When my BrailleNote was purchased almost 4 years ago, the PacMate wasn't available. However, I had the chance to see the PacMate (BX440?) earlier this summer and was less than impressed with its construction, design and command structure. In terms of weight, the BrailleNote is heavier and feels more durable. The PacMate feels much lighter and reminds me of a video game controller. <smile> The Perkins keyboard on the PacMate is a little smaller than the BrailleNote's and not ergonomically designed (something I like on a Braille keyboard). Although I haven't had the opportunity to see one, I think I'd prefer a QWERTY keyboard given the two factors I just mentioned. Finally, as someone who relies exclusively on Braille, I noticed that some of the command prompts and related information presented on the PacMate were not accessible via the Braille display. If you're a PacMate user, please don't flame me. <grin> These are just some of my impressions -- for what they're worth. <smile>
Lisa
