PAC
Mate QX400 and BX400 Q&A
When introduced in 2002, the PAC Mate became the first accessible Pocket
PC device in the world. For the first time, the blind could directly
access the same popular mainstream software
for Pocket PCs as
their sighted
counterparts.
Using a PAC Mate,
blind users can browse the Internet, enjoy digital
books
and
newspapers, listen to music over the computer,
work with Microsoft® Word, Excel and Outlook,
and access many third-party applications that are written for Pocket
PC. PAC Mate offers the flexibility to choose which software you want
to use
and the opportunity to synchronize with other PDAs, PAC Mates, and
PCs.
PAC Mate is available
with a choice of a 20-cell or 40-cell removable braille display.
Q: Why is
the braille display removable?
A: Detachable
braille displays on these integrated units are USB-driven. As a result,
they deliver numerous advantages, including:
• Use the braille
display with your desktop PC or laptop when not using it
on your PAC Mate.
• Purchase a QX400 or BX400 now, and add either 20 or 40 cells of
braille later - or get 20 cells now and upgrade to 40 later.
• Remove the braille display, and carry the speech-only unit when
you want to travel light.
• Buy a unit with braille display now, and you'll rest assured that you
have
an
economical upgrade path. You can always reuse your braille display.
Q: How big is the
unit? How much does it weigh? How much memory does it have? What ports
does it have?
A:
Please see the PAC Mate
QX400, QX420 and QX440 specification sheet or the PAC
Mate BX400, BX420 and BX440 specification sheet.
Q: How exactly does
the braille display attach and detach from the unit?
A:
First, reach for the latch on the underside of the
unit, and pull toward the right side of the unit.
This
releases
a catch, allowing
the bottom cover piece to be removed. Next, grasp the PAC Mate braille
display at the middle of the
top cover, in the indent just above the
braille cells. This releases the top cover so you can pull it off
the display.
To reattach, align the exposed portion of the braille
display
with the opening in the QX400 or BX400, and push them together until
you hear the latch click into place. You now have an integrated
braille
display
unit.
  
Q: What is included
in the ship kit?
A:
The unit ships with:
• The PAC Mate QX400 or BX400 accessible Pocket PC
• The Microsoft Companion CD with ActiveSync 3.7, Outlook 2002 and
helpful links
• A documentation CD with tutorial
• A Quick Start Guide in print and braille
• A carrying case and strap
• A battery charger/AC adapter
• A six-foot USB cable Mini B plug to Standard A plug
Q: What
is Type II CompactFlash®?
A:
The ports on the PAC Mate QX400 and BX400 accept both Type I and Type
II CompactFlash (CF) cards. The only difference between CF Type
I and CF Type II cards is
the card thickness. CF Type I is 3.3 mm thick and CF Type II cards are
5 mm thick. Most CF I/O cards are CF Type I, but some
are CF Type
II I/O cards. The Microdrive™ is a CF Type II card. For more specific
details, visit
the CompactFlash Association Web site.
Q:
What peripherals are compatible?
A:
A: Look for CompactFlash peripherals that say "Pocket PC compatible."
The CompactFlash ports on the QX400 and BX400 will support both CompactFlash
Type I and Type II devices. For a list of tested and recommended
peripherals, visit pacmategear.com.
Q: Can I script for
PAC Mate?
A:
Yes. Many who understand JAWS scripting also work with applications
for the PAC Mate family. Check out the Freedom
Scientific Developer Network.
Q: Since there is
no serial or parallel port on the QX400 or BX400, how do
you emboss?
A:
Emboss through the Infrared port on the PAC Mate to
an IrD-compliant powered printer adapter. Visit our Third
Party Accessories page to learn more about the ACTiSYS Infrared
(IR) adapter.
Q: What is USB On-the-Go?
A:
USB is the industry
standard for connecting peripherals to PCs and laptops. The PC or laptop
acts as a host, and the peripheral plugs into it as a client. The
Pocket PC
is the client that plugs into the PC host to ActiveSync. However,
due to the demand for the Pocket PC to accept some of the same
peripherals
that plug into the PC, the On-the-Go supplement to the USB 2.0 has been
developed. USB On-the-Go enables mobile interconnectivity
by allowing a device
with USB to have the following enhancements:
• Limited host capability to communicate with selected other USB
peripherals
• A small USB connector to fit the mobile form factor
• Low power features to preserve battery life
Based on the connection, a device with USB On-the-Go can automatically
be the client that “plugs in” - or the host that you “plug
into.” For more specific details, visit http://www.usb.org/developers/onthego/.
Q: What is the difference
between Pocket PC 2002 and Pocket PC 2003?
A:
As implemented in the PAC Mate family, the major changes are:
- New Connection
Manager – The redesigned connection manager is
easier to connect to a corporate network or the
Internet. Windows Mobile 2003® for Pocket PC adds support for
multiple VPN connections, 802.1x, IPSec L2TP VPN connections,
and 128-bit SSL and 128-bit CAPI encryption connections.
Together, these features help prevent you from being
locked out of your company’s secure network.
- Support
for Windows Media Player 9 – New support for this
industry-leading audio player allows you to
playback local
or streaming
broadband content at data rates of 300 KBS. The Windows Media Player
9 series for Pocket PC automatically scans the PAC Mate's main
memory and storage
cards for all supported digital media types, including WMA, MP3 and
WAV.
- Improved
Pocket Internet Explorer performance – Improved support for a
larger number of Web standards allows both greater access to and better
display of a larger number of Web pages.
- Spellchecker
in Pocket Word and e-mail. Freedom Scientific's accessible
word processing program, FSEdit , also includes a spellchecker.
For more
details visit the Microsoft
Windows Mobile 2003 tour page.
Q: Why didn't Freedom
Scientific offer a removable battery with the PAC Mate BX and QX series?
A:
The move to a Lithium Polymer battery increases
the battery life per charge and significantly maximizes the total
useful life of the battery without adding the additional size, weight,
and cost that a user-replaceable battery would have compelled.
Q:
Are the model QX400 and BX 400 keyboard and commands the same as
I used for the TNS and BNS?
A:
The keyboard on PAC Mate TNS was so well received, that we carried it
forward on the PAC Mate QX400.Therefore, the commands did not change.
We
redesigned the PAC Mate BX400 keyboard, based on feedback from
PAC Mate BNS
users.
The keyboard offers more function keys that are more easily
activated while typing. With the
exception of uses for these additional function keys, all commands
are identical to the BNS.
Q: What languages
do the QX400 and BX400 support?
A: English,
German, Spanish, Italian, French, and Brazilian Portuguese.
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