Marco Zehe

I had a Mantis Q40 Braille display/keyboard combo for testing last year. I used it for about six weeks before I had to send it back. Couldn't afford to buy it at the time. I have since used other displays I own, with varying keyboards as combinations. But I must say, none parallels the integrated experience of the Mantis. Sadly, HumanWare currently don't list any dealers in Germany who carry their Braille products. Which surprises me. But their dealer locator only shows Low Vision products, not Braille. That's a bit disconcerting, since I'd require a German language version. Well, will need to investigate some more.

That reminds me, do HumanWare have a presence in the #Fediverse yet?

#Braille #MantisQ40 #HumanWare

May 22, 2023 at 5:22pmWeb
Show threadRichard Emling (DO9RE)May 22, 2023
@Marco Ask Dario Madani by ICU Solutions. He has HW stuff.
Show threadMarco ZeheMay 22, 2023
@tschapajew Do you have a website? A search brings up all kinds of reports, but no official website or contact info that looks reliable.
Show threadRichard Emling (DO9RE)May 22, 2023
@Marco Take this one: https://www.pro-retina.de/kontakt-mitarbeiter/kontakt/dario-madani
Dario Madani – PRO RETINA

Show threadPratik PatelMay 22, 2023
@Marco I've seen the Mantis. It parallels my experience with the Brailliant Bi 40X. It is the best Braille keyboard I've used and the display quality is fabulous.
Show threadJonathan MosenMay 22, 2023
@ppatel @Marco Yes I think the biggest selling point for the Mantis is that it gets around Apple’s atrocious contracted Braille input anomalies. I think I make fewer errors when typing compared to Brailling as well.
Show threadMarco ZeheMay 22, 2023
@JonathanMosen @ppatel Yes, that was my thought as well. The Braille input just isn't as reliable on any platform.
Show threadJonathan MosenMay 22, 2023
@Marco @ppatel JAWS is an exception I think. Brailling into a Word document or email in JAWS is like working in a contracted Braille file. It’s really robust.
Show threadPratik PatelMay 22, 2023
@JonathanMosen @Marco I'm finding that I'm making far less frequent mistakes with this display and Lib Louis Braille table. Apple has also made some good changes to the system UEB input tables. I find that I'm about as productive typing with this display as I am with a querty keyboard.
Show threadPratik PatelMay 22, 2023
@JonathanMosen @Marco I do agree that the experience of Brailling on Windows is lot less efficient in most cases than using a querty keyboard. Needing to take my hands off the display takes away from the experience.
Show threadJeffrey D. StarkMay 22, 2023
@ppatel @JonathanMosen @Marco wish they had android support...
Show threadPratik PatelMay 22, 2023
@JStark @JonathanMosen @Marco You mean you wish Android supported these displays via HID over bluetooth. Right?
Show threadMatt CampbellMay 22, 2023
@JonathanMosen @Marco @ppatel How is contracted Braille input with JAWS in web applications? Is JAWS's robust support for contracted input limited to desktop Word and Outlook?
Show threadJonathan MosenMay 22, 2023
@matt @Marco @ppatel It is equally as good in web applications.
Show threadScott ErichsenMay 23, 2023
@JonathanMosen @matt @Marco @ppatel I just wish we didn't have to use computer Braille even when we are set to UEB grade 2. I have asked Vispero about this and never really understood why it can't be done when other devices support it correctly. I do really like the Mantis and the Brilliant BIX displays. I'm using my BI40X to write this actually with JAWS.
Show threadMaria KristicMay 23, 2023
@serichsen @JonathanMosen @matt @Marco @ppatel I'm so glad I switched to the Mantis! Lovely Braille, the comfortable keyboard, and it's so natural to type and use the QWERTY commands. Also nice to avoid the aforementioned malarkey with contracted Braille input on iOS. Why didn't I do this years ago! The spacebar just gave out on my work Focus 40 Blue 5th Generation keyboard after a few months of use, surprise surprise. I think I'm going to request a switch to the Mantis!
Show threadMaria KristicMay 23, 2023
@serichsen @JonathanMosen @matt @Marco @ppatel That's a great point, especially given that one of the purposes of UEB was to avoid having to switch Braille grades by providing less ambiguous ways of representing certain symbols. I'm no expert, but I thought I saw somewhere that the Braille Sense devices also had the same issue in that Computer Braille is mandatory in certain places.
Show threadScott ErichsenMay 23, 2023
@mariakristic @JonathanMosen @matt @Marco @ppatel Braille Sense doesn't have this issue. BrailleNote touch does though.
Show threadPratik PatelMay 22, 2023
@JonathanMosen @Marco My first choice was the Mantis. During the hight of the pandemic, when Humanware couldn't produce enough devices, I had an incredibly hard time getting my hands on one from APH who, for some reason, couldn't manage to charge my credit card or ship to the right address. The quality of the typing experience certainly matters a lot. I had a lot of trouble with previous Braille display keyboards. The springiness of the BI series is just right.
Show threadJonathan MosenMay 22, 2023
@ppatel @Marco They’re lovely units, and I agree re the quality of the Braille too. It’s a pity there’s no speaker in the Mantis given some of the things HumanWare are doing.
Show threadBorrisMay 22, 2023
@JonathanMosen @ppatel @Marco Oh, you mean like making random crackling sounds while the Braille display shuts down? That's a cool feature. It's really too bad you don't have that.
Show threadMaria KristicMay 23, 2023
@JonathanMosen @ppatel @Marco Speaking of speakers, I'm curious, do you find the speakers on the Brailliant decent or not loud enough? I know it's subjective, but when I was looking at the Brailliant BI X list in deciding what to get, a few people were saying how they strictly used headphones when listening to audio content because they felt the speaker(s) weren't loud enough. I'm not sure if these complaints were about the 20, the 40, or both.
Show threadPratik PatelMay 23, 2023
@mariakristic @JonathanMosen @Marco For me, the speakers are loud enough for when I want to use them. I'm usually in a relatively quiet environment so they're adequate. But, I'd need headphones if I'm out and about.
Show threadPratik PatelMay 23, 2023
@mariakristic @JonathanMosen @Marco If you have hearing loss and don't use hearing aids, then they will not be adequate at all.
Show threadMarco ZeheMay 22, 2023
@ppatel Yes I found the display quality superb as well. I have never seen the Brailliant and would think I'd rather use a QWERTY keyboard. I'm just faster with it.
Show threadRene LudwigMay 22, 2023
@Marco Martin Mischler sells the Mantis in Germany. https://www.com-m.de/elektronische-hilfsmittel/produkte/braille-ein-und-ausgabe-geraete/mantis-q40-brailleterminal/
Mantis Q40 Brailleterminal | COM-M Communication und Marketing

Das Brailleterminal für alle Fälle. Entwickelt von American Printing House APH. Hergestellt von Humanware. Vertrieben in Deutschland durch Com-M Communication + Marketing

Show threadMarco ZeheMay 22, 2023
@Clio09 Yes, that is the resource I found, and I sent them an inquiry about current availability and if the price is still current. That is almost the only one I found in Germany at all.
Show threadQuinMay 22, 2023
@Marco I became very disenchanted with the mantice after I saw a friend pull it out of a backpack and have multiple keys fall off. Also, the keyboard just felt like ass to type on from when I was field testing it. I loved the software and the display though. I also quite enjoyed overwriting the version of Linux that thing ran...
Show threadJack-FrostodonMay 22, 2023
@TheQuinbox @Marco And no, HW does not have a presence in the fediverse yet. Neitehr does Orbit who are making the Optima, and I wonder what international distribution will be like for that thing. It would really depend on how much presence Framework has across the globe.
Show threadLeonard de RuijterMay 22, 2023
@Marco Yeah, the Mantis is really amazing indeed!
Show threadMelissa RoeMay 22, 2023
@Marco Humanware needs to come to Mastodon, I agree. I've had a Mantis since last year and I love it so much. I so wish a German version could be released to you guys. :)
Show threadMarco ZeheMay 22, 2023
@desertstar84 Oh, there is a German version, I tested it last year for a few weeks. But when I looked now on the HumanWare website for Europe, all the dealer information was gone. But I have found at least two dealers who apparently do carry it. I just inquired about the price.