• I must say I’m much happier with the orbit than with the brailliant. I won the brailliant at a convention in the first place, so I sold it off and bought the orbit (and had some money to spare!). Best decision I ever made.
– Harrison

• These orbit readers really are the best devices for low-cost refreshable braille I think! It’s reliable and dependable and durable just like my perkins brailler. But in some ways, better than the brailler because it is refreshable braille, lets me read all sorts of books and write any kind of notes in plain braille files.
– Josh

• The Editor appears to be working beautifully. Great job; thanks so much.
– Don

• I have had a few notetakers over the years, and I am really enjoying my Orbit Reader. Thanks for a job well done
– Angelo T Sonnesso

• If deaf-blind people use the orbit20 as part of that system it will make the cost lower. The orbit20 is the best low-cost display on the market. I tested others and orbit20 remains the absolute best in my opinion.
– Josh

• I have had my orbit reader for two months and love using it to read books from bookshare and Kindle
– Mary Sefzik

• I also like it because it is durable and rugged like the perkins braillers. It is the first display I have owned which tolerates extremely well, my desire to read many volumes of braille books and to read for hours at a time
– Josh

• I downloaded nls book and just finished reading on the orbit20. I spent nearly the whole entire day reading. This display is the only one that I’ve had in my whole life so far that can stand up to large amounts of book reading and writing notes in any braille code. The only other braille devices that I own, which are as reliable and dependable as the orbit reader20 are my slate and stylus and perkins brailler. But they don’t let me read and write digital braille files as the orbit 20 does. The orbit reader20 is the best braille device I have ever owned!
– Josh

• When I connect my orbit20 for use with NVDA or jaws, I always use USB hid mode. I find it is the best. I do not even bother with USB serial mode at all
– Josh

• We’re all different. Personally, I read half if my left and half with my right, moving my left back at the same time, then using the left pan key. But sometimes it’s different. It’s great that we have the option for left or right hand for panning.
– James

• The large file situation is one of the great usage scenarios of a braille display. It’s much easier carrying a small display, rather than several dozen braille volumes. I have got a braille Bible and a braille dictionary and they both work well on the Orbit. Opening is fast because the Orbit only reads a small amount of data from the card. It only reads the bit you actually need, based on your current position. Then, as you progress through the file, it reads more as you need it.
– James

• I gave my orbit reader a huge test. First, gather all raised dot computing newsletters. Put them into a huge nearly 2mb docx file. Made sure ueb grade2 was set both in lt.bat and settable.bat files. Translated to ueb. Then for memories sake I changed to the ebae old standard braille grade2 table again, in both settable.bat and lt.bat files. Tried changing the table in lt.bat only, it did not change, had to set the table in both bat files… then it worked. So, I got two brl files each coming in at nearly 3mb in size. Put them on orbit reader 20. Opened them in the standard reader mode. And they opened fast, read just fine! My fan raced a little for 3 or so minutes while it translated then went back down to normal. It was fun testing out such a huge docx file! I’m glad for the disk-based file system on orbit20. You guys at aph and orbit made a very very very excellent product!!!!
– Josh

• Just to let you all know, the past 2 days so far here in Pennsylvania have been quite humid. Humidity at 100% according to the weather. And it is not affecting the orbit reader 20 performance at all. It works great even in these unfortunately humid sticky weather conditions we are having. I was able to keep on reading my book and using it with the computer perfectly fine with no issues at all.
– Josh

• Well I just finished reading my first book on the orbit reader 20! Battery is only at 30%! Everything went well! No dots were sticky at all. The best braille reading experience I ever had in my whole entire life! Panning buttons worked great! This display works wonderfully!
– Josh

• I’m now getting into taking notes with my Orbit Reader. One of the things I do every week is complete my Bible Study Fellowship lesson. In doing so, I switch from answering questions in a file in one folder to opening up files to read various Bible passages in another folder. I dutifully wrote out my questions and answers, exited my file, jumped to various Bible books, reopened my file each time with Chord ED for Open last file being edited.
– Kay Chase

• I am using JAWS2018 and appreciate how much easier it is to connect the
Orbit with JAWS. Understanding version support will benefit other users who aren’t using the latest version of JAWS.
– Rebecca Skipper

• The Orbit Reader 20 was supported by NVDA since version 2016.4. As for how it works, it works just as well as with any other Braille display, and you can always assign or reassign gestures to the display as necessary.
– Timothy Wynn

• I’m proud to say that I’ve had no sticking pins issues thus far. While I haven’t hooked the device to either my pc or iPhone, I have read some of the material that came with the unit. The only time that I had a slight problem was when I was in too big a hurry and touched the display as it was in the process of refreshing. I absolutely love the crispness and sharpness of the braille associated with the orbit reader. I want to say that I’m quite proud of what the transforming braille group has done.
– Stan Littrell

• There’s actually a ton good to say about this unit. The keyboard isn’t at all cramped and is quite comfortable. The keys on Orbit are very responsive, as are the panning rockers at either end. I have and will continue to maintain that the quality of the braille on Orbit is second to none. It definitely feels sturdy and well built.
– Buddy Brannan

• I am really liking my orbit reader 20. I was able to successfully use it in Church services this morning to take notes without having to have some kind of earbud in. I have also started using mine to keep a journal. It is also helping me to remember contractions I have long forgotten since I have not had a display for a while. For example, the contraction for long.
– Greg Wocher

• I text from my orbit and I can type pretty good.
– Amanda Jones

• I’m so glad to have my Orbit! I needed an extra inexpensive braille display other than the one that I already have since once it was mailed to the shop for repairs, I couldn’t look up anything like the time that I couldn’t look up a doctor’s appointment since my working braille display was already in the mail to go to the shop for repairs. That’s when I did a lot of research on inexpensive braille displays and chose to get it. Ever since I have gotten it, I have been reading tons of books on it and enjoying everything that I’ve already read with it. Of course, I have a lot of braille offerings on my older one as well so I’ll be enjoying reading a lot of digitalized braille books now! I also updated my Orbit several nights ago and now the editor is working a whole lot better than it ever did before! All of you enjoy your Orbits!
– Pam Bilton

• For me, one of the very reasons I went with the Orbit Reader 20 is its portability and I liked the idea of 20 cells much better than 14 or even 18 cells. Yes, size matters, even with portable, refreshable braille displays. I can either throw it in a purse to take to a meeting or to have on hand to read while I wait for an appointment, a pocket of my knitting bag, putting hundreds of patterns available at my fingertips at any moment or in my teaching supplies to use as part of a braille lesson with one of my students. Of course, it’s one more think that adds to my students’ interest and motivation! It’s so convenient with so many uses! It’s just awesome!
– Jeannie

• I’ll be honest. I love the stand-alone features of the display. I do wish it was 40-cell, but i find 20-cell works perfectly fine for now.
– Harrison

• Yeah when your reading braille with your Orbit, it feels like your reading with a 40 cell braille display. I’m going to read with my Orbit a lot after lunch. I love it’s smallness and the way you can shove it in a purse as you dash out the door! It’s like being able to read a book or a magazine waiting for your doctor’s appointment to begin or just reading while others are doing their errands. I love using my Orbit anywhere and it’s so easy to plug in to the wall once your home.
– Pam Bilton

• Our orbit has become an absolutely essential component in our lives. My wife took a serious fall a couple of weeks ago and was in the hospital and then a rehab facility. Fortunately, she’s coming home tomorrow. I’ve carried the orbit with me to and from the hospital and rehab facility to take notes of things she wanted me to bring or take home or do and it has been absolutely wonderful. We’re both over 70 and memories are failing and I couldn’t have kept up with things without our orbit. If it went out today, I’d order another overnighted to us.
– llumpkin

• I love this little device. Before I got it I was dubious about the 20-cell line, but it is wonderful, and, with each day, I get more and more fond of it. I am a lay reader at church, and the Orbit has saved me a ret deal of time. I no longer have to sit in front of my Braille writer, open a word document, and hand Braille it on paper. I can just edit the document for strange
spacing, etc, put it on the card, and I am, after practicing, ready to read. My friend and I gave a lay reading class, and we both showed up with our Orbits. It was wonderful to use them. I will be volunteering for hospice, and I am planning on using the Orbit to take poetry, the psalms, songs to see, and any other readings that might be good. I would never go back to a
40-cell Braille display, and a model that contains several lines would not suit me either. Thanks so much for a wonderful device. At one time, many years ago, I used a Freedom Scientific Focus 40, and at one time actually purchased one. When it died, I did not get another. I wanted something smaller and more convenient. Kudos for those who have made
this possible. Thank you.
– Gwen Givens

• After lunch, I finished a long fictional story about a planet which kept having earthquakes and how people dealt with them. After that, I started another book which is really good too! I just grabbed the Orbit off of my desk and after turning it on, I was ready to read! If I ever needed to make notes on some computer project that I needed to do, I could just grab the Orbit and write them down to look at later! One day I’ll show my doctors the Orbit which I know they’d be excited about seeing! If my digital recorder ever wore out, I’d still be able to make notes if necessary. The Orbit has already made a huge difference in my life, although I’ve mainly been using it for reading but the note taking part of my Orbit will be used one of these days! Thanks so so much Developers for doing such a wonderful job making the Orbit so awesome! You’ve started a revolution in having other braille display developers make their braille displays less and less expensive and adding more and more features to them like speech for those who want that.
– Pam Bilton

• In my opinion, I think the orbit reader20 is just as revolutionary today, just as the slate and stylus was revolutionary back in 1820 or 1830 or so. I think the orbit20 is like the modern digital equivalent to the slate and stylus… a basic book-reader, and digital braille notetaker, and braille screen, display, or terminal output for our many digital devices that we all use. And its reliable and works great just as the slate and stylus is reliable and still works great for note-taking. I think orbit reader20 is the most revolutionary braille device to come out in the past 200-year history of braille.
– Josh

• So far, my orbit readers are the most reliable durable rugged displays I ever owned, ever. I write my grocery lists on mine and take the orbit reader to the store when I shop. I also keep recipes on it, directions for using various household appliances, those are in my notes folder on the sd card. And of course, I got several books on it.
– Josh

• I thought I would say that my orbit has become a library for all of the bookshare books I want to read. I got bookshare 2 weeks ago. I found out that I can read all the books I want to read in Braille on the orbit and the books are taking up absolutely no space in my apartment. Now I can take Braille where ever I go.
– Debbie Logan

• I can take either braille display with me and have braille wherever I choose to go but I love the fact that I can stuff my Orbit in a small bag or purse and have tons of braille books to read! As a child I never dreamed that I’d be able to one day read digitalized braille books! Unless someone looks closely at what you are doing, they don’t even realize that your reading a braille book or magazine! They just assume that you have a recorder or a player that your listening to something on it and they haven’t realized that you don’t have earphones on! They’re wonderful I’m sure for students in school as well! Happy reading everyone and enjoy your Orbits! Don’t wear them out reading though! Lol.
– Pam Bilton

• The braille notes are good for education and for students. But for serious braille reading and writing orbit20 is great because it just has simple embedded firmware whose purpose is reading raw digital braille, and writing notes directly into any braille code you wish. Like a digital stylus and slate, brailler, or slate and stylus. When I get my new computer with Bluetooth ability I’ll even be able to sit across the room and control the computer and read books with the display connected through Bluetooth. Same thing when I get an iPod touch.
– Josh

• I am definitely a serious Braille reader. I appreciate the orbit, because it allows me read my star trek books in Braille. I prefer to read instead of listening unless the book is not available in a Braille format. I have other books as well. I am enjoying this freedom. I also like the fact that I didn’t need to go into debt to own the device.
– Debbie Logan

• I am currently reading A Stitch In Time. It is a book written by Andrew J. Robinson about my favourite character, garak. I am loving the orbit for reading. I love Braille for it is for me an excellent way to enjoy a good book. It’s small enough to put in the pocket of my favorite jacket. I have begun quite a library.
– Debbie Logan

• I love being able to take my Orbit to church and take notes on the sermons. When I work with pastors of churches in coaching, it’s a good notetaker. So much better than the slate and stylus!
– Sharon

• I use the orbit for choir practice. In fact, I have all the Christmas lyrics loaded in to my orbit! I have the Niv Bible plus several hymnals. The orbit is terrific!
– Kathy Arnold

• I’m very happy with my Orbit. I have been reading a Kindle book from my iPhone on it. I have 2 bibles, a Bookshare book, and do all of the things that I do normally with my iPhone. I also have my song lyrics on there for church on Sundays. I could probably fit lots more on there. I’m just using the card it came with. The Orbit goes everywhere with me. I have the executive Products case and am finding it very useful too. Charging it is very easy and the battery stays for a long time too.
– Rebecca Ilniski

• Thanks to the orbit reader20, and the world braille usage book, I can now learn Japanese braille! Also, if you get a chance, could you guys, or viewPlus make a Japanese braille table for libLouis so when I encounter Japanese text online I could read it in uncontracted grade1 Japanese braille? I would like to learn Japanese because then I can watch and understand more Anime shows. And refreshable braille I think is the best way to do it. And orbit20 displays braille very excellently!”

• The plastic and the way the braille me is built feels like a children’s toy. Whereas the orbit reader20 feels like a much better and more professionally-made product.

• The Orbit Reader20 has the best braille cells. The braille me dots are a bit weak. I was reading with it hooked to my computer today so NVDA could take care of word-wrap and everything like that. With braille me as it is now, some dots are higher than others, and for spaces and stuff dots stay slightly above the face plate making reading a bit difficult on braille me.
– Josh

• I purchased my Orbit in July, still have a lot to learn, but absolutely love it! I don’t think the noise would be anoying at all to those around you, whether reading or writing. The braille is very crisp, the best I’ve seen in refreshable braille, and of course, unlike hard copy, it never gets worn down! I have downloaded over 70 knitting books and plan to add cookbooks. The way I’ve done it is to put my SD card in my computer, download the braille books from NLS or the BRF version of books from BookShare, unzip them and copy and paste the unzipped books to my SD card. Then, when I put my SD card in my Orbit, the books are there, ready for me to read. Just remember, the Orbit doesn’t have a translator. If the book is already in UEB, grade 2, for example, that is how it will appear when you read it with the Orbit. If you
download a book that isn’t in braille, as I understand it, it will appear uncontracted unless you have a braille translation program that you can use on your computer. I hope this helps. I don’t think you’ll find a better bargain for a better price.
– Jeannie

• The braille on the Orbit is, absolutely, period amen, the best braille I’ve ever seen on any display. When they say it’s “signage quality”, this is no marketing exaggeration hype. It really is. It’s as good as any braille I’ve seen on any building signage. It doesn’t move. Seriously. It…doesn’t…move. At all. Not even a little bit. It’s high and distinct and not too sharp.
– Buddy Brannan

• I have used several notetakers and Braille displays over the years, and I find the Orbit Reader one of the most flexible device that I have used. I belong to several organization where note taking and recording of the minutes is critical, and my Orbit just gets the job done. The Braille quality is excellent.
– Angelo T Sonnesso

• I am a lay reader, and I have a reading coming up this week. I have struggled with trying to get things formatted so I can move quickly. One wants to read naturally in front of the church. The clicking doesn’t bother anybody. Nobody can hear it. I’m even in front of a microphone. It’s not noticeable. This device is the best thing since sliced bread, and I’m kind of putting sliced bread the background so it’s the best thing take care.
– Gwen Givens

• The ability to take notes offline and switch easily is why I like the Orbit Reader 20.
– Rebecca Skipper

• I love love love the orbit I am final testing for CNIB! It is small and light. The braille is crisp. This morning I was playing with creating files, moving files, creating folders. Once I figured it out, it is so easy.
– Kim Kilpatrick

• One of my favorite features is the “just works” option for Bluetooth. It was so easy for me to pair this display to my iPhone.
– Rebecca Skipper

• I’ve had the opportunity to use the Orbit Reader 20 and can say that the form factor, feel of the Braille, and ease of pairing to IOS are my favorite features. This is the best display I’ve seen. I’m up in running with less than a day’s worth of self-training!
– Rebecca Skipper

• This note taker-braille display sounds like it is truly affordable, cause I did read about the braille edge 40 and the vario ultra too much and too expensive for my budget, this will make it handy to take notes and read NLS books without carrying or trying to hold a hard copy braille book even though the hard copy you can see the layout of everything on a page, this display sounds like what I am looking forward to no cursor routing buttons to deal with. I like things that are nice and simple. I was listening to a podcast about the NLS program from the ACB convention was on the program Main Menu that occurred in the summer and they did mention the orbit reader guess in some states they are going to have a pilot program where they test it out and hope they get a lot of feedback. I never had a braille display where I could use it either with the computer or away from the computer and can read braille books on it via SD card. This sounds awesome. I love the price 450 dollars.
– Sue J. Ward

• I can see where a 20 cell model like the Orbit would be great when connected to a Windows Tablet as you are working on the go and need portability. I think these drivers are helpful for JAWS users and thank you again for your efforts to support so many Assistive Technologies.
– Rebecca Skipper

• The unit is a terrific bargain for what it does today, and it has been scrupulously tested for months. Its performance with iOS matches the reliability, convenience, and simplicity of any device.
– Larry Skutchan

• While I love the fact that there are more low cost displays out now it is important to point out this is one advantage the Orbit Reader Cells have over others like the Braille me which are magnetic in nature. The Orbit Reader can work totally fine in any position. I have used a braille me for some time as a test Anda couple big advantages other than that one that Orbit cells have over the Braille me cells is they are ridged and much easier for new braille readers to read with them. I am one of the new braille readers. I am on my second braille book since I lost my sight 27 years ago. I never was quite able to read paper braille good enough to enjoy reading with braille. Same goes for the piezo cells they were to squishy for me. Finally, the Orbit cells do not cost battery power to stay up. This means the battery power last so much longer than that of the Braille me.
– Ken Perry

• To emphasize what Buddy said, the braille is crisp and clear, solid, not spongy, and very easy to read. I love mine and really feel like I got my money’s worth and then some! I have a BrailleNote Apex, and hardly ever touch it now. My Orbit is always right there and ready, whether I just want to read or write something here at the house, or take it with me when I’m going out. It’s portable and quiet enough that I can use it in vehicles, at meetings, in waiting rooms, etc., and according to my understanding, the cells are much more durable than those of the braille note takers. No, it doesn’t do as much as the note takers, but it’s perfect for my needs, now one of my favorite posessions!
– Jeannie

• Updating is quick quick and painless once you’ve learned the drill. And your unit, whatever version of the firmware it comes with, will be usable right out of the box for months or years if you choose not to upgrade. The Orbit is what it is—a very reasonably priced, beautifully functional, portable braille device. We blind people are used to spending up to $6,000 and having everything. Those units are still available. This one isn’t that type of unit. And it does what it does very, very well!
– Sandi

• I got my Orbit back in March and have loved using it!
– Duncan Holmes

• I have a focus 40 I really can’t wait to get my orbit because my focus is going bye bye!
– Lelia

• I am using the Orbit 20 of which is the first Display I have ever used. It seems very comfortable for me for reading and making notes. Whatever is best for you, I think that the Orbit will bring you much benefit. Andy and Shubert p.s. I am so very surprised on how much faster I read Braille with the Orbit….not sure why besides that it could be of the great quality of the Braille sharpness. Some talk about the sound of the pins but, so much better than a Perkins Brailler or slate and stylus.
– Andrew J. LaPointe

• I’m very glad the Orbit was made to be rugged. The AT department here has had one for a good four months, and it still feels brand new. No ghost dots, nothing. Oh how I wish I’d waited until the Orbit was out and not bought the VarioUltra. Ah well, in any case, I can attest to the amazing build of the Orbit. I’m the main person that uses the display we have, and am always amazed when I turn it off for the day and none of the dots are sticking up. The place where the cells are feels clean, empty even.
– Devin Prater

• Happily surprised upon opening the box yesterday. Amazed at how compact the unit is, the great braille, and so far simplicity of using.
– Donna Hardy

• I played with my Orbit Reader 20 quite a bit yesterday and love it.
– Lelia Struve

• I am not considering any other braille display product. For me, it is the Orbit or nothing!
– Elaine

• I am really loving my Orbit. I use it primarily as a book reader rather than a display for another device. I use it for reading books even over my braille note, just because it is smaller and easier to carry around. It fits in my purse and is now a staple item I pack whenever I go away. I use it very frequently in car rides.
– Ashley Brow

• I respectfully submit that if you read and write braille, you will find that the Orbit gives you the best bang for your buck when compared with other note takers.
– Don Roberts

• Get yourself an orbit! Sooner the better Smile! It has been a long long time since I have been this impressed with a new braille display product! Darn lucky to get it too but that as they say is a whole other story. This is a dream come true for Many blind and DEAF BLIND people all over the world!
– Jack and Becky

• Yesterday, for the first time, and with using the orbit, I went into google maps and set up a route. As we were driving, of course, the audio was giving directions but it was also showing on the orbit. That sort of thing is just so amazing to me!
– Donna

• I’m a fast reader, but what I’ve found is that, as you read, you become more proficient at pressing the panning buttons as you read the line, and then it’s ready when you need the next line. I barely move my hands, since the reading line is short. One can read quite fast with the Orbit.
– Sandi