Apr 2004 12:29:29 -0700 >Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Another idea for future upgrades: >Okay, I have a solution to your problem. Let's merge pulsedata and freedom >scientific and call it pulse scientific. They could combine their notetakers >and call it the pacnote. >Then we would have all the advantages of both devices along with all their >combined shortcomings. >Would this suit anyone? I doubt it. ><grin >Thanks, >Bob >> ----- Original Message ----- >>From: richard Van Driel <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>To: Braillenote List <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Date: Tue, 06 Apr 2004 04:38:41 +1200 >>Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Another idea for future upgrades: >>Hi Kirstyn, >>I know what you mean! >>When I first got my braille note, it was the best thing going. >>I tried the braillelite, and found the speech atrocious. >>I have a hearing impairment, which basically means that, the device with the >>clearest speech is going to get a high score, if it is just as good as the >>other device with poorer speech. >>I will be taking a class on the pacmate in may, (I hope) but I already know >>that the speech is a little less clear for me because, 1 the speaker is >>smaller and, 2 the amp doesn't put out as much power as the bn. >>What prompted me to get the bn was the fact that I could use the braille >>display and/or speech. >>I taught a class in my church, and being able to use the braille display >>without speech was a great help there, letting me hear my students and keep >>track of my lesson without having to mess around with neckloops and earphones. >>But I like what I've seen of the Pacmate, in that it just seems more >>versatile. >>What I don't understand, is why pdi keeps harping on the (oh so nasty) >>graphical interface. >>For those of us who use Windows with Jaws, we get along ok with that nasty >>old gui! >>Why does pdi not concentrate on making gui easier for blind people to use by >>adapting their product to handle commands so that we can use it with the >>minimum of roundabouts? >>I think many things might be automated, so that what might be a roundabout >>could be done with one menu option or keystroke. >>>From what I have read on the pm list for example, there's quite a little >>>roundabout to disconnecting when online. >>There is no such problem with the bn, so why not incorporate that same quick >>way in whatever you use for your system, whether that's pocket pc or Linux or >>whatever? >>One thing that's becoming obvious to me is that Keysoft is out of date and >>way too proprietorial and inflexible for users who need to modify it. >>The Windows ce we use is the same, but even so, it has already built in some >>of the things that would make the bn more versatile. >>The results are sometimes a problem, since we are denied access to the >>Windows Ce itself, we can't fix some things that, I would assume are handled >>quite well on regular pdas. >>For example, why is there not a way to erase or control the "history file on >>the ks disk that we heard about some time ago? >>It's a windows bile, not a keysoft file, and according to Pdi, the only way >>to get rid of it temporarily is to do a hard reset. >>IF you don't, it eventually takes up all the space on the ks disk. >>Furthermore, Ks doesn't use this folder or file or whatever it is. >>Ok, so here's my question. >>How is this file or whatever handled on a regular pda? What is done so that >>you don't lose all your memory just from this one thing on a regular pda? >>I seriously don't believe that Ipaq or any of the other pda manufacturers or, >>for that matter, Microsoft would market something with that glaring a defect >>for long. >>No, there is a way this is handled on a normal pda. >>Why not take advantage of this Pdi, >>Also, why create a trash folder etc, when this is already built into Windows? >>Why have a very limited media player if the capacity is already there to have >>a full one in Ce? >>And why have a suite of software that, according to your own admission, is >>really hard to make wireless compatible when Windows Ce gives you that >>capacity? >>Use a suite that lets us fully have access to Windows capability and make it >>flexible enough that a user can get programs he wants or needs to work with >>it. >>I don't give a darn if it's a gui or not, all I ask is that it be easy to use >>and as consistent as possible. >>The reality is that most applications that people use nowdays are, in some >>way graphical, and that people want their technology to keep up. >>Make the bn more versatile by, >>1 making it possible to script for it (as is done on Pacmate) so that people >>can add programs. >>2 use all of the possibilities of the Windows Ce system, making as much of it >>as possible available to the user. >>3 At least make it possible for users to use some of the stuff available for >>the pda, such as pocket excel and the latest Pocket word, if not for use, >>then for translation so that we won't have all the problems with that that we >>now have. >>Use proprietary software only where the regular software doesn't work. >>Pm did this with the Windows version of the calculator, and create a much >>better calculator with more functions. >>Because it uses Pocket Pc, it can accept programs that work with regular pdas >>and because Jaws is a script capable program, scripts can be written so that >>things that might not work normally on the Pacmate can and do. >>That is what the Pacmategear site is all about. >>Remember, there are people who use the bn in school and college, and it's >>important to have as much flexibility as possible. >>As for buying a laptop, Kirstyn already answered that one, and besides even >>though laptops have gotten smaller, in comparison to the bn or pm, they are >>still delicate and rather bulky, when you consider the case and all, and I >>think they are also heavier. >>WHY drag around a laptop when most pdas could handle what you want to do? >>Only one reason, we can't see to use it. >>But, if Pacmate can handle all these things, and still be accessible to the >>people for whom it is designed, then, surely, the bn could and if the reason >>it can't is because of outdated hardware and software, then obviously, it's >>time for more than just a new planner, although that is good, and a more >>advanced sync, it's time to update and upgrade and use that which will make >>the unit more flexible, Gui or not. >>Thanks for listening to my ramblings! (lol) >>Richard ----- Original Message ----- >>>From: "Kirstyn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>To: Braillenote List <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>Date: Sat, 3 Apr 2004 11:56:05 +0000 (UTC) >>>Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Another idea for future upgrades: >>>Hi Jim, >>> I hope fervently that PDI does not agree with your attitude. The BN >>> users--or I should say, the former BN users--who are now on the PACMate >>> list did exactly what you are telling us to do now just to get us to shut >>> up. They sold their BN and got a PAC Mate. The difference between them >>> and those who, like me, are still hoping to see the BrailleNote keep pace, >>> is that--we are still hoping, while they decided not to and just switched. >>> What PDI and users like you, Jim, should do is not to tell more users to >>> switch or treat those who have as though they made the wrong decision, but >>> to show us that in time, we will shake off the feeling of wanting to switch >>> because the BrailleNote is still keeping abreast. >>> Stop challenging BrailleNote users to sell their BrailleNote and get a >>> PACMate because if it is not yet obvious to you, this is counterproductive >>> for PDI. Instead, use your fingers to type a post for PDI, urging them to >>> get their act together and find better ways of facing the competition and >>> prevent their customers from taking the expensive leap of getting a PM. >>> This is not about ranting. This is about telling PDI that we are willing >>> to hang on to our BrailleNotes, but not forever. I'm tired of reading >>> posts from Jonathan Mosen or whoever assuring us that this and that request >>> will be taken into consideration for a future upgrade. Anyone can say >>> that, and who in his right mind will say otherwise? But I want to see >>> action. >>> I do not want to see a version 5.2 with just one KeySoft application >>> being improved and the long-standing urgent problems linger. 5.0 was >>> released in late August 2003, 5.1 was released in March 2004. I am >>> disappointed to see that in about seven months time during which PDI was >>> expected to develop an upgrade, we got only a new planner system and a word >>> count feature that only solves the inconvenience of using the spell checker >>> to get the number of words--I was able to check the number of sentences and >>> lines with my BrailleLite. Meanwhile, in the same amount of time, other >>> PDA users got more speed and more memory, and discovered more third-party >>> applications that work well with their product. >>> We waited longer for 5.0 and got a bit more, but I still feel it was a >>> half-baked upgrade. We got a stopwatch that could not be used as a >>> countdown timer. We got a media player that plays only MP3 files with >>> certain limitations to sample rates. We got a better translator that does >>> not agree with the speech and so words that appear right in Braille are >>> translated incorrectly to text and read wrong with speech. We got KeySync >>> but it only works for contacts and calendar, not email, and still the speed >>> of synchronization or the choking on large files was not addressed. Add to >>> that the lingering problems with KeyMail and KeyWeb, and the File Manager >>> that lacks some useful functions that Richard posted a rehash of a >>> suggestion that I have seen from other users before but sadly, still no >>> response--concrete response--from PDI. >>> Like I said, they are way too slow in playing catch-up. And with a post >>> like yours, users are beginning to think that PDI will never catch up so >>> you are advising us to shut up and get a PACMate. Do you realize that in >>> your desire to defend the BrailleNote, the faster you are causing it to >>> plunge downhill? >>> Another misinformation about the PACMate. You do not lose data as soon >>> as the battery goes flat. The Lithium Polymer battery used by newer PM >>> units, or the Lithium Ion used on the version 1.xx units, will guarantee >>> that if the battery goes flat, you will retain your data in 72 >>> hours--that's three days. I do not suppose any wise user will wait for >>> three days before charging the battery. You say, "What if I'm out of town >>> and forgot my charger?" As it is obvious, that's user error and >>> irresponsibility, not the product's fault. >>> PM users also save files to cf cards and they do not lose these files >>> when the batteries go flat, even if the cards are plugged in. With the >>> BrailleNote, you may lose the files in your cf card if you had been working >>> on a large file saved to a cf card. The problem with large files getting >>> truncated or wiped clean--which I still experience with 5.1 and .rtf >>> files--is not linked to where you have the file; whether it's in the Flash >>> Disk or compact flash card, you can still lose it. Like I said in my other >>> post, if you overwrite your bacup of the email database with one you did >>> not know was already corrupted, you'll lose that, too, even if it's on the >>> cf card. >>> No, I did not write those last two paragraphs merely to compare the PM >>> and the BN. My purpose? To show you and PDI that you cannot claim the >>> BrailleNote is still leading just because of the battery and losing of >>> data, since this is no longer an urgent issue with the PACMate. So stop >>> focusing on what you think the competition cannot do and hail that the >>> BrailleNote can do that. Start looking on what the BrailleNote cannot do, >>> and that the competition can, and do something about it, and please, at >>> least for our money's worth, do it fast while we're still holding on to our >>> BrailleNotes. >>>Sincerely, >>>Kirstyn >>>___ >>>To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >>>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >>>http://list.pulsedata.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.pulsedata.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.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
