From: William.Wilson@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (William Wilson)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Braille n speak complaint
Date: 28 Jul 92 17:06:07 GMT
Reply-To: William.Wilson@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89.0 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference

Index Number: 23407

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 TC> Good luck with your 640, whatever you decide to do with it. The
 TC> bns isn't the _only option out there, but I think it's a viable
 TC> one.

Tim,
    Your points about how the BNS, as well as other technological items
we don't always use to their full potential, were good ones indeed.  I
also see that Keith, and undoubtedly others, compare the BNS to notebook
computers, something I too did before becoming a Braille 'n Speak owner,
and frankly, I simply think this is not only not fair, it reflects a
lack of familiarity with the product!

     Most importantly, most of the Braille 'n Speak owners I know in
this city not only don't own computers, they don't even have a desire to
own a computer!  Perhaps this has more to do with mere perception of the
products than anything else, but most definitely, I know of several
people who, although completely comfortable using their BNS for
everything from keeping simple notes to communicating with bulletin
board systems via a modem, have no desire to get involved in the DOS
world to the extent that most of us are involved!  Yes, here in this
echo, we're most likely going to be talking to BNS owners who know the
best of both worlds, but out there in the real world, this isn't always
the case.
    Secondly, the price of the basic 640k Braille 'n Speak is $1299, not
the $1700 earlier stated, and although admittedly this does sound like a
substantial ammount when we hear of the steadily decreasing price of
notebook computers, for this $1299 you get everything you really need,
including speech, interface kit, carrying case, and a unit that is, even
by today's standards, much more portable than even a small notebook and
external synthesizer!  You also get a battery life of up to 20 hours in
most cases, something even the most efficient notebook can't even begin
to come close to!  As we've discussed here before, you have a device
that you can input to in grade 2 braille, send to either a braille
printer, a print printer, or even a DOS computer if one doesn't possess
that computer fear I spoke of earlier, and in most practicle terms, this
is what most people want to do with a device like a Braille 'n Speak,
nothing more and nothing less.

     What I'm saying is, yes, I too used to do the computer/BNS
comparison thing, but this was prior to owning a Braille 'n Speak.  Now
that I do have one though, I view it in totally different terms.  I know
I own one of the smaller laptop computers, but if I'm travelling to a
tutoring client's and they're not equipped with speech on their
computer, I take the Braille 'n Speak, and with speech box mode, no
problem.  If I'm going out of town for a few days and I need to have
access to the board, I take the Braille 'n Speak and a modem, and with
scarcely no addition to my luggage weight or volume, I have that
capability with my Braille 'n Speak, and in most cases without even
taking the battery charger.  If I'm going to some sort of a function
where I may need to take down some phone numbers or notes of some sort,
I just throw the little sucker over my shoulder, and even if I don't use
it once, the Braille 'n Speak is so unobtrusive, it presents no problem
what so ever!

     Maybe it's just one of those things only Braille 'n Speak owners
like you and I can fully appreciate Tim, I don't know, but most
definitely, there arn't too many dissatisfied BNS owners out there, are
there?
                                        Willie

... Even if you're not the lead dog, the view can be interesting!

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