# pac mate vs braillenote

Category: accessible Devices

## Post 1 by robbiec12345 (Good night and Farewell ) on Thursday, 04-Dec-2008 13:14:08

i have a braillenote but i have been looking at the pac mate. i've read mixed reviews on the internet, so can people tell me if the pac mate is any good? what are the advantages of the pac mate over the braillenote? thanks.

## Post 2 by JH_Radio (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Monday, 08-Dec-2008 13:58:09

The main advantage is t with the BrailleNote you have to wait for humanware to develop software that is compatibal with the unit. Ware as with the PAC Mate, you can download any software made for Pockit PC. To me, both do the same thing, in different ways. the PAC Mate is also better for those that may be familyear with the way JAWS is run. Having familyeararity with JAWS helps greatly in the learning curve on the PAC Mate IMO. The BrailleNote works better for those that like a simpler approach that may not be familyear with JAWS.
The BrailleNote has some nice text-bassed adventure games that come with the unit, that the PAC Mate doesn't have, though maybe you can download pockit PC versions of games for the PacMate?
The Braillenote also has an FM Stereo tuner built-in, ware as the Pac Mate doesn't. Saying all that, I still like the advantage of being able to download any software I'd like without waiting for Humanware to develop it. I've used both units. Both units can use ellaquince software, but the Braillenote also comes with Keynote Gold (I believe that is the name of the other speechsynth that comes with the unit.) The Pac Mate doesn't have keynote gold.
The Braillenote can come with a 18 or 32 sell display, the PAC mate is either 20 or 40 cells.
Hope this helps.
John

## Post 3 by Siriusly Severus (The ESTJ 1w9 3w4 6w7 The Taskmaste) on Saturday, 10-Jan-2009 14:00:07

I generally like the brailleNote better as it’s easier to handle, guess I like feeling Braille and typing with a BrailleKeyboard, but I find it easier to handle and navigate. I’ve used the packmate for a little while and dislike it.
I could be totally wrong, but if you want I can actually ask someone who would know.

## Post 4 by HauntedReverie (doing the bad mango) on Saturday, 10-Jan-2009 15:39:25

I miss the packmate. I used it in highschool, and am on the braillenote now.
I'm use to windows, I like windows, not some ghetto opperating system like on the bn.
I miss a normal keyboard like the pm.
On the braillenote, to get online it seems like you have to configure everything. It's so much work.
I'm asking for a packmate trade off next year!

## Post 5 by Feathered Serpent (I can't call it a day til I enter the zone BBS) on Monday, 02-Feb-2009 15:31:23

you can find software for the pacmate at
http://www.braillesoft.net/
hope this helps

## Post 6 by Reyami (I've broken five thousand! any more awards going?) on Tuesday, 03-Feb-2009 6:14:47

in my opinion, this laptop kicks the crap out of any of those, but for the topic in question, i used a Braille Note for a while, (both the qwerty keyboard, and the braille-style keyboard), and I liked the qwerty keyboard best. the PAC mate gave me the most problems by freezing up,and in general, it just drove me up the wall. I'd say go with the Braille Note if you're looking for something that has a refreshable Braille display built right in. None of this attaching and detachhing nonsense.

## Post 7 by changedheart421 (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Friday, 06-Feb-2009 8:07:05

I used a pacmate but all of a sudden I am using my phone for everything. So am dominating my pacmate to DBS.

## Post 8 by Leafs Fan (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Friday, 06-Feb-2009 10:04:59

I have very limited experience with a BrailleNote, but for me the proprietary software system is a setback. I use a PAC Mate daily. As others have said, if you are already familiar with Windows and JAWS, there is very little learning curve with the PAC Mate. With release 6.2, which just came out, FS seems to finally have solved the stability problem -- the PAC Mate no longer freezes regularly, at least mine does not. This was long overdue, but now that it seems to be done, I would not hesitate to recommend the PAC Mate Omni.

## Post 9 by cumbiambera2005 (i just keep on posting!) on Friday, 06-Feb-2009 11:12:42

Well i personally like my BrailleNote. I guess like Rachel said, I prefer a much simpler approach, and if I want to get online, I use my laptop.

## Post 10 by Austin (the magic fan!) on Saturday, 07-Feb-2009 0:34:42

ha. i got a better idea. why not just buy an asus eeepc? way less expensive and it is a small laptop with good battery life. i have an asus eeepc 1000h and love it. as for braille note and pacmate, i'd pretty much echo what everyone else said. if your used to windows and jfw then the pacmate is the way to go. me personally, i enjoy the braillenote if i had to use a note taker again. hope it helps.

## Post 11 by sadisticsavior (Account disabled) on Wednesday, 01-Apr-2009 1:55:11

I have the pacmate and out of all the notetakers ive seen, the pacmate rules everything else. I used a braille'n speak, braille note, and the elba that never really got popular in the U.S. Out of all of those, the pacmate is the most flexible and mainstream.

## Post 12 by FutherMuckingPrincess (Generic Zoner) on Thursday, 09-Apr-2009 12:17:51

When I was with a friend, she showed me her braille sense. I would recomend that over the pac mate because its programs are laid out to be like those on windows. For example, its database manager is like access, and the open and save as dialog boxes in programs like wordprocessor and media player are like those in windows. I don't have a braille sense, but I do have a brailleNote and like it.

## Post 13 by wildebrew (We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?) on Thursday, 09-Apr-2009 17:13:59

I echo the netbook comment, use that with a Blue Tooth braille display like the Brailliant so no attaching or detaching needed, I think the accessibility companies should concentrate on making good accessibility solutions, not write calendar software and an operating system, there's an endless amount of those on the market with more updates, more users and better developed. Adapt them as needed and provide good hardware. You can get a quality netbook for under $400, granted you still need something like System Access ($150 for a netbook) and then there is the braille display issue, but this solution seems so much easier, you get hundreds of gb of storatge, Windows XP, whatever apps you want and in a packet that is not much bigger than those propriatory expensive PDAs FS, Humanware etc are turning out.

## Post 14 by Siriusly Severus (The ESTJ 1w9 3w4 6w7 The Taskmaste) on Sunday, 11-Oct-2009 11:53:38

Yeah, I just jump on the Desktop with Jaws for the internet and If I want to use the qwerty. Well, It's hard not to, since I have one in my room. *sigh* very distracting.

## Post 15 by CrystalSapphire (Uzuri uongo ndani) on Thursday, 15-Oct-2009 11:03:40

i used a pacmate for a while as a back up when i didn't have a laptop. i think there both good for back up, but i don't want to use either everyday

## Post 16 by The SHU interpreter (I just keep on posting!) on Saturday, 03-Apr-2010 21:02:15

jsears 1986, i want the packmate cause i can trade it with my braille lite.

## Post 17 by SexySquirrel (I can't call it a day til I enter the zone BBS) on Sunday, 04-Apr-2010 2:22:14

I am a proud owner of a Pac Mate and really love it!

## Post 18 by SexySquirrel (I can't call it a day til I enter the zone BBS) on Sunday, 04-Apr-2010 2:25:57

A few years ago I got to see and use the Braillenote. I have nothing aginsed the Braillenote, but the Pac Mate is the best as far as I am concerned.

## Post 19 by starfly (99956) on Friday, 09-Apr-2010 19:03:52

I go with a netbook, but if you ensist on a note taker pack mate. Kinda biest on this cause I have a ppcket pc phone the touch pro2 and I have a netbook.

## Post 20 by mlcyclone (hunger games tribute from district 12) on Saturday, 08-May-2010 18:57:49

I use a braillenote.
I think that the pac mte kicks that device in the ass.
No offense.
The pac mate can do more than a braillenote can.

## Post 21 by Reyami (I've broken five thousand! any more awards going?) on Saturday, 08-May-2010 20:52:16

I use neither device. I have a Pac Mate sitting here in its case, but it needs to be repaired. FS wants $325 just to get everything upgraded and all that shit. Grrrrr, to hell with it. love my laptop.

## Post 22 by starfly (99956) on Sunday, 09-May-2010 18:50:49

agreed with the laptop, heck if you have to just get a netbook does more than both devices.

## Post 23 by The SHU interpreter (I just keep on posting!) on Tuesday, 24-Aug-2010 0:39:35

damn i don't what to do with the braille light melennium, it's so old and everyone keeps saying i need to update to a new notaker, but grrrrrr, my counselor refuses to do anything and even sends my scholarship money late and stuff. ug. anyway i should consider a braille display for my mac

## Post 24 by kieranlittle667 (Account disabled) on Tuesday, 24-Aug-2010 4:59:21

I had a faze where i really, really, really, really, wanted a pac mate but then i thought to myself, why. why, do i want a pac mate, when it has no built in bluetooth, no wi fi, and too compact flsh card slots which are old. It also has a built-in modem, and a infra-red window.
The new, braillenote apex, having it's bugs, has sd hc support, wi fi, bluetooth 2.1 and 8 gb of in built storage.

## Post 25 by Leafs Fan (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Tuesday, 24-Aug-2010 8:24:44

Yes, I would agree. At this stage of the game, the PAC Mate is at the bottom of the pile, for the reasons you suggest.

## Post 26 by starfly (99956) on Tuesday, 24-Aug-2010 8:32:20

Hmm I will echo the netbook comment again and again, my asus with its 1.6 adam processer that can bee clocked to 1.66 with the super hybrid engen. don't for get it runs windows xp home. it can run any screenreader I so desire to put on it. So I do not even know why a person would even consider a over price machine.

## Post 27 by rat (star trek rules!) on Tuesday, 24-Aug-2010 11:05:15

some of us like the idea of having a braille display right at our fingertips with out having to be concerned that the battery will die, that the netbook's battery will die that's there's enough room for both devices and in my case at least, the inability to just scoop it up and use it while walking.

## Post 28 by kieranlittle667 (Account disabled) on Thursday, 26-Aug-2010 6:35:27

rat, i agree with you their. Some people like the braille, plus a note takers battery lasts alot longer than a netbook.

## Post 29 by starfly (99956) on Thursday, 26-Aug-2010 8:42:12

that depends on if you have a extended battery for the netbook. ya the packmate does have a braille screen I iwll give you that, but all I do for using it on the fly is just close the lid and come back and open it log-on and off I go.