Feature Writer John Christie – Two HIMS Devices That Cover All The Bases
HIMS is a fantastic company that produces some very useful devices for the visually impaired community. They have recently released a new device called the Braille Edge 40, which utilizes the most up-to-date technology. But how does this new device stack up to products they already offer, like the Braille Sense Plus? Read on to find out.
To start, the Braille Edge 40 is a notetaker that requires a computer in order to work. With the Braille Edge 40, you can read books and documents in many different formats using the attached notepad. In addition, it has a scheduler to remind the user of important dates, as well as a calculator, stopwatch, and an alarm–similar to other notetakers on the market. It can also function in a few languages, including English, French, German, and Italian.
Battery life is decent, at 20 hours, and it can be recharged with the included USB cord. The Edge 40 also has slots for an SD card, so you can save everything locally as well as on your computer. The display will work with Jaws, Window Eyes, Supernova, NVDA, Voiceover, Mobile Speak, and Talks.
The Braille Sense Plus, an established HIMS device, is another notetaker and comes with a 32 cell braille display. It also has a braille Perkins-style keyboard. This easy-to-carry device features a schedule manager, word processor, web browser, and media player. In addition, the Braille Sense Plus also has a file manager, similar to the Windows file manager, which makes it familiar to Windows users. Another feature of the Braille Sense Plus is that it supports a variety of file formats. They include HBL, the default format for the Braille Sense Plus, doc files, docx (the newer file format for Word documents), RTF, TXT, BRL, and BRF files. In addition, you can send and receive emails on the device as well as read HTML format. You can also play media in a variety of formats. As far as the Internet is concerned, with the Braille Sense Plus you can surf the web very easily with the included Wifi.
The Braille Edge 40 is a great device that allows the user the freedom of portability while still maintaining the functionality and independence offered with a Braille notetaker. However, The Edge 40 requires a computer to realize its full potential. While some users may already have a computer with a screen reader installed, if they’re starting from scratch, it represents a lot of added cost. Another drawback to the Edge is that it only operates in a few languages. HIMS will probably fix this with future updates. But it does limit the number of people who can currently use this device right out of the box.
The Braille Sense Plus, on the other hand, is highly portable and can operate independently, without the need to be hooked up to a computer in order to browse the internet or check email.
However, one drawbacks of the Braille Sense Plus is that when you go on the internet using Wifi, you use up the battery faster, so it needs to be charged more often. In addition, where these notetakers don’t have as much storage space as a regular computer, you have to be more selective when deciding which items will be stored locally.
Both products are great offerings that will cater to different users based on their needs. If you already have a computer and want a reliable Braille display as well as a notetaker, the Braille Edge 40 is a great choice. If you want a notetaker that is a little more portable and can operate independent of a computer, their tried and tested Braille Sense Plus seems like the product for you.
Both of these products can be purchased directly from HIMS. The cost of the Braille Edge 40 is $3,000, while the cost of the Braille Sense Plus is $4,895. For more information you can contact HIMS, Inc. at 1-888-520-4467 or email them at sales@hims-inc.com.
Source: www.hims-inc.com