laptop/computer for school???? which one???

[EllenB]

Hi Louise,

I think it's a great idea to get Elizabeth transitioned over to a laptop. You might consider a couple things - take her to the store & let her take the laptop choices out for a "test drive" so she can figure out which keyboard is easiest to use. And at some point, get Dragon Naturally Speaking (or something like it) software so she can write by speaking to the PC.

Good luck!

Ellen

[dennisbk]

Dell is not the cheapest, but they have the best service and support.

[admin]

I have a laptop for college that was financed by the state as something of a "pilot project" for voice activation. Ihave the use of only one arm, and that is my left--non-dominant. The computer that I have was put together by an outfit in Minneapolis called Freedom of Speech. this company specializes in voice recognition software and support, ant though I have struggled with this little jem I am determined to make it work. I use left-handed/one-hand Dvorak keyboard, which is pre-programed on any windows machine, and simply put stickers over the existing qwerty keys. I like it--some people don't.
The one the thing anyone will tell you about Dragon Naturally Speaking is that A: the proffesional program is really spendy, but you can probably get by with the lesser rendition if you must. and B. Your computer needs tons of RAM to run it. My has a gig, and it is definetly not over kill. So if you can talk your funding agency into a computer that might run voice activation, and you should try, get a computer with lots of RAM.
I also have a digital recorder so that I can record lectures and down load or listen to them later and take notes then if I have to. Onepaw