Dear AccessWorld Editor,
This letter comes from the American Printing House for the Blind, and is in response to Scott Davert's January 2018 article, A Big Compromise in Price with a Small Compromise in Features: a Review of the Orbit Reader 20 from American Printing House for the Blind.
The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) completely agrees with all the points Scott Davert's article detailed. The compromise in features for price is one way to state the Transforming Braille Groups' goal of shaking something loose when it comes to the continuously high cost of literacy for blind citizens around the world. The other compromise, however, is just as substantial—the compromise of complexity for flexibility.
Orbit Reader's simplicity means a system that is easy to use for even the beginner to refreshable braille display technology and continued ease and simplicity for the expert. From the automatic editor saving features to instant recovery and ready to use editor, the units lack of translation on the device equates to using it like a blank slate—you can write whatever combination of contractions or special codes is best suited for the task at hand. It is like using a braillewriter—what every you write is what you get.
Teachers may find this rare nod to manual control especially inviting to the new braille learner not necessarily familiar with all the contractions. If the teacher wants UEB with Nemeth math, no problem. What you write is what you get.
No one can deny the introduction of this amazing device took far too long. We all wish it had been available 30 years ago, but even the seemingly endless delays during the ramp up to full production were incredibly frustrating to everyone involved. Every delay improved the product in countless ways most of us will never fully appreciate except for the continuously reliable unit to use. These numerous production tweaks along with the future-proof nature of features means the unit should last each of us for years to come.
Now that Orbit Reader 20 is available, APH and the rest of the Transforming Braille Group are ready to watch the revolution continue.
Sincerely,
The APH Technology Product Research Team
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
This message is in response to Bill Holton's May 2017 article, Accessible Reading: A review of The Abundant Bookshelf by Judith Dixon and A First Look at Downpour, a New Source for Audiobooks.
Thank you so much for the article. I recently opened an account with Downpour.com, and I love it. When I first downloaded it three months ago it was not very user-friendly, but since the update it's become more user-friendly.
Sincerely,
Merisa Musemic
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
This letter is in response to Scott Davert's January 2018 article entitled, A Big Compromise in Price with a Small Compromise in Features: a Review of the Orbit Reader 20 from American Printing House for the Blind.
Thank you for your review of the Orbit 20. It seems like an interesting reader; however, I have had very little success tracking down when it will be released. Have you heard any information about a release date for this device?
Sincerely,
Andrew Green
Answer from AccessWorld author, Scott Davert:
Dear Andrew,
As of this writing, the Orbit Reader is now available. Please contact the American Printing House for the Blind for shipping details.
