It's in Your Hands: A Review of the PAC MATE and the VoiceNote
By Denham, Jim; Leventhal, Jay; Access World, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 15-26Publication Date: May 2003
Article reviews the PAC Mate from Freedom Scientific and the Voice Note from Pulse Data International, which are personal digital assistants (PDAs) designed specifically for people who are blind or have low vision. Both products are discussed with respect to nine features: (1) physical description, (2) getting started, getting help, (3) command structure, (4) word processing, (5) surfing the web, (6) getting connected, (7) e-mail, (8) planning your life, and (9) a global positioning (GPS) feature. The authors contend that while the PAC Mate is a significant step toward fully accessible PDAs, some users will have to adjust to the steps required to navigate through the devices menus and applications. The Voice Note’s strengths are its calendar and word processor, while the e-mail and GPS features require improvement. Overall, the Voice Note is the authors’ choice of the two devices.
Assistive Products Discussed: PAC MATE BNS
PAC MATE TNS
VOICENOTE QT
VOICENOTE BT
Published by: AFB Press (Website:http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=46)
American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) (Web Site: http://www.afb.org )
