# Braille Displays

Category: accessible Devices

## Post 1 by vh (This site is so "educational") on Tuesday, 17-Nov-2015 22:50:08

I have a friend who is in need of a new Braille display window and she wants some hands on before she pays out a few thousand bucks but she's having a hard time finding access.
Besides the NFB convention and AT Expos, does anyone have a suggestion on how she might accomplish this?
Thanks.
She has tried directly contacting companies that make/sell them but has had little success in them returning calls/emails.

## Post 2 by Liquid tension experiment (move over school!) on Wednesday, 18-Nov-2015 9:35:17

what is she looking for. I am selling one for dirt cheep if she is interested.

## Post 3 by BigDogDaddy (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Wednesday, 18-Nov-2015 12:18:47

Depends where she is located. There are often assistive technology lending libraries in many areas that will allow you to check out a product. Though often these are not the latest and greatest devices. If she is interested in a HW or FS display see if there is a local sales rep in her area that would demo a display for her.

## Post 4 by KC8PNL (The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.) on Wednesday, 18-Nov-2015 20:23:32

HIMS and Baum also has regional sales reps, I think most places do, so maybe check in with them. Depends on where your friend is located and what she's looking to run the display on. Certainly, reading online reviews isn't a bad idea, but hands-on is what really helps a person choose. Sorry, providing vague amounts of info will lead to rather vague answers.

## Post 5 by maddog (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Thursday, 19-Nov-2015 18:46:27

There are a lot of questions yourfriend has to answer, I imagine. I will provide some of these questions below:
1. Is she looking for a small/portible braille display she can use with her phone, or is she looking for a larger braille display to use with phone and computer? The larger ones are more expensive, obviously no matter where you go and slightly more annoying to carry around if she plans to use one with her phone. That being said, even the smaller one can be used with a computer, but I find it slightly more annoying.
2. Does she want to have multiple devices connected at one time?
Like I said, these are just some of the questions that your friend would have to answer so that more information can be given to her about the display. As previously suggested, a hands-on demonstration is still the best thing for her, even after reading online reviews.

## Post 6 by vh (This site is so "educational") on Friday, 20-Nov-2015 23:17:52

1. She wants a large one to stay permanently connected to her home computer.
2. Multiple devices, computer and printer and others.
It seems the regional reps and companies aren't responding to her which is not the response she's had in the past. She's contacted a local AT lab and blind/VI agencies and anything like in her general area. Lending libraries are great but again, their stuff is not up to date. She'll figure it out, was just hoping to get ideas.

## Post 7 by KC8PNL (The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.) on Saturday, 21-Nov-2015 18:51:56

Ok, that is a good start.... However, to help, it would be best if we had a bit more info.
1. Is this computer running JAWS?
2. Does she only want to use the display when connected to her computer,? IN other words, does she want to have external aplications she can use like taking notes and so forth?
3. How important is the keyboard on the display to her?
It's not that I do not want to be helpful, it's just that I need more info to actually give any advice on what may work best.

## Post 8 by vh (This site is so "educational") on Sunday, 22-Nov-2015 19:31:57

I've never known her to use her Braille display when not connected to the computer and yes she is using JAWS.

## Post 9 by VioletBlue (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Monday, 23-Nov-2015 4:48:49

Is that because she hasn't had access to a modern braille display, that can be detached and used as a notetaker? If this was a possibility, would she want that?
...who wouldn't, I wonder. *smile* Needs may change with time, and portable notetaking capability is always a useful option. Think about what the next few years may hold. If this much money will be spent on a device, it should serve you for a long time.

## Post 10 by KC8PNL (The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.) on Monday, 23-Nov-2015 16:25:51

Well, that narrows it down a bit. I think this is one of the few times I'd recommend a Focus 40 Blue. However, I wouldn't do that if she has any ideas of taking that thing anywhere. It's more brittol than my grandma's hips. BUt it works well with JAWS, since it's made by the same company. However, that answer may still depend on your answer to violet blue's question.

## Post 11 by JH_Radio (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Monday, 23-Nov-2015 16:44:07

hold up. you can disconnect from a computer and take notes with these things now? how is that stored. is it on a USB drive or what? I've not seen anything as far as displays since 2004 (when I got my focus 80) which I still have and works well.
Has there been any changes since then?

## Post 12 by vh (This site is so "educational") on Monday, 23-Nov-2015 19:31:45

This is news to me as well, JH and she hasn't mentioned note-taking. She has a BrailleNote and loves it so note taking isn't a necessary function for a display.

## Post 13 by KC8PNL (The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.) on Monday, 23-Nov-2015 20:16:31

JH: remember the braille lite? It's like that, only way more advanced.
The Braille Note does a lot of different stuff than just to act as a braille display, but if you want something with the feature set of the braille note, you will pay dearly for it. And while the Apex is better than the mPower, it's way behind the times of the Braille Sense.

## Post 14 by VioletBlue (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Tuesday, 24-Nov-2015 6:57:05

Braille Edge by HIMS. 40 cells. Can be connected by USB cable or bluetooth wirelessly, to your computer or cell phone to use as display, and braille input, but is also a stand-alone notetaker that can be detached and taken away. files are stored on Braille Edge's SD card. Braille only, no speech.
Last I checked, I think its price is around $3000.

## Post 15 by WillieTheWoof (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Tuesday, 24-Nov-2015 9:11:08

I'd agree. The Braille edge will provide the best of everything so that she has choices. I would not recommend the current focus. it's fradgal and every time I use the thing the pins sound like they are about to stop working,it's the noisest thing I've ever seen. I loved the focus blue older addition. It was quiet and well made. We recommend the edge quite a bit and people are happy with it. It's well built and reasonably priced for what you get.

## Post 16 by Liquid tension experiment (move over school!) on Tuesday, 24-Nov-2015 9:47:01

the display I am selling is actually a focus 40 blue

## Post 17 by Reyami (I've broken five thousand! any more awards going?) on Tuesday, 24-Nov-2015 18:28:10

absolutely love my Braille edge after about a week of owning one. so much better than the door-stop of a display I used to use. You remember the ones that came with the crapmate from Freedom Science Fiction? lol

## Post 18 by JH_Radio (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Tuesday, 24-Nov-2015 23:05:10

I dunno, I never had anything go bad on my focus in 10 years.

## Post 19 by KC8PNL (The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.) on Wednesday, 25-Nov-2015 23:24:38

I had some problems under Windows with the Edge, both with NVDA and JAWS. But once it's set up, though the Edge takes some inicial fiddling, I do agree it could be a better display if she wants notetakin capabilities. But if a display, and only a display is what she's after, the Focus will save a couple of hundred bucks, and should be fine if it's in the same place all the time. I, personally, prefer the Edge, but that was why I was making the suggestion of the Focus.

## Post 20 by vh (This site is so "educational") on Thursday, 26-Nov-2015 0:47:32

Thanks, all, for the input.

## Post 21 by DevilishAnthony (Just go on and agree with me. You know you want to.) on Thursday, 26-Nov-2015 7:46:50

I absolutely love my Focus 40 Blue, but I'm not after an independent notetaker, and I
don't do much traveling, so it works very well for me.

## Post 22 by VioletBlue (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Friday, 27-Nov-2015 3:08:42

I don't do a lot of out of town traveling, but I love being able to read in a coffee shop, or while waiting for a bus, and such.