Unpopularity of Linux notetakers

Steve Holmes steve at holmesgrown.com
Sun May 4 09:43:22 EDT 2003


Another point: The economic differences between dial-up and most high
speed internet connections doesn't even come close to the differences
between speech and Braille access solutions.  Do keep in mind that
once gainfully employed, you're basically on your own to acquire such
technology; when it came up for a choice between resurfacing a
swimming pool for $4,000 and paying probably over $6,000 for a Braille
device, guess who won out:).

On Sat, May 03, 2003 at 05:03:12PM -0500, Luke Davis wrote:
> With all due respect:
> 
> Your analogy is flawed (about DSL vs. Dialup).  Braille is not an option.
> It is something you have to learn--it is a language.  Therefore, if you
> did not learn it as a child, became blind later in life, or for what ever
> other reason did not become proficient with it, you probably never will.
> As such, using a braille display, would be the biggest impediment to
> programming, editing configuration files, or general computer use, that
> someone such as me has ever faced.
> Yes, I use them when they are the only available access device.  However,
> I think I would rather not program, than be required to do so with a
> braille device.
> 
> Saying "braille is better for activity X", is not the same as saying "high
> bandwidth is the best for internet access".  It is more similar to saying
> "Windows is better for computer control"--it simply isn't true.  It may be
> correct for some, but just as incorrect for an equal number of others.
> 
> Options are the key, and there is no one "better method", that if someone
> "just gets used to, they will find it better".
> 
> Luke




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