Richard, thanks, I was wondering about a sent folder. Compared to my previous notetaker the bsp wins hands down and then some, with my previous one I was lucky if I could download the mail never mind anything else. The program tended to hang about %95 of the time and was only dial up so slow as well. So far I've done about 6 or 8 messages on the bsp and had 2 with the incorrect password/account error, I can live with this, at least for a while. Another issue with email is selecting items, using the space bar to select and having to use space dot 4 to move to the next item sometimes you may select or unselect an item by accident while trying to move. I also wish there was a to field, particularly for reading group messages as not all groups put the group name in the subject line so you don't know where the message is from until you read the footer of the message. I wish there was a thumb wheel for the volume, I assume there must be some reason why this can't be done as I didn't see it as a feature in other notetakers, though perhaps I missed it? But all things considered I'm still quite pleased with my purchase. Tessa
----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Turner" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 1:01 PM Subject: RE: [GWN] BSP: opinions needed Not to mention that Humanware shows no signs of catching up to the 21st century with their units. Alex, I have not used the unit in all of the areas that your questions addressed, but in spite of a few irritations with the e-mail program, the other things are very easy to live with. I always do final editing on a computer, so the limits of the word processer don't bother me. About e-mails. If you use e-mail a ton, this is the one area you may get a bit tired of, especially if you have more than one e-mail account. 1. You have to check e-mail for each account separately. 2. You can not create a filter to sort the e-mail from the different accounts into a separate mail box. So, for example, if you get 30 messages from one account, then get 30 more from another account, they are sorted by the date stamp by default. So, the messages will be all mixed up so the first couple might be from account A, the next ten might be from account b, and so forth. 3. You cannot read the subject, date and sender information at once, you have to tab from the subject field, to the date field, to the from field. One more tab opens the message. 4. This is, in some ways, the most irritating part of the e-mail. You do not have a sent folder, nor a trash folder. Once you delete a message, it is gone. If you have, or want, GPS, it is still not updated to the latest Sendero release, which means it does not have as many features as the latest version on the BrailleNotes. All that being said, I would still choose the Braille Sense Plus over a BrailleNote. For devices with an onboard braille display, I do think it is the best. I hope the e-mail program gets updated soon, as that is the area most lacking in my opinion. Richard -----Original Message----- From: Alex Hall [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 6:57 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [GWN] BSP: opinions needed I think the bsp is better because it seems to lock up less online, it has 8gb of internal storage compared to the bn's 120mb, it has MSN Messenger, the company supports their products much better, it has built-in wifi, I do not have to send my unit back for several weeks just to get a new battery, it has an lcd display so sighted partners and teachers can see what I am doing without me emailing them or using Keyview, it has a mode that lets it act as a mass storage device for a pc, so I do not have to fight with Active Sync just to put some files on it from my pc, it has media keys... I could go on, but you get the idea. Have a great day, Alex > ----- Original Message ----- >From: estin <[email protected] >To: [email protected] >Date sent: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:14:36 +1200 >Subject: Re: [GWN] BSP: opinions needed >Alex This is Estin what made you decide to change units. >Also how much is a braille sense plus now. >> ----- Original Message ----- >>From: Alex Hall <[email protected] >>To: [email protected] >>Date sent: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:25:56 -0400 >>Subject: Re: [GWN] BSP: opinions needed >>Thank you. I know all my questions were negative, but that is the >>point; I hear all the praise about the unit on reviews and podcasts, >>but never anything bad, as one would expect. I wanted the "dark >>side", if such a thing exists for the BSP, from the actual, real-life >>user before I go about making the switch. I have used a bn since >>2002, so moving to a new unit is a huge deal, plus, of course, it >>costs a lot. I am not worried about getting used to the intercace, >>since I also have used Windows since 200 or so, but it seems like some >>things would be more annothing, like having to tab a whole bunch of >>times just to get to, say, the OKAY button. >>Have a great day, >>Alex >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>From: Joe Giovanelli <[email protected] >>>To: [email protected] >>>Date sent: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:15:37 -0800 >>>Subject: Re: [GWN] BSP: opinions needed >>>Hi, Alex, >>>There's no way I can reply to all of your questions. >>>I don't think this unit supports video files. >>>It does play MP 3, Daisy, Wav and some others. >>>It reads HTML perfectly well. >>>It handles forms found on the Internet very well. There is no, >>separate forms mode. You are just presented with the edit box. >>>The keyboard on the Braille Sense is the best keyboard I have >>seen, and that includes your Braille Note. I have heard about only >>problem with the keyboard from only one person. I've logged lots of >>hours on the unit and it works as well as the day I got it. >>>The battery is easy to change. >>>I have not timed how long the battery will last under varying >>conditions. I usually get a day's work from the unit. >>>There definitely are translation problems from ASCII to Braille >>and vice versa and the errors are not consststent. If I want to have >>a document look good, I use ASCII via a USB keyboard. >>>All your questions are negative. This unit has some definite >>good qualities. The word processor works well. It does what the >>manual says it does. Formatting is not complete. There isn't a >>shortcut key for centering. >>>There is a hot key for tabbing forward but you do need a >>combination key for shift-tab. >>>Forget about printing unless you happen to have a printer which >>supports PCL 3; it must be HP compatible. The serial port >>cannot be used for a printer connection. This printing thing is my >>biggest gripe about this unit. >>>We don't see too many releases. We won't see a release just for >>bug fixes. A release will fix these, but it will also contain major >>feature additions. >>>I'm writing this in Braille; the e-mail will first be translated >>into Ascii, so you may see a couple of translation errors. >>>I should say that the wireless LAN works very well. I have never >>had a drop-out. >>>In general, data is not lost during a reset unless it has not >>been saved. All settings will be lost but if these are backed up >>properly, they are easily restored. >>>I'll let others answer your other questions. I hope this was >>helpful. >>>Joe G. >>>----- Original Message ----- >>>From: Alex Hall <[email protected] >>>To: [email protected] >>>Date: Friday, Jun 19, 2009 13:44:36 >>>Subject: [GWN] BSP: opinions needed >>>> Hi all, >>>> For those of you using the Braille Sense Plus, I would like to ask >>>> you a small favor: could you respond with all the bad things >>>> (missing features, bugs, data corruption, and so on) that you have >>>> found with your unit? I am closer now to being able to get one of >>>> these to replace my BN, but I want to know the "real story" behind >>>> the BSP's operation in daily life before I >>proceed. >>>> Note that I am a student going into either software design or >>web >>>> programming, I am not sure which yet, with two years of school >>>> remaining. I know the technical specs, but no one in my state has >>>> one that I can look at and use first-hand; I have only your >>>> responses and the reviews and podcasts around the Internet to guide >>>> me. I would like to know the following, and sorry it is such a >>>> long list, but then again, it is a lot of money. >>>> 1. How annoying constantly pressing the tab and shift-tab key >>>> combos gets? >>>> 2. How often can you do things with a shortcut key to avoid >>>> tabbing five times? >>>> 3. What can the wordprocessor not handle? >>>> 4. What problems do you find when browsing the Internet? >>>> 5. How often does the unit lock up, resulting in a reset and >>>> therefore a loss of data? >>>> 6. What problems still exist with the email program, even after >>>> the firmware updates? >>>> 7. What external device compatibility issues, if any, have you >>>> found? >>>> 8. Can Bluetooth do object exchange, and is it stable? >>>> 9. Can you browse networks? >>>> 10. How is printing as far as formatting, printer support, font >>>> changes, retaining page setup (such as centered lines, line >>>> spacing, etc)? >>>> 11. How is the Braille display after months of use? >>>> 12. Is Wifi stable, or does it often drop connections, connect to >>>> networks it cannot actually see, you get the idea? >>>> 13. Can it take SDHC cards? >>>> 14. Does the DSL jack always work properly? >>>> 15. How is battery, with and without wifi, bluetooth, and so >>on? >>>> 16. Can you turn on and off speech and braille independently? >>>> 17. If you came from a BN, how is the Braille display >>scrolling? >>>> 18. How does it handle translation to and from grade 2? >>>> 19. Can one use computer braille languages other than English? >>>> 20. How does the LCD display work in real-life applications? It is >>>> a good concept, but is it easy to display what you want, to turn it >>>> off, and so on? >>>> 21. How easy is it to buy and install a new battery? >>>> 22. If you are a student, what problems have you found in classes, >>>> such as unsupported files, trouble with emails, and the like? >>>> 23. For GWM staff: any plans to incorporate Nemeth, UEB, or other >>>> useful codes? >>>> 24. What media file size cannot be played? If you play a 150mb DVS >>>> movie, for example, will it work / will the system bog down any? >>>> 25. How does the unit react to high heat and/or humidity? Cold? >>>> 26. How are new lines represented? On the BN, they can be a one or >>>> two cell intentation on the display, or an ed sign followed >>by >>>> a people. I always set it to indent one cell, since there is no >>other >>>> reason for the display to ever indent in text, so any indent is >>a >>>> new line and it feels more like a Brailled document and makes more >>>> sense, to me at least. >>>> 27. Is there a limit to the number attachments in an email? The BN >>>> will not send more than 7, I believe. >>>> 28. Technical: what Javascript does the unit support? For example, >>>> the BN supports onload, onunload, and onclick, but not onchange, >>>> onfocus, onkeypress, and the rest. >>>> 29. How is filling out fields on the BSP? >>>> 30. Have you run into issues where keys would stick or in any >>>> other way not work? >>>> 31. What version of JS does the browser have? Will it support >>>> dhtml (the innerHTML method on objects)? >>>> 32. Overall, how do you like your unit for what you do with it? >>>> Please tell me anything you do not like about the unit, even if >>I >>>> did not cover it? >>>> You can reply off-list to avoid Raul's or Jeremy's wrath (JK guys). >>>> Thanks in advance for any responses. >>>> Have a great day, >>>> Alex __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4173 (20090620) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4173 (20090620) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com
