A BrailleNote is a computer made by HumanWare for persons with visual impairments. It has a braille keyboard, speech synthesizer, and a 32-[1] or 18-column refreshable Braille display, depending on model. There are many other products with a similar name, including the BrailleNote GPS.
BrailleNote can use only the software provided by the manufacturer, although this can be upgraded.[2]
Use of BrailleNote is suggested by the State University of New York Center for Assistive Technology[3] and is sometimes purchased by colleges for use by the disabled.[4] The BrailleNote product series, introduced in 2000, is regarded as being the first of its kind.[5]
It is possible to obtain a visual interface to the data on a BrailleNote by attaching a computer with a terminal emulator such as Hyperterminal.[6]
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The BrailleNote mPower has 128 megabytes of onboard memory and uses DiskOnChip memory to avoid losing data if power is lost.[7]
The newest model of BrailleNote is called Apex and is a thinner and lighter version of its predecessors. It runs Windows CE 6.[8] It uses the i.MX31 processor.[9] It usually sells for about $6,000.
The Apex's internal software suite is called KeySoft, which includes a word processor, book reader, Web browser, email client, voice recorder, media player, and an XMPP-based IM client called KeyChat (which can also be used with popular non-XMPP protocols such as MSN but this is complex to set up[10]). The book reader supports English text files (it can convert these to Grade 2 braille automatically if required), Braille ASCII files that specify the dot patterns precisely (these usually have the extension .BRL or .BRF),[11] and audio books including the DAISY format.
The Apex has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB connections, including a USB client port for ActiveSync and for operation as a Braille terminal for a computer.[12] It is capable of interfacing with Bluetooth GPS receivers.