Eric.Bohlman@p1.f778.n115.z1.fidonet.org (Eric Bohlman) (01/19/90)
Index Number: 6337
The CET is the Computer Entry Terminal put out by Prentke-Romich. It's a
serial-output device that provides alternative input through methods like
scanning and optical headpointer selection. Cost is around $2000. Using one
also requires that your computer have an adaptor that takes the serial output
and converts it into something resembling keystrokes.
I know someone who has one for his Apple IIe; he seldom uses it (both the CET
and the IIe) anymore. He now uses an IBM compatible with voice input and a
Macintosh with a trackball and a direct-selection program. He found the CET
too slow.
One problem I've seen with devices like the CET is that they're basically
modifications to communication aids for the nonvocal. This causes two
problems: the original devices were intended for people with conditions that
affect speech as well as use of hands, and the scanning methods tend to be
optimized for people with difficulty in sustaining a control activation. This
may be fine for a lot of people with CP, but it makes usage inefficient for
people with the broader range of disabilities that simply make use of hands
impossible. The second problem is that generation of non-printing characters
seems to have been tacked on as an afterthought, which causes some trouble
with shifted combinations involving Ctrl or Alt. In particular, many programs
are designed to respond to keystrokes involving ONLY shift keys (e.g. the TSR
that pops up on Alt-left shift) and not all alternative entry devices can
generate those.
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