If you are not familiar with what a PDA does and what features to look for to suit your needs, please first read our discussion of PDA features [1]. The link at the bottom of that discussion will bring you back here.
PDAs can be divided into two categories: some are running a proprietary suite of applications optimized for blind users, using the Windows CE operating system as an underpinning. Examples of this type are:
Pocket Hal [2] is a full screen reader, complete with Braille support for the Pocket PC.
Braille Sense [3] or BrailleNote's [4] KeySoft interface, with applications optimized to work with a braille display.
Voice Note [5] is for people who prefer high quality speech output without a braille display. Most of the same great features of the BrailleNote are packed into an even smaller and lighter unit. Choose from either a Braille key or QWERTY input.
TADI Talking Organizer [6] is a PDA that uses a keyboard and voice recording for input and speech for output. It has a phone book, appointment diary, notepad, calculator, alarm clock, timer, and five hours of recording time. It comes in English, Spanish, and French.
Voice Sense [7] has a a Perkins style keyboard for inpu
tting information and synthesized voice for outputting information. It has multimedia functions: a Daisy talking book player, an MP3 player and voice recording capabilities. Wireless networking features (such as wireless LAN and Bluetooth).
The second type are those running on the standard Pocket PC suite of applications. Examples are
Pac Mate [8] or any Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition- or Windows Mobile 5.0-powered devices running Mobile Speak Pocket [9]. There are several models of Pac Mate. The Omni BX400, for example, comes with a braille keyboard and optional detachable braille display. Includes JAWS for Windows CE for speech output and Windows Mobile 6.0 with Pocket versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, Internet Explorer plus calendar, e-mail, contacts, FSEdit (braille word processor), FSCalc (financial and scientific calculator), Media Player and other applications. Full desktop synchronization through ActiveSync.
Maestro [10], a pocket PC made accessible using text-to-speech technology and a tactile keyboard over the PDA touch screen.
These PDAs use the Linxux operating system instead of Windows CE:
The Icon [11], manufactured by LevelStar, is a Linux-based screenless PDA designed for the blind. Therefore all of the applications installed on the Icon are guaranteed to be completely accessible to the blind. This is a strong advantage to users who like using PDAs but do not want to buy an off-the-shelf PDA which may contain inaccessible third-party software. The Icon comes with a text-to-speech program, a telephone-like keypad and a context-sensitive help feature that can be activated from within any application.
The BRAILLEX EL Braille Assistant [12] is a universal communications tool and a state-of-the-art Braille display for other computers. Send and receive e-mail or surf the web, make notes or organize your day, share information with other devices or access your Windows based PC. BRAILLEX Braille Assistant offers this with quality refreshable Braille and easily understood speech — in many different languages.
EasyLink keyboard [13] is a pocket-size, braille-input Bluetooth-enabled keyboard that works with either a PDA or a cell phone using Talks software. Two models are available; one has a braille keyboard, while the other has both the keyboard and a twelve-cell refreshable braille display. EasyLink comes with PocketWrite software and a PDA. You can buy just the EasyLink Braille display if you already have a PDA or other equipment and wish to use EasyLink with it. The Bluetooth wireless connectivity makes this device truly portable.
Links:
[1] http://www.visionaware.org/pda-features
[2] http://www.yourdolphin.com/productdetail.asp?id=7
[3] http://www.gwmicro.com/Braille_Sense
[4] http://www.humanware.com/Products/Notetakers/BrailleNoteBT.asp
[5] http://www.pulsedata.com/products/notetakers/VoiceNote.asp
[6] http://www.maxiaids.com/store/prodView.asp?idproduct=3300&idstore=0&idCategory=&category=&product=TADI_Talking_Voice_Organizer_-_English
[7] http://www.gwmicro.com/Voice_Sense/
[8] http://www.freedomscientific.com/PACMATE-HQ/PACMate-hq.asp
[9] http://www.codefactory.es/mobile_speak_pocket/mspeak_pocket.htm
[10] http://www.humanware.ca/web/en/p_DA_Maestro.asp
[11] http://www.levelstar.com/the_icon1.php
[12] http://www.sighted.com/english/elba2003.html
[13] http://www.accessingenuity.com/easylink-12-braille-keyboard