Trecker Maestro for sale!

Category: Garage Sale

Post 1 by MDN1988 (the Zone BBS remains forever my home page) on Friday, 17-Dec-2010 17:12:30

Hi all,
A friend of mine is selling a brand-new, never used Trecker Maestro for $700.
It is a talking GPS which is also a PDA with a word processor, calendar, and other useful features. It comes with everything that originally came with it in the box.
If anyone is interested in purchasing it, just PM me or respond to this board and I will get you in contact with her to arrange the sale.

Thank you,

Misty

Post 2 by Eleni21 (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Saturday, 18-Dec-2010 13:19:17

How accurate is this gps? The price is a bit steep, but if it's really worth it, I'll definitely consider it. I'm looking around for a good gps in any case and this has extra functions as well.

Post 3 by wildebrew (We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?) on Saturday, 18-Dec-2010 13:37:09

These gadgets seem pretty decent, price should not e too far off what is fair, lot of these were listed on Ebay a while back with starting bid of $400 but buy-it-now price around $700 and I think they sold in that range.
Is Humanware continuing their Trekkert support? I heard some roumors they were not sure, but I saw they released Trekker Breeze firmware upgrades a few weeks ago, so it does not look like they are quitting them.
Again, the scary thing about relying on blind Tech in general.

Post 4 by synthesizer101 (I just keep on posting!) on Saturday, 18-Dec-2010 16:43:35

The trecker is a pda while the breeze is a simple gps system. I've heard it's not very good(the breeze). My trecker solo, which doesn't have the other programs (though the same trecker program you'd get with maestro), is very accurate. When I first got the device, I marked a couple good berry bushes on it. Now, whenever we want to pick raspberries from a bush that nobody owns, we can simply go to the right off our bikes when the trecer says "Berry bushes". That should tell you how accurate it is. It comes with great maps as well. However, the pda only has 128 megs of memory, expandable with only a sd card slot and a compactFlash card slot. I can't give insight into the other programs because I do not have them. Humanware has discontinued support, which lowers the value somewhat, but you can always come to me if you need a little help with the GPS.

Post 5 by Eleni21 (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Saturday, 18-Dec-2010 19:13:33

Neat. I save all my stuff on a compact flash card anyway, so the low memory wouldn't be an issue. Does the device actually tell you when to turn etc. or does it just make beeps etc? I think that's how the one for the BrailleNote works.

Post 6 by synthesizer101 (I just keep on posting!) on Sunday, 19-Dec-2010 14:05:31

Well, you would create a route for you're starting position and destination. Then, it would say something like "Four-way intersection. Main street crossing third avenue, turn right on Main street." That's the way it works. I forgot to say that it has an annoying way to type. You can either use the texting method, or you can use the keypad to enter braille one dot at a time. Or you could get a bluetooth keyboard.

Post 7 by Eleni21 (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Sunday, 19-Dec-2010 14:13:19

Okay. That's a huge! drawback. Thanks for the warning. That's really stupid, that it doesn't have a built-in keyboard.

Post 8 by sjtaylor (I can't call it a day til I enter the zone BBS) on Sunday, 19-Dec-2010 19:22:48

Hi Tiffanitsa, it does have a built in keyboard. As mentioned, the ways in which you can interact with it are either via braille or SMS entry.

The Trekker and Trekker Maestro will continued to be supported but are not for sale, as many of its features are now implemented into the hand-held Trekker Breeze.

Cheers
Sam

Post 9 by synthesizer101 (I just keep on posting!) on Sunday, 19-Dec-2010 20:53:45

I know some people who text at fifty words per minute, so that works for them. But braille must be done one dot at a time.

Post 10 by wildebrew (We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?) on Sunday, 19-Dec-2010 21:19:38

See, they have discontinued it already, which is very frustrating to, eg., the users who spent $2000 on it initially.
Nothing stupid about not using computer keyboard. If you want a truly portable and light device you need alternative inputs. If it has bluetooth you can have a rubber bluetooth keyboard folded up in your pocket and taking hardly any space
For short directions and instructions the sms technique is more than good enough.
There is no reason to make GP'S stuff on blend specific hardware for the blind any more, rather to take mainstream devices and make gps instructions more specific for the blind.
That´s a fact.

Post 11 by Eleni21 (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Sunday, 19-Dec-2010 23:48:28

I wonder if those rubber keyboards are actually keys, the kind that you can feel pressing down? Somehow, I doubt it. I despise the texting method of typing. I've tried it and it takes forever and gives me a headache.

Post 12 by wildebrew (We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?) on Sunday, 19-Dec-2010 23:58:16

Rubber keyboards are actual keys. I us a Menotek one for $25 (list price $80) that I got from Amazon on sale.
Just like a normal keyboard, except you can fold it up.
Works with my iPhone using Bluetooth 2.0.

Post 13 by Eleni21 (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Monday, 20-Dec-2010 0:15:37

Ah, that's good. I thought they were those buttons that don't have a solid bottom. You just push them and it's like they go into a hole. i know that's a terrible description but I don't know how else to say it. Some cheap stopwatchers and keychain watches have them.

Post 14 by synthesizer101 (I just keep on posting!) on Monday, 20-Dec-2010 15:18:09

I also despise that method. The brailling is fine for short things, but for long notes, that would be terrible.