Maestro
Handheld Accessible PDA
Accessories for Maestro
User Testimonial for Maestro
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The visually impaired can enjoy the ultra-compact size of a real PDA with essential information access functionality: text and vocal notetaking, agenda, contact directory and more.

Maestro is a PDA made accessible using a text-to-speech technology adapted application and a tactile keyboard membrane over the PDA's touch screen.

Manage your agenda and contact list, take text, braille or vocal notes, access and consult documents, and more in the palm of your hand. Maestro offers unparalleled portability and the convenience of state-of-the-art wireless technology. For example, you can take notes directly with the integrated tactile keyboard or with an external wireless Braille or QWERTY keyboard.

Maestro's flexible environment allows you to add other companion applications (like the Trekker GPS system) and includes a version of Victor Reader, the digital talking book player, specially designed for the Maestro. You can also easily transfer files between your Maestro and PC.

Newer Features of Maestro:

Full E-mailing Capability - The user can read, forward, reply, transfer and create e-mail messages, and attach files, using either ActiveSync or a Wi-Fi network.

Wi-Fi Capability - Maestro also has the capability to automatically connect to a Wi-Fi (Wireless) network.

Enhanced Media Player - The Media Player can read MP3 and WMA files. It also offers the capability of reading audio files in shuffle or repeat mode, mark a place, resume, set a sleep timer and fast positioning (incremental or one-minute forward and rewind). It also supports playlists.

Task Management - It is now possible to create and manage tasks, and synchronize them with Outlook on your PC. This is integrated into the Calendar function of Maestro.

Improvements in Calendar, Victor Reader, Text Notes and Many Other Enhancements - Maestro includes a Today's page, improvements in popular applications, such as variable speed in Victor Reader, choice of views in the Calendar, better support of scanned documents in the Text Notes (improved management of txt documents with large carriage return content), formatting tool for the memory cards, support of a second language, Time and Date are presented in the format corresponding to the selected language, and no more confirmation is needed when exiting the programs in Maestro.

Accessories for Maestro:

KeyMaestro is a portable Braille Bluetooth keyboard that offers enhanced notetaking capability to the Maestro.

Maestro also supports two popular foldable infrared keyboards:
The Belkin Infrared Wireless PDA Keyboard is a full-featured foldable keyboard that includes a number row and four function keys;
The Pocketop Original Infrared Keyboard is the smallest keyboard to offer the traditional feel and functionality of a laptop keyboard.

With the HP iPAQ, Maestro can be purchased with an external HP iPAQ Bluetooth Foldable Keyboard.

User Testimonial for Maestro

"Just wanted to drop a note about my time with el Maestro. In the last few days, I’ve been able to steal away a couple minutes here and there to check it out. As some of you may know, the Maestro is the first TRUE accessible PDA. It’s basically a Compaq I-Paq or a Dell Axim, that runs the Maestro software, and has an interesting cover with some buttons for navigation and text input. The speech synthesizer is Eloquence, giving you a sense that the screen-reader might be like JAWS.

"In fact, it’s very basic (as good as it needs to be for now), and allows the user to interact with voice or text note-taking programs, Victor Reader (for reading DAISY books), and several other programs you’d expect to find on a PDA. It didn’t take me long to learn the key-pad and user interface (although I couldn’t really do much data entry as I don’t know Braille well enough).

"Additionally, we got to use the Trekker hardware and software with the Maestro. Trekker is a GPS software/hardware combo that, when used with Maestro, can be a fantastic orientation tool. Here are some of my notes:

"I was excited about:

Quality of screen reader/speech synth
Simplicity in many aspects of the design
The fact that it’s TRULY a palm-held PDA (unlike anything else in the blind note-taker/PDA market)
Active-Sync for keeping stuff sync’ed with another true PC
Trekker and what it told me as I drove and walked around Tampa and Winter Haven with it—it was pretty amazing

"The current and future (planned) functionality of the device and Maestro program:
Bluetooth and WiFi networking
Current support for Bluetooth folding QWERTY keyboard
Future support for Braille input and output devices, as well as cell phone interface (all coming this Fall)

"On the other hand, I was disappointed to find out that it DID NOT yet have support for an Internet browser, or e-mail application. I mean, if you unload Maestro, the PDA itself has all the normal Pocket PC applications (browsers, e-mail, office, etc.), but there’s no speech. I talked with their technical support about this, and they told me that it was supposed to be included with the latest release of Maestro (just released about 3 weeks ago), but it didn’t make it. Now we’ll have to wait until Fall.

"I have allowed several clients to check this out and many more clients have been asking me about it. One client, who worked for Freedom recently (where they routinely push PAC Mate as the best PDA alternative), said that had it been available at the time he got his PAC Mate, he probably would have preferred something like the Maestro.

"I think maybe we should consider getting one at some point to offer to clients (if we can, or if the state wanted to purchase something, it would be a good investment for clients benefit). It's much more affordable than PAC Mate or Braille/Voice-Note, and it’s truly hand-held. Once Internet apps and Braille devices come out for it, there will be no difference from PAC Mate (other than cost, size, and weight). It’s cheaper.

"Although I never usually make a recommendation for PAC Mate anyway (compared to a laptop or laptop+Braille display), now that I’ve played with the Maestro, there’s no comparison in my opinion between these two or three so-called PDA’s… One IS a hand-held PDA, and the other’s aren’t."

Dan B.
Winter Haven, FL

Tech notes:
Here is a brief FAQ on the capability of using digital books from Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic (R F B & D) with this product:

Will HumanWare be providing all of the necessary unlock codes, or will the customer also have to contact R F B & D?
Customers will need to contact R F B & D to receive a username and password and pay a $20.00 membership fee. R F B & D will send out a Welcome Kit with instructions.

If you have any further questions about this or any other specifics of this product, please Contact Us.

Maestro Software is already pre-installed onto the PDA
Comes with Maestro Software Package on CD as well as software for the PDA
Includes AC Adapter/Charger and cradle for PDA, especially for synchronizing with the computer
Size: 4.47” x 2.78” x .5”
Weight: 4.67 oz.

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