2003.151.1

Braille 'n Speak 640

Computerized portable braille notetaker with braille key input and speech output. Sand colored rigid plastic exterior with black braille keys and a space key and, on the bottom, black rubber rests. Earphone jack and switch on right side. Power jack and serial and disk drive ports on left side. Speaker located on top at right. Distributed by the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). Features 640K of file memory, 256K of program memory, and a built-in rechargeable battery. Blazie Engineering model BS2, serial number C936590; APH catalog no. 1-07311-00.

H-4.125 W-4.125 D-0.875 inches

1996

Blazie Engineering

Forest Hills, MD

Engineer Deane Blazie developed the Braille 'n Speak, the world's first note taker with braille key input and speech or data output, in 1986. APH first offered the Braille n' Speak in 1994, but it was not available on quota until 1996, when the original model, with its 180K of RAM became known as the Braille'n Speak Classic. The same year, a more powerful model, the Braille n' Speak 640, was also added to the catalog, but was not available on quota. The Braille 'n Speak 2000 entered the catalog in 1999 followed by the Braille 'n Speak Scholar in the Spring of 2000. It remained in the APH catalog until 2004.

APH Collection, 2003.151