Recommendations for a braille note taker

By Dominic, 19 September, 2023

Forum
Assistive Technology

Hey everyone
I could begin the braille note taker for her misadventure
But I want to know, in general, which is the best braille note taker
I’m not a fan of the hymns braille sense six because of a keyboard, I’m more into the older, Polaris style keyboard
I also played with the braille note touch plus by Hugh on the way but I was in the front of the touchscreen and overall navigation just was a pane, Note I need a braille note taking that speaks

Options

Comments

By Holger Fiallo on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

Jonathan Mosen did a podcast on it. Go to mosen at large or livingblindful to find it.

By Dominic on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

That device I don’t think has speech and as I said I need that device to have speech. Also, is it true that the

Brailyient b20
Doesnt have Internet capabilities

By Holger Fiallo on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

Find out. Never use the Braille display so do not know. I think it does. If you check the podcast you will know for sure unless someone here has the answer.

By Dominic on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

Not a fan. It uses android 8.1.0 which is older than what the braille sense uses android 10, talking about the braille. Cents will be updated and your 12 soon 12.
But I want something that’s small, that has the same raised case as the Polaris, and has good battery life. I also need to have USB and USB see port and a headphone jack.

By Siobhan on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

Dominic, read the specifications to see if it can be updated past 8.1 You do also know they will be pretty expensive. Glad I don't use those anymore. Just waiting on my free Braille reader to read NLS library books here in America.

By Dominic on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

The braille note touch plus came and it hasn’t been updated since

By Holger Fiallo on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

I think so.

By Shersey on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

I'm not exactly sure when it's going to be released, but I believe Orbit Research has said sometime in the first quarter of 2024--so if you can wait a little while--perhaps the Orbit Speak would work for you? It doesn't have Braille output, though, so if that's important, I would look at something like the Brailliant BI 20X that has Braille and speech output. I believe the Chameleon has both Braille and speech output, as well.

Thanks,
Shersey

By gailisaiah on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

I have the BrailleNote Touch at work and have recently purchased the Brailliant bi-20. As you have said, the BrailleNote has full speech and uses Android. The Brailliant is smaller, more portible, and has limited speech.

The Orbit is a notetaker I considered but since I'm used to the Keysoft operating system, I chose the Brailliant. You can check out the Orbit on A.T. Guys' web site. And you can always give them a call with any questions.

By Travis Roth on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

The Mantis does not have audio of any kind. It does have a QWERTY keyboard.
The Brailliant line does have speech output. The OS is limited in what it can do: some basic notetaking, some limited internet connectivity to certain online resources e.g., BookShare. For everything else they're best to be used as a terminal to another machine that being iOS, Mac, Windows...
The new device Orbit Research is making, the Optima, may be the best of all worlds, but time will tell. If you need it soonest, the Optima isn't the one, it is projected for availability of next year and I would suggest giving it another year beyond that.

By Holger Fiallo on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

OK. As I stated never use them but heard that they are nice.

By Dominic on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

Thank you all for your feedback

Remember tho I’m in Australia

By Dominic on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

I go through NDIS I don’t really have much funding. What makes it worse is that I can’t get a braille device until my whole NDIS package gets updated again, as mum had ownership of the NDIS and because she’s died, everything is going to have to be handed over. Not to mention they’re going to have to do an entirely new plan now because I’ve just been diagnosed with ASD a few days ago. And for the people who can’t translate that, that’s basically autism. They know I have it, but we’re still trying to figure out what part of the spectrum I’m on. But again, I’m leaning towards a small braille display with speech capabilities.. And would you look at that? I got that whole thing right using dictation. I love dictation when it works.

By Holy Diver on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

I'm serious, here me out. What can you do with a notetaker that you couldn't with a Braille display paired to a phone or laptop, especially a Braille display with some basic notetaking functions like most have now? I can see some things being more efficient witha notetaker and I do miss mine at times, but I find it's just because a few tasks would be faster with one or it would be really nice to have something to just jot a quick note down, which again I can do with my braille display it's just a tiny bit slower. All this being said I love the concept of a good BRaille computer, with solid translation built in for things like Math, so if I ever have the luxury of getting one again I'd go for the bs6 mini. Portability matters most for how I'd want to use a notetaker and that's the most portable one.

By Dominic on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

There are several advantages of using notetakers over displays. Some of them, maybe, and the web browser, more light weight than a display, more ports, etc. And the fact I would need to bring with me a laptop or a phone just use a normal displays absolutely outrageous when I can just put my thoughts, opinions and documents on the note, takers internal storage on SD card reader.

By Holy Diver on Monday, October 9, 2023 - 06:42

My QBraille is lighter than a BN touch plus (with 8 more cells too) has on board notetaking and can save to an SD card in either braille or text. Remind me again what advantages you were talking about there?