Hi Edward, The baum displays are superb, but they have not been updated since before I bought my hwg brailleconnect. Humanware has withdrawn from it's longstanding partnership with baum and so finding a vareo connect in north america, the uk, australia, and other parts of the world is difficult to impossible.
If you can find one though, go for it. It's a might expensive because it was designed in an era where braille displays cost twice what they do now, but it's everything you love about the refreshabraille and more. If you can find one used on the cheep, so much the better. Hope this helps, Erik Burggraaf Follow my series of articles about setting up a small business through the ontario disability support program at http://www.erik-burggraaf.com/blog Ebony Consulting toll-free: 1-888-255-5194 or on the web at http://www.erik-burggraaf.com On 2013-09-23, at 2:41 PM, Edward Green <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Erik, > > Thanks for posting this to the list, it was interesting to read about the > relative merits of the displays as I hadn't seen a couple of them. > > I noticed in that your description of the refreshabraille 18, you said that > it had Baum style cells. This made me wonder why you didn't cover the Baum > Vario Connect range, which I understand comes in 12, 24, 32 or 40 cells. > > Cheers, > > Ed > On 23 Sep 2013, at 19:15, erik burggraaf <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi Alia, >> >> You would be looking at the braille pen 12, the seika 16, the focus 14, and >> the refreshabraille 18. The ones I have experience with are the focus 14, >> refreshabraille 18 and braillepen 12. >> >> The refreshabraille is my personal favourite, having 18 baum style cells >> with routing, a full braille keyboard with compact buttons, and an easy >> control surface. It has the longest running battery at 25 hours, and is the >> most durable and well-made of the three. The most detracting thing I can >> find to say about it is that it doesn't have an executive case. >> >> The runner up is the braille pen 12. The main things this unit has going >> for it are price at about a grand, and a cheep but serviceable lanyard case. >> It has 12 cheep cells with no routing, a small 6 hour battery, and a >> plastic braille keyboard. It has flimsy connecters and doesn't even have a >> proper power switch. If you like the feel of the cells though, and you need >> to save money, the pen isn't a terrible option. >> >> Somewhere in the middle is the focus 14. The focus is built of plastic and >> is a garish bright blue colour. It's cells are constructed all in one piece >> and so the braille feels smoother than the other two. It has good battery >> life. The braille input keys are a bit fisher-price, but feel fine under >> the fingers. It has a crazy control surface with rockers and wheels or >> possibly rockers that are called wheels, lots of different thumb keys across >> the front. I find it just a bit busy myself, but what the heck. There is >> also an executive case option for the focus which hides most of the >> eye-searing blue colour and gives you a lanyard. >> >> If you have a chance to look at any of these before you buy them, that might >> be well worth your time. Personally, I like the refreshabraille 18, but >> I've tried to use the braille pen 12 and it's nowhere near enough cells to >> be effective. I feel like 18 is about the smallest any good braille user >> should consider going, and the refreshabraille is well build and well >> supported for a fair price. >> >> Hope this helps, >> >> Erik Burggraaf >> Follow my series of articles about setting up a small business through the >> ontario disability support program at http://www.erik-burggraaf.com/blog >> Ebony Consulting toll-free: 1-888-255-5194 >> or on the web at http://www.erik-burggraaf.com >> >> On 2013-09-22, at 2:20 PM, alia robinson <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> I was thinking 20 and under. thanks for your time. >>> >>> Alia >>> On Sep 22, 2013, at 1:58 PM, erik burggraaf <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Hi, What size of display were you thinking? >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" >>> Google Group. >>> >>> Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. >>> >>> Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. >>> >>> Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing >>> [email protected]. >>> >>> Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing >>> [email protected]. >>> >>> More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting >>> http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "VIPhone" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google >> Group. >> >> Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. >> >> Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. >> >> Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing >> [email protected]. >> >> Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing >> [email protected]. >> >> More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting >> http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "VIPhone" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google > Group. > > Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. > > Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. > > Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing > [email protected]. > > Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing > [email protected]. > > More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting > http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VIPhone" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing [email protected]. Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
