Hi Mate, I don't know if you've actually seen or felt the PM BX 420 or 440 but I daresay that they'd be much smaller than a laptop. So I'd forget about that opinion. However, you might have more of a chance validating your opinion if you are suggesting that perhaps the qwerty model of the PM is similar in size to a laptop but I'd hazard to guess that even this model would be smaller than a laptop. When I bought the PM, I bought the BX model because I wanted to type in Braille and it was small. I also loved the way you can detach the Braille display from the Pac Mate itself and use that Braille display on your pc. Also, if you happen to be going somewhere where a Braille display is not required, then you can detach the Braille display from the PM and you then have an even smaller piece of equipment to carry! It's very lite even with the Braille display attached. The other advantage with having a detachable Braille display is that if you aren't sure if you will require a Braille display, you can first purchase PM without a Braille display and if you find in the future you need one, you can purchase the Braille display and attach it to your PM. At the moment with Bn it's all or nothing. If you buy a BN you've got to decide at the time of purchase whether you want a model with a Braille display or not. With the difference in price between a voice only model or one with Braille, being able to make a choice as you can with the PM is in my opinion very important.
I'd agree with your assertion that it would be cheaper to purchase a laptop and a Braille display if I could find an off the shelf laptop which was as small as a PM BX420 or 440. As yet I haven't found one! If you have please let me know! Oops, sorry, you've chosen the BN so I'd imagine you haven't been looking! Forget my above query smile. David Truong E-mail and MS messenger: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype: blindboxer1967 Home Page: http://members.optusnet.com.au/davidtruong/ -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of greg Sent: Friday, June 03, 2005 9:27 AM To: Braillenote List Subject: RE: [Braillenote] BN compared to PM > ----- Original Message ----- >From: Isaac Obie <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: Braillenote List <[email protected] >Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2005 16:56:39 -0400 (EDT) >Subject: RE: [Braillenote] BN compared to PM Gello all, The reason I chose the BN over the PM is that the BN is a much more portable device than the PM because the BN is much smaller. In my opinion if you are going to buy a PM you might as well buy a laptop with a braille display and save yourself money. Well thats my opinion on why I chose the BN .Greg >Hi Susan, >I like the PM! I just don't like reading the manual! If someone sat and >taught me the thing, I'd learn it very quickly! I've noticed this already! >but I've not really had any one teach me the BN. I think I'd prefer the PM >if I had my choice. I think it's a power machine and it's really for power >users. No offense meant, I wouldn't recommend the PM for the little old >ladies and gentlemen of the world. <smile >Isaac >On Thu, 2 Jun 2005, Susan Stageberg wrote: >> I agree with Jim bout learning the BrailleNote with very little effort. I had opportunity to thoroughly test a PacMate with the BT keyboard. I found the multi-layered commands very hard to remember from one time to the next and while I realize that the PacMate is a very sophisticated and powerful little critter, it just never floated my boat. All this is to say what we all keep saying: this is really, really an individual thing. Not only do different people have different needs when it comes to a portable device, but different people think differently, and what seems logical and intuitive to one may be completely Greek to the next. PacMate comes under that Greek category as far as I'm concerned. >> Susie >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of James >> Aldrich >> Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 3:10 PM >> To: Braillenote List >> Subject: Re: [Braillenote] BN compared to PM >> Hi Beth, >> What you say is so, but I can say from my personal experience I was doing a >> great deal with my BN in a very short time after receiving it. I was able >> to feel very comfortable with it during a convention presentation. It >> really doesn't take much to accomplish a great deal with a BN, VN or PK. I >> think I could learn a competition product in time but it would take more >> time for me to do so. I agree! One eventually needs to find the patience >> to read any part of the manual. >> Feel free to write me privately about my next question if you wish, but am >> curious to find out when you hope to decide on which notetaker you will >> get? Was just wondering! >> Jim >> At 05:15 AM 06/02/2005 , you wrote: >>>Hi, all. I would like to point out that, no matter how intuitive a system >>>is, there is still a large learning curve associated with it. You must >>>read, study and learn the manual of the BN, just as you would the PM. Beth >>>___ >>>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 >___ >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
