# anyone else still use their perkins?

Category: Let's talk

## Post 1 by sparkie (the hilljack) on Monday, 02-Oct-2006 19:59:02

Does any zoner here besides me still use their perkins braillers? I do. It comes in handy when I want to braille something up really quick without the hassle of bring up duxburry, typing what I need to braille and embossing it. Some of my friends think I'm crazy for still using a perkins but like I said it's great and still comes in handy.
Troy

## Post 2 by frequency (the music man) on Monday, 02-Oct-2006 22:38:59

Yep. I use mine about once a year, if that. My xp key was brailled, as well as labels for various items. I have the DYMO paper stuff.

## Post 3 by DancingAfterDark (I just keep on posting!) on Monday, 02-Oct-2006 22:43:37

Oh wow...I can't remember the last time I used one. It's been at least a year, I know that much. I have two, but they're both broken.

## Post 4 by Dave_H (the boringest guy you'll ever know) on Monday, 02-Oct-2006 22:44:26

I used mine on Saturday, 30-september, as part of a blindness demo I helped with. We were part of the annual Fair on the Square in Watertown, Mass. I brailled names and quick notes for folks. In the year past, I've used it to braille a few decks of playing cards, Some labels for things, and, get this, some letters (ya know, the kind you send in the post). I have neither an embosser, nor the demand for one. The BNS is the most oft-used brailling device of mine.

## Post 5 by jamesk (This site is so "educational") on Monday, 02-Oct-2006 22:47:03

I also use mine for labeling things and brailling decks of cards, but use my pocket slate and stylus for short notes more often b/c I can easily carry it with me. I never leave home without it along with a book of index cards. Does anyone else use the slate and stylus?

## Post 6 by PorkInCider (Wind assisted.) on Monday, 02-Oct-2006 22:48:05

I also don't have an embosser, and my perkins is sitting on the floor at the end of my bed. I haven't used it for a while, but I do use it still, and believe I always will have a use for it.

## Post 7 by nikos (English words from a Greek thinking brain) on Monday, 02-Oct-2006 22:48:06

I didn't use one for long time. And when i use it i find the keys really hard because of getting used to typing on the computer. But i miss using them.

## Post 8 by Blue Velvet (I've got the platinum golden silver bronze poster award.) on Monday, 02-Oct-2006 22:51:32

I use mine to demonstrate Braille once in awhile. I also use it along with one of those Dymo label tracks to make labels. But that's about it. Still, I'm glad I have one.

## Post 9 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Tuesday, 03-Oct-2006 4:28:54

I absolutely use mine for hose quick notes. Its also fun to "draw" using braille dots. You can do this easier than using a slate and stylus. I absolutely use my slate and stylus as well. Its the cheapest, most portable alternative to the Perkins, and you can write on just about anything with it. I found out the night before I had to do a presentation at a conference. I was wining about not having anything to write on. (Well, not exactly wining.) anyway, one of the other presenters suggested using all those brochures in the hotel they give you. I have Duxbury and an embosser at work, but when we bought the computer for home, I opted to get Kurzweil rather than duxbury and an emboser. I live in a townhouse, also know as a rowhouse. I know my neighbors are way happy I didn't opt for the embosser.
Lou

## Post 10 by Resonant (Find me alive.) on Tuesday, 03-Oct-2006 5:37:09

Yes. I use mine constantly. I find myself in frequent need of hard copies, of reference notes, or vocab lists, or just things I want on paper, and I don't have access to an embosser, so the Perkins it is. I think that even with an embosser, I'd still prefer the perkins for some things, especially personal notes and lists that need adding to.

## Post 11 by HauntedReverie (doing the bad mango) on Tuesday, 03-Oct-2006 5:39:49

I still use mine, quite frequently actually. For algebra II, for synthettic division and other confusing processes, it comes in handy. I use it to write things quickly down that I wanna remember. hmmm, yep

## Post 12 by laced-unlaced (Account disabled) on Tuesday, 03-Oct-2006 5:56:38

well, i don't need to really, most of the time it just stays in the cupboard

## Post 13 by Twinklestar09 (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Tuesday, 03-Oct-2006 6:41:00

I don't use mine often, as I've been using my slate and stylus if I need to write short notes and things like that. But I want to start using it again; the only reason I'm not using it much is because the dot 1 key is messed up. Otherwise, I'd definitely be using it more than I do now. And also, I agree with the person mentioning drawing. I used to do that a lot and would likely want to do more pictures, as I love coloring them as well. *smile*

## Post 14 by bozmagic (The rottie's your best friend if you want him/her to be, lol.) on Tuesday, 03-Oct-2006 7:01:17

I only use my perkins now, for writing labels for food if for some reason I couldn't use my Dymo gun, for entering things in my braille address book and sometimes for writing Christmas and/or Birthday cards. The rest of the time I'm on my PC and my perkins lives across the room here, in its, carry bag.

## Post 15 by UnknownQuantity (Account disabled) on Tuesday, 03-Oct-2006 7:16:45

II still use mine every now and then, too! *grin*, they do come in handy, indeed.

## Post 16 by Dave_H (the boringest guy you'll ever know) on Tuesday, 03-Oct-2006 16:48:28

I never got very good at backward-writing (AKA Slate and Stylus). LOL. I'm glad to hear that the Perkins Brailler still gets use, even among those who live online. Now, does anyone use braillers other than the Perkins?

## Post 17 by DancingAfterDark (I just keep on posting!) on Tuesday, 03-Oct-2006 17:04:27

I have a slate and stylus, which is what I use for lists that need to be added to. I have a whole collection of notebooks where I've written myself notes of things to remember, lists, bits of poetry, and other such nonsense. I used to hate the slate and stylus so much that I refused to use it (I was a bratty kid, what can I say?), but now I love it. For the simple, short writings, that is.

## Post 18 by maddog (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Tuesday, 03-Oct-2006 18:03:43

I love using a slate and stylus. Back home, when I went to school, we didn't have braillers, so all I had was a slate and stylus, so I'm very very fast with it. However, I do use a brailler once in a while when I need hard copies, but for notecards, and stuff like that, I use a slate and stylus.

## Post 19 by sparkie (the hilljack) on Tuesday, 03-Oct-2006 19:53:38

I just got my perkins refirbished last year by a vaulenteer from our local organization. As far as the slate goes I hate that thing! Never could use one and never want to.
Troy

## Post 20 by Dave_H (the boringest guy you'll ever know) on Wednesday, 04-Oct-2006 0:16:02

I don't hate the slate & stylus, just never got enough practice. Time to buy one and a bit of heavy-weight braille paper, and get busy.

## Post 21 by bermuda-triangulese (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Wednesday, 04-Oct-2006 4:43:26

hell no I hate the bastards. il ask someone else to take my notes for me before I use one of those.

## Post 22 by jamesk (This site is so "educational") on Wednesday, 04-Oct-2006 13:20:14

try lighter weight paper in your slate when you begin, it allows you to write faster and not have to press as hard, its also cheaper. The dots won't stand up as long on it, but for notes and stuff it works fine.

## Post 23 by krisme (Ancient Zoner) on Wednesday, 18-Oct-2006 21:37:26

I use mine to Braille out birthday cards and stuff like that for my blind friends. It's currently sitting under my desk. (I have my foot on top of it actually) I also used a Perkins (a really old and crappy one that was always breaking down) at my volunteer job over the summer at a local children's museum. I wrote kids names out in Braille on it, they thought that was really cool.

## Post 24 by sandrita87 (Zone BBS Addict) on Thursday, 19-Oct-2006 20:11:59

I've gotten pretty good at using the slate and stylus. I think it's very helpful when writing short notes. But for greeting or birthday cards I use the perkins. I also use it a lot to do stuff like chemestry or algebra. It has also come in handy when I have done demos about Braille and kids want to see their names written in Braille.

## Post 25 by skittles_freak (the freak of skittles) on Thursday, 19-Oct-2006 21:39:19

meh, perkins braillers? no... I don't like them thjat much. I use it if I have to. I mainly take my notes on the computer.

## Post 26 by Phoenix (I'll do my homework...later.) on Friday, 20-Oct-2006 17:40:19

I use my brailler for math, mostly, and Spanish...and for demonstrations for my class. Often, my friends and piers like to see me write something in braille. For most other stuff though, I use my MPower or the computer.

## Post 27 by sandrita87 (Zone BBS Addict) on Friday, 20-Oct-2006 18:40:37

I wish I had an MPower! :)

## Post 28 by dissonance (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Saturday, 21-Oct-2006 2:34:56

Lol I totally still use it like all the time...at least once a week...because a lot of time when I'm doing homework or whatever I know I won't get to school in time to print it before class starts or whatever, in which case I just produce a hard copy because it works fine. also, my braille note-taker didn't work awhile ago and I had to send it in, so I carried the perkins around my high school which wasn't bad.

## Post 29 by Ashes2ashez (holding on to my halo) on Saturday, 21-Oct-2006 4:28:56

like you guys have said already, i use mine for playing/tarrot cards, labels very rarely letters and also birthday and christmas cards two. that's about it, oh yeah, if i had to write french or do maths i'd use it then as well. by the way...what's Duxbury when its at home?