Hi!
I've changed the subject of this discussion to suit the broader topic of
Note Takers.
Firstly I appreciate that everyone uses what's best for them and let me
make that point clear.
I have used Note Taking devices and found the experience to be a
pleasurable one, I recently used a Voice Sense however that device just
got far too old and firmware wasn't being updated any longer. I should
add that Hims Inc would have loved to keep providing firmware updates
for the unit however the Voice Sense - according to Hims Inc - just
didn't have the processing power to handle the latest and greatest
offerings from the company and I'm not complaining given the Voice Sense
was more than six years old so it survived well.
I had thought long and hard about upgrading to another Note Taker
however - for my needs - I just don't think it would be worth my while
given I now have a Focus 40 Braille Display, an iPad Mini, an iPhone and
a Samsung Galaxy S6 phone all of which can be paired to the Focus 40 or
a smaller Brialle display if I choose to purchase such a thing and its
quite on the cards that I may do so.
The advantages to me of using either IOS or Android devices with Braille
display are quite obvious, the latest Apps always, good accessibility,
complete freedom to configure and customise to my exacting requirements
etc..
I congratulate Humanware on moving to an Android Note Taking device but
here we have the same story, a Note Taker promising something that it -
thus far - has not delivered and - as Gordon said - he's still waiting
on the promised update.
A great idea of Humanware's to embrace Google Docs as Google Apps is one
way the future is heading.
On 22/06/2016 10:34 AM, Gordon Smith wrote:
Hello everybody
Just a very quick note to let you know that I have not forgotten about the
articles I promised regarding the Touch. I finish work on Thursday afternoon
and, therefore, will have more time from that point onwards. So I'll start it
at that time.
However, I just wanted to say that, the more I use this device, the more I
like it! It's the most powerful and configurable Braille note taker I've ever
used, leaving even the Braille Sense behind in most ways. However, HumanWare's
decision to release the Touch before camera suport and external device
connectivity were implimented leaves me utterly mystified.
They assure me that camera mode and terminal mode are high on the priority
list for a very near future update. However, I would have thought that support
for connecting to smart phones etc. would be a must, along this photo and video
supmort for any self-respecting Android-based tablet.
One can only hope that they come to the party on their promise of an update
very soon.
All that said, what the device does do, it does extremely well. It's
support for both Office documents as well as Google Docs is a huge advantage.
As the device is an authorised Google tablet, one can only assume that things
will get better still very soon. I have absolutely no regrets regarding my
investment, and I'm using the device constantly now on the move as well as at
home.
Finally, for the moment, I was delighted to be able to install all of my accessible Google Play
Store account amps, and that includes all of the Acapela Group voices which make the device a
pleasure to listen too. Thankfully also, HumanWare has moved away from using a cloth carrying case,
and the case they now use has a sturdy plastic base with a nylon top. The Braille keyboard that
flips over to reveal the touch screen is nice to use as well. I'll detail all of this shortly. But
i really like the ability to switch on-the-fly between "Touch Braille" and "explore
by Touch" modes. The latter mode allows you to use the tablet just like any other traditional
tablet, but with the added advantage of the Keysoft interface which has been re-written from the
ground up, it is not a port from Windows. The mail client supports all modern standards, and you
have a choice between Google chrome and Firefox as your web browser of choice.
Right, enough for now. More very soon for those who are interested.
―――――――—
My compliments And Kindest Regards
Gordon Smith
Accessibility And Information Technology Support Specialist
―――――――—
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Those who don't need help are prepared to help themselves
