Re: [BRLTTY] Braille display hardware recommendations

[Lars Bjørndal]

[Jason White]
> Shérab  wrote:

[...]

> > I also have a BrailleStar from HandyTech. It has curved cells and no
> > braille keyboard but I quite appreciate the contacts with the
> > manufacturer. With such a device you can embed a Raspberry Pi as Mario
> > did and that's in my opinion a very interesting aspect.
> 
> That's very interesting. It probably voids the manufacturer's warranty, but I
> nevertheless like the idea.
> 
> Their newer device in this category is the Active Braille, which supports
> sensors that detect the position of the user's reading fingers on the display.

The newest device in this category is the Active Star. Active Braille has a 
braille keyboard, Active Star a QWERTY keyboard, I think. Both has the ATC 
technology. A smaller one, Actilino, also has ATC.

Lars
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Re: [BRLTTY] Braille display hardware recommendations

[Shérab]

Jason White (2017/10/09 23:54 +):
> Shérab  wrote:
>  
> > I use HumanWare's Brailliant 40 daily and quite like its braille
> > display. It also has a braille keyboard which I don't find very easy to
> > use because the keys do not go down a lot when you press them.
> > 
> 
> I looked at one very briefly at an exhibition (more than three, perhaps four
> years ago - maybe even more). I don't remember the keyboard layout very well
> though.

At the front are 4 thumb keys. On top of the device, closest to the user
are the two space bars that are really the same key, meaning e.g. the
left one can not be bound to something else than the right one. Then
comes the braille display and the routing keys. At the left of this are
three round keys forming a vertical bar, same at the right. These six
keys are like braille dots.

Behind the routing keys is the braille keyboard. It's two groups of four
keys each.

> > This device does not have editing facilities built-in, though.
> > 
> 
> As I remember, it cannot store files either.

Indeed.

> Their BrailleNote Touch can - and
> it's quite impressive - but only has a 32-cell line.

It reminds me of the BrailleSense from hims. I like its shape and design
but it also has 32 cells only and I am not sure Hims has a lot of
interest in Linux support.

> > I also have a BrailleStar from HandyTech. It has curved cells and no
> > braille keyboard but I quite appreciate the contacts with the
> > manufacturer. With such a device you can embed a Raspberry Pi as Mario
> > did and that's in my opinion a very interesting aspect.
> 
> That's very interesting. It probably voids the manufacturer's warranty, but I
> nevertheless like the idea.

I don't think it does because you don't need to do anything special
regarding the device to make this possible. The communication between
the device and the i goes through bluetooth. In the device itself there
is a slot in which there is a cable that comes out and provides electric
power. Originally this has been done to let users put their phones there
and this is what is being re-used to put the pi in a safe place, but as
you can see from the point of view of the braille device nothing special
is done.

> Their newer device in this category is the Active Braille, which supports
> sensors that detect the position of the user's reading fingers on the display.
> This allows the braille window to be advanced automatically as the user
> progresses through the text. This feature can also be used for other purposes
> (e.g., in teaching braille and in research) that may not be of direct interest
> to most participants in the BRLTTY list.

Isn't it the ActiveStart you are actually talking about? That's the one
I have, in fact, I wrote the wrong name in my previous mail, sorry about
that.

Shérab.
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Re: [BRLTTY] Braille display hardware recommendations

[Jason White]

Shérab  wrote:
 
> I use HumanWare's Brailliant 40 daily and quite like its braille
> display. It also has a braille keyboard which I don't find very easy to
> use because the keys do not go down a lot when you press them.
> 

I looked at one very briefly at an exhibition (more than three, perhaps four
years ago - maybe even more). I don't remember the keyboard layout very well
though.

> This device does not have editing facilities built-in, though.
> 

As I remember, it cannot store files either. Their BrailleNote Touch can - and
it's quite impressive - but only has a 32-cell line.

> I also have a BrailleStar from HandyTech. It has curved cells and no
> braille keyboard but I quite appreciate the contacts with the
> manufacturer. With such a device you can embed a Raspberry Pi as Mario
> did and that's in my opinion a very interesting aspect.

That's very interesting. It probably voids the manufacturer's warranty, but I
nevertheless like the idea.

Their newer device in this category is the Active Braille, which supports
sensors that detect the position of the user's reading fingers on the display.
This allows the braille window to be advanced automatically as the user
progresses through the text. This feature can also be used for other purposes
(e.g., in teaching braille and in research) that may not be of direct interest
to most participants in the BRLTTY list.

The Active Tactile Control capability described above is unique and definitely
makes Handy Tech devices interesting.

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Re: [BRLTTY] Braille display hardware recommendations

[Anders Holmberg]

Hi!
You could check out the VarioUltra from Baum.
I have the 20 cell model and i really like it.
It has a braille keyboard which is very very good.
I have used it with android and brltty and that works really neat.
Ios also should work properly.
THe downside with the varioUltra is that they’re using windows CE which will 
not be supported anymore after 2019 or something like that.
/A

> 9 okt. 2017 kl. 02:23 skrev Jason White :
> 
> For the third time in my life, I'm contemplating entering the market for a new
> braille display. I'm not in a hurry. Hardware recommendations from
> participants in this mailing list would be most welcome and much appreciated.
> I've recently had an opportunity to benefit from demonstrations of several
> displays, but, in order not to bias the discussion here, perhaps it would be
> better if I were to introduce my own observations after reading comments from
> others.
> 
> I'm considering another 40-cell display. My current display (Baum SuperVario
> 40, as sold by HumanWare  around 2005) is excellent. However, it lacks a
> braille keyboard, which would be desirable for working with modern operating
> systems and applications, particularly on mobile devices. In addition, I'm
> interested in basic document reading or editing functions, as are now
> available on some displays, without buying a full note taking device - they
> tend to have a smaller number of cells (typically, 32) and provide features
> such as networking that I probably don't need.
> 
> Foremost among my priorities: durability and reliability/quality of the
> hardware, as well as good vendor cooperation with the BRLTTY project, of
> course. I'm looking for a manufacturer who will stay around and provide very
> good support for the device in the coming years. If there is anything new
> about to enter the market that I've somehow missed, I'm interested in that
> also.
> 
> These days, I use a combination of various operating systems - Mac OS, Linux,
> Windows, iOS and Chrome OS to varying degrees - some at home and some at work,
> so broad cross-platform support is desirable. Most braille displays have this
> feature, of necessity, I suppose, as it's a small market that the
> manufacturers are serving.
> 
> Comments are most welcome.
> 
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