What users are saying about Trekker and Maestro.
From Sheila Styron, President, Guide Dog Users, Inc. :
For me, the most positive aspect of my blindness has always been the dignity, safety and freedom of mobility working with a guide dog provides.
But that was before Trekker.I didn’t hear about Trekker when it first came out, but by the summer of 2004, it was definitely on my radar scope, and after ordering Trekker at the ACB convention, I could hardly wait for this exciting technological life improving device to arrive in the mail.
Trekker allowed me to move halfway across the United States and in combination with my guide dog, discover and learn a whole new city, much more quickly and independently than I would have thought possible previously.
As a totally blind individual, I occasionally need to ask some questions when traveling, but with Trekker, I can always figure out where I am and never have to fear becoming truly lost anywhere.
Whether exploring my own neighborhood, where the street layout is quite irregular to say the least, or striking out in a strange city on business with my guide dog, Trekker is now an integral part of my life, and I can’t imagine ever going anywhere without it.
Sheila Styron,
President,
Guide Dog Users, Inc.
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From Frank & Frosty:
I would profoundly like to thank HumanWare for the development and marketing of Trekker maestro. Since I received my Trekker It has opened up a whole new world for me. I have just for the first time in my 63 years felt mobility independence.
Thank you again HumanWare, Southeastern Guide Dog, and a special thanks to Rachel and Jay Baiter from Florida reading and vision technology. They have provided knowledgeable product information and superior support.
Now I can truly say that I am not visually impaired, I am just visually inconvenienced.
Frank & Frosty
From Jaap van Lelieveld, Ede, The Netherlands:
Trekker under my umbrella.
Today I received the Trekker 2.7/Maestro 1.2, but it rained—and is still raining cats and dogs. Thank God we did not get the snow like everyone else in Europe. I installed the “new hardware” and the maps successfully, and added my personal points of interest. I went outside, and did something that I never tried before because I hate it—I took an umbrella to protect myself and the Trekker against the rain.
The biggest advantage of the Trekker 2.7 is the tactile keyboard. This allows you to enter commands without too many problems. The new series of keyboard shortcuts allows you to change settings easily, fast and safely.
The Braille input through the keyboard is much faster and more immediatepoint.
Although I do not plan to use the umbrella too often, this easy-to-use input has proven prove itself, especially since it only requires one hand to handle the PDA.
The RoyalTech GPS receiver using Bluetooth connects very quickly to the PDA and appears to be very accurate in spite of the umbrella. By connecting faster, the GPS receiver makes Trekker easier to install.
The new external speaker is loud and clear.
I still use the strap, because I’m accustomed to doing so, but in the near future I’ll try some other options available now that it is no longer necessary to connect the GPS receiver to the strap.
There are some things that you have to get accustomed to with Trekker 2.7:
The PDA is attached with one hook to the strap; sometimes it turns around because of this.
The external speaker and GPS receiver are a bit larger than the old ones, so you have to make sure you put them where they will not cause problems.
I will have to test Maestro 1.2 tomorrow at my office where I do have a real schedule with appointments and messages to exchange.
Jaap van Lelieveld
Ede
The Netherlands
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From Alan Paganelli:
I have to congratulate the company on it's very good help system with in Maestro. It is very helpful, clearly written, and informative. The gentlemen who was visiting me for the past two weeks has never seen the Maestro but has heard of the Trekker. I took him out on the streets and gave him an ear full. Before he left here, he had contacted Leader Dogs for the Blind and had them send him the paper work necessary to obtain Trekker training. I talked him into ordering Maestro instead of the stand alone.
I'm not sure but I think that's the tenth Maestro or stand alone I've convinced some one to buy. I have truthfully lost count of the people who have written to me to say how much their Trekkers have meant in their lives. I certainly am no salesmen and never professed to be one either. The Maestro with trekker option doesn't need one. It sells it's self. I only tell people about it.
I believe that just as the lap-top computer is replacing the desk-top computer, the PDA will eventually replace the lap-top as the computer of choice for both sighted and blind users. This was the biggest reason why I told the people at Leader Dogs for the Blind when Andre showed the Trekker to me last August here in Las Vegas that I wanted to get in on the ground floor.
As the cell phone, and the computer converge with the PDA and as wireless systems continue to grow, the world stands poised on the brink of a massive explosion the world has never seen. I believe the tip of the iceberg has only been seen. This is why I'm so excited about helping. I believe with all my heart that between the GPS and the Maestro with it's continuing list of useful programs that HumanWare will lead the pack as the leader. I think that at some point down the road that the stand alone version will be fased out because the Maestro can do it all.
As a blind person, and as a man, I think this is the way I can make a difference in the world. Changing the lives of others has to be one of the greatest things we can do. By the time my friend Jeff left here, he was already thinking of ways Maestro could change his life and this was from a man who has no computer and didn't think he needed one. He now knows the reverse is true. He wanted to get assistance with home living skills but has decided now that he needs a Trekker first. "I can't go for training in cooking if I can't even find the place" he told me and this only after being taken on a few walks. That's amazing I think.
Alan Paganelli
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From Tracy Lloyd, UK:
I wanted to let those involved with the development of the Bluetooth Trekker know how very pleased I am with the product. I wasn't sure who to write to express my gratitude and thanks for such a wonderful product, but thought you might be kind enough to pass it on to the relevant person for me?
I've upgraded from the 3950, so I'm totally amazed at how things have moved on in respect of the keyboard input and the PDA itself. Whoever thought of the idea to put those nice buttons on the overlay on the screen should be congratulated, it's quite ingenious, and has made inputting data and general usability just so much better than with the 3950...
I also really like the Dell PDA. I'm a big fan of Dell anyway, having both a Dell Desktop and a Dell laptop. I find their products most stable and reliable, so I'm very happy with my Dell PDA too.
I've found the new Bluetooth Trekker absolutely marvellous, and I've only had it for a few days now! It's so very stable, and does really well with acquiring a GPS signal very quickly. It's also done really well on my bus travels, and has hardly lost coverage at all...
My final thoughts are regarding the next upgrade. My biggest request, and most important to me, for the next Trekker upgrade would be to be able to enter an address to start from when in browsing off-line mode. This would be so useful I think!
My second request would be for the multi-map capability, that would be very nice too as hopefully I'd be able to put the whole of the UK on one SD card.
And my third, but not so important but mainly a nicety, would be to be able to play MP3's on the PDA, not sure if that's a possibility but would be quite nice and useful.
Once again, many thanks for such a great product, and keep up the good work!
All the best now,
Tracy Lloyd, UK.
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From Andre Dubois, Technical Advisor:
"I couldn't do without my Trekker GPS. It's just as useful on daily commutes as on business trips."
"Before I leave on a trip, I download the map for my destination city from the HumanWare web site. Then, once I'm comfortably settled on the plane, I can start exploring the city using the Browsing Offline mode. Trekker points out attractions near my hotel - restaurants, stores, museums, and so on. I can save talking notes about points of interest - for example, a reminder about a restaurant someone really liked."
"Evenings before business appointments, I often have a little free time to explore the city with my Trekker. Once I'm on the sidewalk, cane in hand, the magic of GPS goes to work. As I walk along, Trekker tells me about points of interest on the way, and the name of streets and intersections. I no longer have to stop people to ask where such-and-such a place is. Using the Where Am I feature, I can find out my position at any time, the name of the street I'm on, and the approximate address."
"In the morning, I check my Trekker to learn the route to my appointments. With the help of instructions obtained beforehand, I visualize my route in Browsing Offline mode. It's like using a talking map. Once I leave the hotel, my Trekker tells me how many streets I still have to cross before the intersection where I need to turn right. If I try to turn onto a dead end, Trekker says 'Can't go that way.' HumanWare's Trekker has truly revolutionized my travel independence - around town and on the road."
Andre Dubois
Technical Advisor
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