#csun11: Levelstar Introducing Android-based Orion Notetakers

The interesting ratio here will be price VS functionality.

@Jeff.young: Not only that, but it'll be interesting to see what they've done. If their software is a custom layer on top of Android (and I don't see how it could be otherwise) then there's no real advantage to having it run Android. Even if there are third party apps for one of these, they'll be custom-designed for Levelstar's shell. I think it'd be fascinating if they come out with a completely accessible standard Android somehow, but given the way Android is designed I don't think this is even possible at this stage. Also, my hopes aren't high. This is levelstar, the company that shipped a notetaker that, among other things, had USB 1.1 and Wireless B when those technologies were already five years outdated.

I agree totally. The Icon *(and braille plus) were out-of-date the moment they came out of the factory... and they haven't been updated. To be honest, I don't like android one bit. I prefer IO S. But we all know apple won't let other companies mess around with their baby. I am frankly looking forward to Blazie's notetaker. To be honest, I have high hope for that one. Level star is going to need a lot of great features in this new device to compete. I mean, Ivona is great, a lot of hardrive is nice, but what am I going to do with all of that if I can only write in english? Or if I can only connect on b type networks or even if my data transfer is 100 kbps? They need to step their game up, if not, I see level star going under very fast. And let us see how much it costs! If it is more than 3,000 dollars, it is not worth it. Tio be honest.

I actually loved the Icon when it came out. Yes the specs were somewhat out of date, and yes it looked like the remote control that came with our TV in 1987, but it was the first accessible mobile device that would organize my music and books for me and let me make playlists; the first that I could operate one-handed for reading at the gym; and the first with NLS support. The web browser was way better than what some of the competitors were offering - it had tabbed browsing and reliable streaming. The level meter in the recorder was really cool. The storage was better than anything else on an accessible mobile device at that time. Levelstar has had several years to learn more about sourcing parts and manufacturing and they are partnering more broadly than they used to. What they have, that a lot of the other AT companies don't, is a creative, broad-thinking streak when it comes to feature development that goes beyond bare-bones vocational/academic requirements. It's debatable whether a purpose-built accessible notetaker can make it in today's market but I personally still want my Braille display to come with a brain, in case whatever I'm using it as terminal for goes crash. This thing better connect to all the iPhones, Macs, and screen readers you can throw at it. If it does that, has a good design, holds a good charge, and has enough brains in its head to stand alone in an emergency, I'm a potential customer.

I am a braille plus user and love it for the ease of use when it comes to bookshare and even NLS. I like being able to get a book without having to use my PC. If they improve the battery life, change the design of the AC adapter and get a stronger wireless connection, I'm most likely a customer.

Hmmm... Those 2 points are valid. Like I said, I am looking forward to blazie's notetaker. Not level star's. However, If levelstar beats blazie's when it comes to ease of use, features and most important, price, I am a potential buyer. However, again, if level star's note taker only let's me read and write in english, forget about it. I will probably get an iPad or something. That goes for blazie's machine as well. I am a multi language user. In a typical day I use spanish (primary language), english and italian. So I need, I must have multilanguage support on whatever device I will get in the end. BP and Icon does not offer such language support and even the Pac mate (wich it is even older than BP and Icon) offer multilanguage support, both in braille and speach. And thanks to the fact that globalisation is growing, people need to interact in multiple languages and a device that doesn't let you interact in those languages in my opinion, it does not deserve my money or time.