Hi, Terri, Well, the Book sense is not a notetaker. It reads various book formats and notes can be recorded. It does not have a Braille display.
The Icon can read all kinds of books as well, but the way it permits you to write Braille is at best clumsy. The Braille plus is better. There is a Braille keyboard, but its keys are very small. It does everything that the Icon does and the price is the same as that of the Icon. Maybe you have a way of using a Braille display with it, and that is a plus. I'm using the Braille Sense and it has the best Braille keyboard of any Braille notetaker, bar none. The keys are comfortable to use. Better yet, there is no contact bouce. Many devices are poor in this regard so when you press a key a bit too hard or write too fast, the resulting document will likely have extra dots which you never put there. The Braille display is excellent. Like any device of this kinds, there is a certain amount of learning. Because of the orderly arrangement of menus, learning a few of them will give you a feel for the ones you perhaps have not studied. I have worked some some features without a need to study the manual first. Of course, hot keys vary with the application, swo they must be studied via the manual. I expect that before very long we will have some new features which will greatly enhance the use of this device. You'll get lots of opions and ideas from other readers. I hope, howev er, that I have been helpful. Joe G. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Terri Pannett" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Date: Friday, Aug 14, 2009 14:34:58 Subject: [GWN] what to buy > > > Dear List, > > My name is Terri, spelled with an i. Some of you know me from other lists. > > I'm looking at the manuals for three products: the BookSense, the > BrailleSense Plus Qwerty and the Icon. I need something which will play NLS > books, but I would like a backup notetaker. I'm not sure how long the > display on my present notetaker will last. > > My main needs in a notetaker are: word processing, calculation, playing mp3 > and dtbs, and a calendar. I use my PC for the internet and email. > > I'd like to have an honest comparison between these three products. I > realize the BookSense can't really be evaluated presently because there are > still quite a few bugs that need to be worked out, but it's speech is the > best I've heard! > > So, please emphasize the advantages of the BrailleSense Plus and the Icon. > I realize the QWERTY model of the BSP hasn't come out, but you can give me > general advantages and limitations comparison. BTW, if I buy the Icon, I > would connect it to a HandyTech BrailleWave, thus having a braille display. > > Thanks for any help I can get. > > Terri Amateur Radio call sign KF6CA.
