This piece is designed to present an overview of the Pac Mate Pocket PC from Freedom Scientific. It does not, in any way, replace user documentation or tutorials that have been specifically written for the device. But it does, however, wet the appetite for what is clearly a feature rich unit.
The Pac Mate is not the first device for visually impaired people that uses Windows CE as its operating system. But it is currently the only device to allow individuals with sight loss to use off-the-shelf applications on a note-taker in conjunction with Braille input and speech output. So what is Pac Mate, and is it worth the hype?
Inside the package is a Pac Mate; carry case and strap; mains charger; USB cable; headphones; cassette tutorial; CD containing full documentation; a CD housing several Pocket PC programs that can be used in conjunction with Pac Mate; a print manual; and Braille Quick Reference card. If you wish to be connected to the Internet, and send or receive E-Mail, you need to choose an optional flash ethernet card or flash modem for your device. Freedom Scientific decided to make these accessories separate purchases to allow users the flexibility of choosing their preferred connection method in today’s rapidly changing technological environment. It has also been reported that people are using their Pac Mate with wireless access cards to send and receive E-Mail or surf the Internet while on the move.
At each end of the Braille keys are some extra buttons. There are two of these on the left side of Pac Mate, and two on the right. The top left button is the “cancel” or “close” key. The button below this is the “menu bar”. On the right-hand side of Pac Mate are the other two keys. The top one is the “start menu”, and the one below is the “recent applications” key. When you become familiar with your Pac Mate BNS, you will quickly realise just how important these extra keys are in allowing you to navigate the many features of this little beauty.
There are slots and sockets on either side of Pac Mate BNS and TNS. These are used for connecting it to the computer via the USB cable supplied, or for inserting flash cards on which data may be stored in addition to the unit's onboard memory.
Another unique feature of Pac Mate is its user-replaceable battery that is housed at the back of either model. The battery itself forms part of Pac Mate’s case, and slides in and out of the unit without the need to send it back to a dealer to be replaced. This also means that a busy user on the move may take a spare charged battery with them for their Pac Mate, and insert this when their original is running low. Although additional batteries for Pac Mate are expensive, the facility to change them yourself gives independence and flexibility to those who are often away from home and cannot readily access an electricity supply to recharge their device.
Pac Mate comes with several programs and utilities that you will find familiar if you already use, and are accustomed to, the Windows environment on a desktop PC. It is possible to exchange contacts, appointments, Internet addresses, files or folders between Pac Mate and your computer, or simply use Pac Mate to compose all your work for later transfer to a regular PC. Those who are familiar with Microsoft software such as Word; Outlook; Internet Explorer; and Windows Media Player; will have no difficulty in getting to know the Pocket equivalents on Pac Mate. This really is like carrying your computer around in miniature size, such is Pac Mate’s versatility, flexibility and ease of use.
For me, the most exciting feature of Pac Mate has to be the ability to use the AvantGo service. AvantGo is designed for mobile phones and handheld or Pocket devices. If you have a computer and visit their website, it is easy to set up an account which does not cost the user anything. By entering some personal details in the relevant boxes of the form provided online, you can choose a number of channels that you wish your Pac Mate to receive. Examples include news, sports, business and finance, health, entertainment, holidays, travel, and lots lots more. It is designed for people who want updated information on their mobile device while they are on the move. I was able to sign up for an account by providing AvantGo with some personal information, and chose to receive news from Reuters, the BBC, the Guardian, and Pocket Doctor. After that, each time I synchronised Pac Mate with my desktop computer, the information was sent to the device for me to read as and when I chose. It is possible to update this process as often as you have the time or inclination to do so.
This leads me nicely to two important factors that disagree with the blurb on Freedom Scientific’s website about Pac Mate. The developers claim that their unit is the ultimate laptop replacement, whereas I must state quite categorically that you really do need to use Pac Mate in conjunction with a regular desktop or laptop computer, not instead of. While Pac Mate in either flavour is powerful and crammed with useful features applicable to most daily situations, you are not yet able to print direct from the device. My understanding is that Freedom Scientific hope to offer the facility of doing so in the future. For now, you must either transfer your document to your computer and print from there, or perhaps synchronise Pac Mate with your PC in order to achieve an outcome. In fairness, it is also not possible to print from a commercially available Ipac either, which is the sighted equivalent in so many respects to the Freedom Scientific device.
A further reason you need to use a computer in conjunction with Pac Mate is where the installation of Pocket PC programs is concerned. At present, you cannot install applications on Pac Mate without the need to connect the device to your computer. Some of the programs that come on the Companion CD are not preinstalled on Pac Mate when you receive it, for example, so using your computer to do so is crucial if you want to benefit from the applications that are supplied with your unit.
The documentation that comes with Pac Mate is accessible, well structured and easy to read. The CD contains MP3 files of the audio version of the manual, as well as HTML and text formats to choose from. These documents are also available from the Freedom Scientific website for easy download. A Braille command summary is included with the package for swift access.
The Companion CD which contains some Microsoft programs you may download to Pac Mate is a little clumsy to navigate at first inspection. Due to the partnership agreement between Freedom Scientific and Microsoft, some of the software on the CD is not yet scripted to work with Pocket JAWS, but has been included to take account of this agreement. In my view, the splash screen on the CD could be a little more user-friendly. I believe it would be helpful for Pac Mate to be shipped with the programs that are currently not preinstalled so that novice users don’t have to worry about which applications to load on to their unit.
Having seen both BNS and TNS versions of Pac Mate, it was initially difficult for me to decide which I preferred. The Braille input Pac Mate requires a huge amount of learning because it comprises numerous chord sequences that must be grasped in order to make full use of the machine’s superb range of features. Since the Braille version has fewer keys than the qwerty model, it stands to reason that the keys have to double up to invoke other actions when combined. But the plus side of the Braille Pac Mate is its neat size and compact structure. It is lightweight enough to carry almost anywhere when you have other items to take about with you. The TNS model is slightly larger, but has the familiarity of a laptop keyboard layout, and is less complicated to learn in my view if you are not accustomed to operating a Braille note-taker generally. I am as fast a typist as I am a Braillist, but the TNS gets the nod for me because it lends itself so well to the Windows environment with which I am very familiar.
Refreshable Braille display versions will be added to the Pac Mate range of note-takers, hopefully by the end of 2003. While adding a Braille display to both models will doubtless more than double the price of the current Pac Mate, the versatility such a welcome addition will bring to this family of products is eagerly anticipated.
I am hugely impressed with both Pac Mate BNS and TNS. I have been a JAWS user for some time, and find a common link in being able to customise Pac Mate using a Pocket version of the screen reader right away. The Pac Mate is full of features that I use on a regular computer each day, which makes operating a portable device so useful and convenient. When you consider how a laptop, for example, is so heavy and devours its battery life, the Pac Mate’s equivalents are a joy to behold.
I still feel there is room for improvement on the Pac Mate BNS keyboard where inputting Braille is concerned. For those of us who write Braille very quickly, the Pac Mate BNS still needs to be beefed up a bit to allow a quick response from key activation. In contrast, the TNS keyboard is very nice to work with, and the keys themselves are neat without being too small and inhibitive on such a lightweight machine.
In truth, the features of Pac Mate, and thought that has gone into its design, are so powerful that it frankly supersedes all other specialist note-takers on the market. For the first time, visually impaired people can really use mainstream products on a unit to suit their specific needs, instead of working with specially written software that isn’t compatible with anything commercially available, and outdates very quickly.
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