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Top Five Questions and Answers about BrailleNote,/head>

Top Frequently Asked Questions

Whenever a person hears about a new gadget, he or she might be wondering, "What is this new gadget and how do I use it?" For example, suppose that a person heard about a new digital TV. He might ask, "how does it work and what is beneficial about it?" BrailleNote is not an exception. Whenever we hear about BrailleNote, or if a sighted person or a classmate asks, "what is this device," it is preferable to explain what a BrailleNote is. But how could a user explain something new if he or she is not informed about it?

The aim of this page is to give answers to questions that were commonly asked by novice users, as well as people who are just getting started with BrailleNote. Topics include what is KeySoft, technical specifications, and notes on braille displays and others.

Story from a site developer

Personal experience from Joseph, one of the BN Users site developers:
In 2003, I visited the California School for the Blind to attend a technology workshop. There I was introduced to BrailleNote. Since then, I asked myself, "what exactly is brailleNote and how does it work?" I researched about BrailleNote and found that it is produced by HumanWare and there are different models of BrailleNote with different keyboards and braille displays.

By the time I received my BrailleNote in March 2004, I knew some things about BrailleNote, such as keyboard types, different display lengths and so forth. Even though I received my own BrailleNote (back then, it was a Classic), I continued to seek information on its operations and shortcuts. By this time, my questions were not limited to what BrailleNote was - more technical and more indepth such as "What exactly is Windows CE?" and "How can I type effectively using computer braille?"

Ever since I joined the BrailleNote List in 2005, I became more aware of the fact that many people, including so-called "experts" were new users at one time and have asked same questions that I asked couple years earlier. I learned many things and shared my own experiences and "secrets" until now. In fact, this website (BrailleNote Users) is a fruit and testament of my searches and experiences both as a newbie and a skilled user (I usually don't credit myself as expert).

But enough about my own experiences as a new user. I'm sure that some people who are browsing this site are new users, and the list of questions and answers below were written specifically for you - the new and potential users of BrailleNote - who, one day, will be able to help another potential new user of brailleNote family of products.
Joseph S. Lee, BrailleNote users Site Admin

 

The Five Most Commonly Asked Questions

 

1. What is KeySoft?

 

KeySoft is a collection of programs that runs on the BrailleNote. You can think of it as a Windows-like environment where you have programs such as word processor, Internet browser and so forth.

 

2. What are the technical specifications of the BrailleNote?

 

Here are the technical specifications of the BrailleNote family - Classic, PK, mPower and Apex.

BrailleNote Classic:

 

BrailleNote PK (the smaller cousin; rebranding of Baum Pronto)

 

BrailleNote mPower

 

BrailleNote Apex

 

Note: VoiceNote Classic/mPower/Apex, the speech only unit, has all the features listed above (according to product type) except braille display.

 

3. How do I navigate a menu or list?

 

To navigate through a menu or list, such as the Main Menu, a drive list, and so on:

 

 

4. How do I read a file using the braille display?

 

If you have a BrailleNote with the braille display (PK included), you would have noticed a collection of four keys on the front of the machine. These are called 'thumb keys' because you use your thumb to activate these keys. On the PK, the equivalent keys are located on the top of the unit. These are called Navigation keys and there are three to the left and three to the right of the display.

From left to right, the thumb-keys are called:

 

On the PK:

 

Thus, to read forward through a file, use Advance key. To red it backward, press Back key.

 

Note: Continuous Reading Mode is a method where the braille display will display the document without having to scroll it using keys.

 

5. What wireless cards does the BrailleNote support?

 

Since KeySoft 6.0, BrailleNote supports WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), the ability for a device to connect to wireless network and surf the web without wires. Since BrailleNote does not have an internal WiFi card, the user needs to buy a separate CompactFlash wireless card. The exception is the Apex, which has a wifi adapter already built in and so does not require a separate adapter.

Here's a list of confirmed tested wireless cards by users of BrailleNote:

 

Some potential cards include cards with Windows Mobile 2003 drivers - that is, any card that works with Pocket PC's (a small portable computer smaller than laptops) running Windows Mobile 2003. Some of them are:

 

We hope this gives you a glimpse of what BrailleNote is and answers some questions you might have. If you have other questions, contact HumanWare Customer Service or Tech Support for more information.

 

Special Notes

 

Information on this page, especially specifications, may change without notice. As always, we're not connected to HumanWare and all products mentioned are copyrighted by owners of these products.

We would like to thank HumanWare staff in answering our own, as well as others' questions. Also, we'd like to thank BrailleNote programmers such as Alex Bec for giving us valuable information regarding specifications and useful info.

 

Advice for New Users

 

For new or existing users: many people say that searching for more information helps people learn something new. Our advice for users who are willing to learn more information about any product, including BrailleNote, is that they search for more information and new things. Also, ask someone who knows more about a product - we're sure the experts will give you answers you need. Another side note: share your knowledge with other users so that new users can benefit from your information.

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