What do people think about the braille note evolve?

This thing sounds like a beast. Not bad at all. I'm sure I'll never own one, as it is far above what I could ever afford, but if money were no objective, I'd be all over it. I've done something similar with my old ElBraille 40, but would love the keysoft apps for that too, as they would be even more well suited to a Braille display than a lot of standard apps.

First if money was no object I'd like a machine like this. Compact all in one solution. And running Windows should help with flexibility and using in a professional environment.
Where I get concerned is upgradability when pairing a Braille display to PC/computing hardware. Braille displays generally are more expensive, and also have a longer useful lifespan than your typical PC or laptop or tablet hardware. I have a display that is going strong at ten years old, for example. All my ten year old laptops are dead. It seems cost prohibitive to go through Braille displays as quickly as I go through laptops. Again though, I would like such a machine.

Better to get a laptop with better specs and a 40 cell brail display. The issue is binding two pieces of technology together; a brail display that will last for ten years, and a windows machine that will last for three. Better still, get a 20 cell display and have the advantage of something like a brail kindle you can tote around in a sling but link to your computer... Any computer, or your phone, or your watch, when ever you want.

I agree, an all in one sounds lovely, but having used Humanware products in the past, the build is cheap and they look like blocky pieces of accessibility equipment with zero style.

I think they're designed for schools, kids, and students where they are paid for by others and are made to be robust in a rather ugly way.

Subject says it all. Underpowered in 2035 maybe, but right now, thing sounds like a beast! After using the ElBraille though, my other concern in that kind of form factor would be over heating. If that could be taken care of and it didn't sound like a gaming computer, that would be awesome. lol

This is what Humanware should have done in 2016 rather than trying to work with Android. I'm a little disappointed it only includes 512 GB storage. We should be getting at least 1 or 2 TB given the price. I'm also very curious to know what specific Core Ultra model they're using.

I know I usually criticize Humanware for creating overpriced underpowered products, but it seems like they genuinely want to make a good product this time around. I won't be purchasing this, both because it's far too expensive and I don't need it, but this is a major step in the right direction. I have to give Humanware credit where credit is due. The BrailleNote mPower was the first computing device I used and was what got me started on this wonderful journey I'll be on for the rest of my life.

People saying that a laptop and a separate Braille display is better are saying the same thing that sighted creatives do about the iMac. The display is beautiful but they can't use it with a newer Mac down the line so it's probably better to get a Mac Mini or Studio and a good monitor. But then others do the math and say it's not and that Apple needs to make a 32" iMac because 24" is just too small. Clearly there's some market for an all-inOne, or they wouldn't update them, even if not as much.

I commented in another thread that it's interesting how long this idea of a blindness specific laptop/tablet running on mainstream hardware has been tried. I think there are 3 out right now that run Windows, the InsideOne+ tablet, the B. Book, and the Nortiq Note. Have any of them really caught on? Maybe more so in the parts of the world where those companies are based. Then there's the ElBraille, which I thought about getting at one point because it sounded awesome on paper. Seems like from what I've heard they had a lot of issues though.

It'll be interesting to see how the BNE, especially with its QWERTY version and the Optima compare, assuming they are both out by the end of next year.

Interesting if nothing else!

I have the last version of the ElBraille 40 they released. It's no powerhouse, and since I'm not a JAWS user, I had to do a decent bit of modification to make it work better with NVDA, and even then it's not perfect, as a lot of the ElBraille software was made to work specifically with JAWS. Only 8 gb ram. But with all that said, there have been times when I was between laptops, when I have used that as my one machine, whether by itself or paired with a bluetooth keyboard, and so long as I am not doing things that are super resource heavy, it's not a terrible experience. Since it's not being made anymore, I wish the group behind the device would release a modified version of their software that would open up better support for NVDA, maybe put some hooks in place to let NVDA do some of the functions on their hardware function buttons, like give time, battery, internet status, emergency NVDA restart, etc.

Having used the Monarch, I can't think of a good reason why I would want to buy another single-line braille display. For those who are in the market for such devices, though, it appears that the Evolve appears likely to be a good range of products. I hope and reasonably expect the x86-based design will enable the devices to be long-lasting, maintaining good performance across operating system upgrades over years of use.

I hope they decided to go with the newer Core Ultra processors that support an NPU and thus Copilot and other AI features. I have a nasty feeling these processors will be mandatory to run Windows in the not too distant future, particularly considering how aggressively Microsoft has been promoting these capabilities. I personally don't care about all these AI features, but it's not out of the realm of possibility to see yet another genuine hardware system requirement for Windows 12 or whatever that can't be bypassed with workarounds, similar to the 24H2 POPCNT cutoff. It would be a shame if they shot themselves in the foot? feet? by using the older Core Ultra CPUs that lack an NPU, but it wouldn't surprise me either.

I'm maybe a little surprised they are not making at least a three line display version but perhaps that'll come in five years. Due to cost, proven reliability and longevity I expect single line displays with the piezo-electric cells to be around for a long time to come. In addition, the screen readers still need a lot of optimization. And yes I am so eager for them to work the way I want. Three or four lines with a Perkins style keyboard should be able to be the same size as a QWERTY keyboard model? That said, I've used Windows wiht a Perkins-style keyboard e.g., via JAWS commands, and I do not find that an optimal experience. No one's fault, it just has limitations. Control-n even with an extra control key takes a lot of fingers.
As for the NPU comment, my own surprise is they didn't go Arm for battery life and minimizing heat. Intel/Xx86 is still number one in compatibility though which is probably the logic.

BrailleNote Evolve has additional keys for Alt, Ctrl, Windows and the NVDA modifier, as well as cursor movement if I remember the description correctly.

Also, the cells used in the DotPad and the Monarch are reputedly less expensive than piezoelectric technology, and there are other cell technologies available and in development.

Oh I expect that to be likely. I base my comment on using a QBraille which also has extra keys. It is doable, but QWERTY is easier. For me.

I should also note that it should work well with a USB or Bluetooth keyboard, and you can use its own Braille keyboard for ultimate portability.

The 40-cell version is also said to have a Qwerty keyboard.

My question is, how hard would it be to get these keysoft programs, once the device is released, and then throw them on to something like the ElBraille? We know all of them will be made to work incredibly well with NVDA, so for those of us who have those devices but aren't avid JAWS users, could make for a nice user experience. Pretty sure they won't be freely abailable, but wonder how hard it would be to extract them and port over to just a regular Windows device.
Also, back to the topic of keyboards, the Braille keyboard is great for portability, but yeah a usb or bluetooth keyboard works best for productivity.

Perhaps after they go to that much work they'll make Keysoft standalone for Windows available for purchase?
As for extracting it, if they have any plans to monotize or even just protect their software from copycats wiht a knockoff device I imagine they will lock it to the Evolv hardware. It is not difficult to do.

It is always good to have more choices to fit individual needs and work styles.

That being said, I would be skeptical of pourchasing a combine PC and built in braille device.

PC technolligies (both hardware and software) are often out of date in 3-5 years. sometimes one can go longer depending on one's needs. For example, I was prepared to stick with Windows 10 for about another year until Microsoft determined that they weren't supporting it any more and, worst yet, my Windows PC couldn't be upgraded to Windows 11.

On the other hand, I have had a braille display that has lasted for over 20 years and still works. Since braille displays are far from being inexpensive, it makes sense to jeep one's braile display for as long as possible. Except for 2D braille displays which are even more expensive, the technologies behind braille displays hasn't evolved much over that time.

Perhaps if the braille display associated with an "all in one device" could be removed and attached to a newer PC when the time comes, that would make me more comfortable purchasing an all in one device. But that would limit the PC that I could use to replace the original PC because I would have to purchase it from the original manufacturer of the all in one device.

Anyway, perhaps this works for some people and it is good that we do have choices. Just understand the trade-offs.

--Pete

Just over priced.

I just bought a handheld with better specks for £800 which I can also play games on.

It's a solution to a problem that I don't think most people can afford.

I'm not a fan of Humanware products in general. They are cheaply made, the customer service isn't great and, I just don't like being treated like a chump because we're a captive market which, I think, a lot of these specialists do.

I do have very high standards though. I'm an engineer too which doesn't help.

\Another thing to bear in mind, the landscape of compute is rapidly change, more so than in the last two decades. The devices that are being produced and will be produced over the next decade will be targetting local AI compute. This computer will be outdated quicker, not because of its specs now, but because of the improvements in machines that get released a short time after.

Its kinda over powered for a brail computer, and drastically under powered for future proofing for AI. A awkward position to be in.

Binding it to a device for which the technology hasn't changed significantly in the last 40 years and is unlikely to for the next ten, is a bit daft.

What they should have built, or someone should build, is a pure display, slim, angled, perfect for putting before a laptop, all processing done by the device it's connected to. Build it from aluminum, make it easily transportable, and they'd have a winner on their hands. This, I just don't see it.

I suppose it depends on what this is for. There was an interview on Double Tap about the Orbit laptop where they were talking about how pointless it was to have a braille note taker that had its entire own ecosystem and that you needed to learn skills that weren't really transferrable elsewhere. Whereas having a note taker built on Windows meant you could benefit from being able to use the same operating system that you would in the workplace.

So thinking purely in terms of a note taker, having an all in one braille thing based on Windows probably makes some sense if the alternative is some proprietary thing based on Android..

However, thinking about this as a mainstream computer that has braille feels more problematic given that you have two different expensive things in one and they will likely want to evolve independently. If my braille starts to develop a fault, I wouldn't want to have to give up my entire laptop for repair. And realistically I think the laptop will become out of date much more quickly than the braille part. I dont know if I could then start using it as a dumb braille display for anothe rlaptop, or if it works with my phone or something else.

I would prefer options to make braille displays more affordable instead of lumping in extra expense. It's a shame that the Orbit Reader does not have any competition in this area.

Handy Tech have something called the activator which, in principle, is a better product as it keeps the brail in the device and hands off everything else to IOS/windows/mac... Trouble is, it's also painfully expensive.

I do hope that with things like apple having that brail mode where we can have a pretty dumb brail display plugged into our phone and the phone does all the clever stuff, more manufacturers will step up. We've already got a bunch of brilliant silicon with us all the time and I think it's periferals we need, not more devices.

I can see this argument. It does make sense, as a device like my NLS E-Reader, that connects to both my Windows machines as well as my Android phones, is also quite handy. Same can be said of the Focus 40 currently sitting in my ElBraille. Agree though, that someone needs to make a display that is low profile enough that moving your hands from the laptop to the display doesn't feel awkward, but just a smooth transition, as right now, one of the biggest struggles for me is figuring out exactly how to place all the stuff on my desk, to be able to jump between the computer keyboard and the Braille display in a way that is quick and natural. Having said that, I remember the time of using a BrailleNote and later the BrailleNote mPower in college, quite fondly, so also understand why some people like the all in one devices. As a bit of a techy, though no engineer or software dev by any means, just a tinkerer, I often like to find ways of getting the absolute max out of my tech, and a device like the mPower today would be sadly under powered. The Evolve sounds incredibly cool. Sounds a lot like what I've managed to do with my ElBraille by putting NVDA on it and being very selective with the software installed, only with much much better specs than the ElBraille.
As I said in my very first reply to this thread, sounds like a device I would love to get my hands on, but probably never will.

Humanware are weird.
On one hand I think that they really try to do too much with too little resources so everything is half baked ish at the end of the day, while being still too expensive. From 3-4 different embossers to magnifiers to book players to... now this.
But when they do something right, it's honestly great, and I couldn't praise my bi 40x enough (aside for the horrible boot and shutdown time). But then the victor stream 3 is so bad software wise that macos ventura and voiceover brings good memories in compareason (yes, I said that). The stream 2 was good, reading texts with tts was very fun. Here I can't even read a 100k character without the little os crashing. This device makes me so furious that I often resist doing a big list of all the basics of stream 2 that just don't work at all in stream 3 or so bad that even voicedream with its current terrible quality and subscription seems a better deal.
I hate this with passion, humanware invest too little in copyright / pattents protection rather than actually making the software likable, which is isn't at all.........
I think the longer boot time for both the 40x and the stream3 is due to the dehashing and hashing of the software itself or something, and they put junk CPUs and flash in there unlike the orbit player, which as they say themselves proudly has a real processor.

But no I am not sure to like two devices in one where the laptop will age terribly. I think the best suite spot is something like the mentus q20/40, with display and keyboard attached, and that's it. Going beyond is both impossible and unpractical and will only drive the price up.