The BrailleNote Touch is an impressive feat of hardware and software engineering. It is an Android tablet with full-fledged Braille support, a skinned and simplified interface running custom-built accessible programs, full visual display, and the option, but not requirement, of using an external Braille keyboard. It is also a Google certified Android device, capable of running the vast majority of applications in the Play store. Furthermore, it does what it sets out to do quite effectively. The BrailleNote is indisputably ambitious, and in some ways it is already an impressive device. That said, how does it handle the traditional tasks of a Braille Notetaker? Is it worth the $5500 asking price? Let’s take a closer look.

Hardware

Overall, The BrailleNote Touch (Touch) is a solid and attractive looking device which should hold up to the wear and tear of being carried around and used on a daily basis. All the ports and jacks are easy to access, and the black matte aesthetic is stylish, in a Darth Vader sort of way. Finally, the Braille and visual displays are both top notch. Here are some other notable hardware design decisions:

• The Touch is a heavy piece of kit, particularly when loaded into its case. Personally, after slinging it over my shoulder, I forget pretty quickly that it is there, but your mileage may vary.
• The physical keyboard that lies over top of the visual screen can be described as loud and clicky, but I find it quite pleasant to type on. I appreciate the audio/tactile feedback of the keys, though some find it distractingly loud.
• The Touch still offers separate headphone and microphone jacks. Some high-end users will appreciate having separate inputs, though those with mobile headsets that combine these tools into a single jack may disagree.
• It is a Wi-Fi-only device, and does not contain a cellular chip. The user is able to tether when necessary, but those without mobile internet may find this more problematic.
• It does have access to a GPS chip, but there is no way to take advantage of this with HumanWare’s software. Google Maps is one of the third party packages installed by default and could be used in offline mode, but its interface is not optimized for Braille users.
• Bluetooth connection to a headset and keyboard worked exactly as expected, and I would doubt other peripherals would be unduly problematic.
• The battery is user replaceable, but with the 1.0 version of the firmware battery life is anemic, and only lasted until mid-afternoon on stand-by.  HumanWare has confirmed that it is already testing a beta package that is aims to increase battery life dramatically.
• Interestingly, the device’s “internal storage” is also removable, so if the unit has to go in for repair, the user can pull their specially formatted SD card. This card cannot be viewed or copied on a regular computer, but the ability to salvage the data from a broken device is really spectacular.
• The onboard SD card only contains 16 GB some of which is used for programs, but it is possible to add additional SD or USB storage capacity to the device.
• CPU power seems to be pretty underwhelming at this time, as it is possible to garble speech by running more than two processes at once, including system processes, like downloading updates, or email.
• Like other tablet computers, the BrailleNote is slow to be ready for first use from power on, so unlike notetakers of yesteryear, a user will need to leave it on between uses to ensure instant access.

All in all, the hardware is well thought out, looks and feels good. The battery and CPU are of moderate concern, but with software as early in its lifecycle as it is in the BrailleNote, there are likely to be a number of tweaks the developers can implement to increase the efficiency of the device. If we still see these problems in a few months, or a year, we should be much more worried about long-term viability of the product. Otherwise, the hardware should meet the needs of most notetaker users.

Software

The built-in software on the Braille Note touch can be broken down into three categories. The first is software that makes up the common interface elements of the device, such as menu structure, tutorial information, and Touch Braille. The second category consists of applications that HumanWare specifically created for the device: the KeySoft suite. The third category includes built-in Google Android basics, like the Play store, YouTube, Maps, and other such tools. Google’s offerings have not been customized for the BN Touch. Therefore, although they and other third party apps will add much to the user experience, they will not be discussed here.

Help and Documentation

HumanWare products are usually offered with excellent support documentation, but it feels like they really have gone out of their way to provide training resources when it comes to the Touch. When the user turns it on for the first time, a Braille message appears alerting the user that KeySoft is starting, and displays a progress animation spinning on the Braille display. After this, users are treated to a getting started tutorial, which explains the interface, moving from one item to the next, entering text, and changing basic settings. As they proceed through the tutorial, they are also setting up the Touch, so it is ready to go when they hit the main menu. It’s easy to read and understand, and is a nice onboarding experience for both new and existing BrailleNote users. Those who feel they do not need the tutorial can skip it. More help is available in the user manual, and the index file, as well as menus of options available to the user at any time by pressing “M” with Space, or the context menu button to the right of the home key on the front of the device. It’s easy to learn what you can do at any time, and I didn’t feel that I needed to use the manual much, though when I did use it, I found it well written and easy to read. The device also comes preloaded with an SD card running the Mystic Access 12-hour training curriculum which will suit many learners.

General Interface

I unabashedly adore what HumanWare has done overall in the general interface of the Touch. For users of previous HumanWare devices it will likely feel comfortable, while offering more powerful features. The ability to use first letter navigation everywhere the user is not otherwise writing and a highly consistent interface should help all users with the transition. Finally, once the user is up and running the system layout lends itself to the near instant-on efficiency of older notetakers.

Touch Braille

The BrailleNote Touch wouldn’t really live up to its name without the screen, which is used to offer explore by touch features, and the Touch Braille system for writing on the device. Explore by touch works in a similar manner to the gestures on iOS or other Android devices, but Touch Braille is something else entirely. Touch Braille allows a user to type in Braille on the touch screen of the BrailleNote anytime they do not want to use the keyboard. It can be used for all interactions the keyboard offers. The user can place all ten fingers on the screen in the traditional typing position, and wait for the device to buzz. If it gives a long buzz, the fingers have not been recognized, and the user should try again, but a short buzz indicates that things are working just as expected, and they can begin typing. I’ve seen several others get up to speed on it in little time, and can use it effectively myself though it’s not my preference. The excellent implementation of the Braille virtual keyboard is much more robust and intuitive in my experience than those I’ve seen on iOS and other devices. The one caveat to note is that for users who are using it to navigate while speech is off, Touch Braille may be rather less convenient, as the user would have to reset their hands (with one or both hands) after each check of the display.  As I have such a strong preference for physical keys, I may not be the best person to judge their implementation, so I leave it to the readers to determine whether or not this is a concern.  

Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic

A Braille notetaker at its very core is a device intended to make it possible for a blind person to easily read and write notes and other documents. If a user cannot easily and efficiently perform these tasks, it matters very little what else they can do on the device. The news on this front for BrailleNote Touch early adopters is largely positive, though there are some changes I hope to see in new versions of the software.

First the positives: it is easy to share documents created on the Touch with others and view them on other devices, as the default file format is DOCX. It is possible to add basic formatting to documents, such as headings, lists, and text formatting. Reading mainstream formats is pretty simple as well, (though for some a user may have to use a third party app). Reading of several formats is supported through the inclusion of Victor Reader Stream software, which allows for all of the same granular navigation one would expect from using a standalone reading device. It is possible to read the text titles from the Victor Reader software in Braille as well, so a user who wanted to use the navigation along with Braille should be able to do so with minimal difficulty, though this may be a bit of a hack of the system.
Text is translated on the fly, which means that when a user doesn’t know the proper contraction the Braille Note will try to help, which may be positive or negative, depending on just how creative a user has had to get in the past in forming their own notation for different things. Unfortunately, there is no way to open multiple files and switch between them easily in the word processor. This could be a big problem for many Braille users, but HumanWare has promised that this feature is in the pipeline, and should be available in the fall.
Math support has taken something of a temporary step backwards with the release of this device as the Apex allowed for the inclusion of Nemeth content in documents, as well as offering the excellent Nemeth tutorial. For users just wanting to handle basic calculations, and some of the more popular scientific calculator functions, the calculator should perform adequately for now. HumanWare expects to release an update a much improved Nemeth experience in the coming months.

Organization Is the Key

The planner and the contact editor have taken an overdue leap into the future on the Touch. While remaining quite simple to navigate edit and review, these tools have added the ability to grab contacts and appointments from online sources, such as Exchange and Google accounts.

You have to learn to communicate

Finally we have a notetaker that has the ability to keep up on the modern web! The BrailleNote Touch uses a lightly skinned version of Mozilla Firefox as the basis of its web browsing engine, and it makes an enormous difference. For the first time, browsing the web on a Braille notetaker is useful for more than downloading Bookshare and BARD books. Email is likewise improved. I had it running my Exchange and Gmail accounts and found it was simple to read, write, and otherwise deal with email, including attaching files that my colleagues could read.

A Few Final Thoughts

In the case of the BrailleNote Touch, at present, the upside may also be the downside. The Touch is based on Android, and where Android shines, the Touch shines. Quick application switching, modern connectivity and browsing capabilities, a pleasant visual user experience and a high level of adaptability are all strengths of the system. Unfortunately, at this moment, a few of the quirks of Android are still leaving the Touch facing some growing pains. Pending coming updates, the absence of Nemeth Braille, file switching and connectivity to other devices for use as an external Braille display hamper an otherwise excellent device. I also experienced some flakiness with Wi-Fi connectivity that appears to be part of the Android system itself. The Braille Note Touch is an impressive tool. With continued development, it has a real potential to reinvigorate the Braille notetaker market, and to provide a real boost in productivity for many students and professionals. I don’t think it is going to necessarily change the minds of users who have moved on to other notetaking options, but for those who still love their notetaker, there’s a lot to enjoy here.