Sam,
Forgive me if i sound dense to you but I think disability reviews are so
subjective because unlike most sighted people, many blind people are taught
on very different standards. There are the people eraised in perpetual
kindergarten, who are never encouraged to use a real computer with real
software but are always fed their lives through their technology. There are
others who are allowed to explore technology and are encouraged to use as
much mainstream technology as possible. Then there are some in the middle.
I think it's really hard to say that the PacMate is better than the Braille
note just because it's more open to mainstream products. I would never
enccourage anyone to buy one because of my experiences with it, and knowing
that a lot of people are coming from the notetaker family of easy to use,
command friendly applications, it's a pretty trying experience. But at the
same time, I respect the people who have the patience to deal wiith the
technology.
This is just my opinion.
Maria
----- Original Message -----
From: "Samuel Proulx" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "talk2" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 17:18
Subject: Re: The Talk2 List BN, PM, and moves from FS
No, sorry. What is technically better or worse isn't personal choice; any
user who thinks so just reveals that they are completely ignorant and should
probably keep quiet on the issues, because the last thing the technology
sector (especially the disability tech sector) needs is more bullshit.
Let's go over this:
Braille Note uses: a proprietary, non-standards-compliant, feature poor,
non-extendable platform.
pacmate uses: a platform based mostly on the same thing sighted folks use,
that can be extended with thousands of pre-written applications, and
aftermarket non-disability specialty hardware (thus cheap hardware)
mobile speaks and pocket hal uses: a solution the same as the rest of the
world, depending entirely on off the shelf hardware and software, that can
be easily and quickly extended and updated, even more than the pacmate.
I use the pacmate because it works for me. However, it would be
inappropriate, and incorrect, of me to label the pacmate better in any way
that has any connection to technical, or any other sort, of reality. The
same goes for braille note vs. pacmate: the fact that you like the braille
note doesn't make it "better". Sorry, it's still "worse". In fact, pocket
hal is the best technical solution on the market today. Those of us who
aren't using it are using an inferior product; for most of us, however,
that's perfectly fine. But because it's fine for us doesn't make it "the
best" or even "better". All disability reviews today seem to be based on
subjective, rather than real, comparisons. and that pisses me off.
The same goes for a lot of other stuff: I use jaws because it works, and is
what I grew up with. Supernova, however, is *better*. No amount of
personal preference and/or whining (I've been known to do a lot of that) is
going to change that. I use Windows because I like it better, but linux is
in reality better. My opinions, desires, and preferences on the matter are
utterly irrelevant.
But I guess in the blind community people aren't allowed to change from a
technically inferior solution to a superior one, or change there opinions on
anything, without getting personally attacked by offensive assholes.
Unemployed, teenaged assholes, who have obviously never subjected both
products to a side by side comparison, at that. Please come back when you
can discuss two platforms without making personal attacks on people involved
that are irrelevant to the discussion, and when you know what the heck
you're talking about. Oh, and write me on another email address; your
current one is blacklisted. I have no patience for stupidity.
----- Original Message -----
From: Matthew Horspool
To: talk2
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 11:53 AM
Subject: The Talk2 List BN, PM, and moves from FS
Hi,
I find this FS move very, very anoying. To be quite honest, it's one of
the most immature moves they've ever made. They're basically saying what an
absolutely fantastic company they are, and how losy the rest are!
About three years ago, the same guy who's now singing the praises of the
PACmate was singing the praises of the BrailleNote - in fact, that praise
came from Mosen long before he joined HumanWare. Take a look at the Main
Menu archives on ACB Radio if you want more convincing.
So what's happened now is that Mosen's been offered this position at FS,
taken it, and is now singing the praises of the PM, saying what a piece of
crap the BN is... when not six months ago he was, publically at least,
saying the PACmate was an even bigger piece of crap.
Anyway, he then gets FS to do something that they should really have done
when the PM first came out, at least, from a business perspective. The
problem is, I doubt many people are going to take advantage of it. I mean,
would you, a guy who's going to spend thousands of dollars on a piece of
assistive techn, buy the wrong one for you? Yeah, OK, it's probably
happened, but how many of those cases were rehab workers doing, quote,
"What's best" unquote? If I were the guy buying the tech, I'd have a good
look at what was available - spend a good few hours with each piece of kit,
use it, see if I liked it... get the picture? So I don't think many people
are going to turn round to FS and say "Oh yeah, actually the BN isn't the
right thing for me, even though I've been using it for the past X amount of
years, and I think the PM would be such a lot better for me, even though I
put it down at the time."
I'm a BN/JAWS user. I don't agree with one company providing all the
assistive tech someone wants/needs, it only drains the standard right down.
I beta test JAWS, because I feel that it's the best piece of software for
me, and I want the most out of it. I would've betaed the BN if there was
enough space. Looking back on my decision now, I'd beta the BN over JAWS
any day, because I just don't agree with FS.
Having said that, there's always going to be people that prefer WE,
Supernova... the PACmate, the Braille Lite, the Braille Sense... it's
personal preference. If someone was to come to me and ask which assistive
tech they should use, I'd tell them to look for themselves; I won't make a
decision for someone, because the chances are quite high that it'll be the
wrong one.
But now that I've bought the assistive tech I want, no one is going to
make me change my mind! Not even someone who, until recently, I respected.
(And if anyone wants to know why I no longer respect Mr. Mosen, they can
kindly contact me off-list).
Thanks for reading, putting up with the post, and all that good stuff,
MatTheW
----- Original Message -----
From: Samuel Proulx
To: talk2
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 1:57 PM
Subject: The Talk2 List Fw: Trade in HumanWare Notetakers for PAC Mates
The latest move from Freedom Science Fiction. Honestly, the pack mate
is kinda crappy...but then, the braille note is absolutely fully
unbelievably crappy. So take your pick. I like my pack mate tons over my
braille note, and I need one or 'tother. The packmate is best of
breed...unfortunately, that doesn't really say all that much.
----- Original Message -----
[removed]
