Communication Pure and Simple
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Is Impact
a good choice for me?
Because all versions of Impact are relatively small,
users wanting to use the touchscreen to select onscreen buttons
must have fairly good motor control. Scanning interfaces are
provided for users who still want portability, but lack the
dexterity for direct selection. Because the devices are not
fully ruggedized, we discourage use by persons who are especially
hard on their communication aids. We recommend that you speak with
one of our representatives and discuss your choice with a professional
caregiver before making any purchase.
Why would I want a small device like
Impact?
Unlike most of the dynamic display AAC devices offered
by other vendors, Impact is truly portable. Our devices can
be transported and used anywhere - in a car, on an airplane,
at the dining table ... anywhere! Mobile users will appreciate
the small size and light weight of Impact (5.0 pounds for the
Tablet XL and 1.2 pounds for the Palmtop
2G). As a mounted
device for users with limited mobility, Impact requires only a fraction
of the space of conventional AAC devices, and can be easily moved aside
as needed. In addition, clinicians and health care professionals can
benefit from its small size and portability - always having a communication
device ready.
As a health-care professional, how can
Impact help me?
Besides its obvious appeal for the standard augmentative
communication community, Impact is also ideal for hospitals,
nursing homes, and other institutions that must address the
needs of persons with short-term communication problems. With
an easy-to-use letter-based interface, Impact can provide temporary
assistance to patients recovering from accident, illness, or
surgery that has left them unable to communicate effectively. With
sophisticated features such as word prediction and abbreviation expansion,
long-time users won't outgrow Impact. Since our device supports multiple
interface methods, it can be easily adapted to different users and
different conditions over time
Will Medicare cover Impact?
Yes, but ... The current Medicare coverage rules indicate
that computer-based communication devices cannot be covered unless
access to all non-communication functionality has been blocked. For
this reason, we've come out with Impact-D, the "dedicated device" version
of our communication aids.
What's the difference between Impact
and Impact-D?
The only difference between the standard version (Impact)
and the dedicated device version (Impact-D) is that we've added
extra software to the latter to prevent users from accessing
anything other than our communication software. With Impact,
users can access the other built-in applications on the portable
computer (such as the day minder, text editor, and email program).
With Impact-D, users have no access to these applications.
What's the "Foresight" prediction
engine?
We're very proud of the word prediction provided by Impact.
The heart of this prediction system is a set of complex algorithms
we call Foresight. With a 30,000 word vocabulary (which you can supplement
with your own words) and statistics on which words tend to follow one
another, you'll be amazed at how often the word you want will appear
in the word prediction list. Simply put, Foresight outperforms every
other word prediction scheme out there.
What's the deal with the PC
Demo and PC Editor?
We offer a free demonstration CD-ROM with a Windows PC version
of Impact. You'll get to try out all the features of the actual devices
(except DECtalk speech synthesis - you'll have to use Microsoft's free
speech synthesizer) on any Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP computer. And if
you purchase an Impact system, you can use the PC Editor (included
with device purchase) to edit configurations, import your own images
and sounds, and backup your device.
Is Impact a Windows™
computer?
Impact devices run on a Microsoft operating system called "Windows
CE" (TM). Designed specifically for portable and handheld computers,
Windows CE offers a user interface that is very similar to that used
by Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP. However, Windows CE is a different operating
system that runs different programs - you will not be able to load
and run your windows program on your Impact device.
Does Impact have speech?
We are happy to be able to include DECtalk™ software
speech synthesis with Impact. Synthesized speech means that you can
say what you what, when you want - no need to rely on small set of
pre-recorded messages. An industry standard for speech, the DECtalk
software provides an unlimited vocabulary in a range of different
voices and speaking rates.
How long will Impact's battery last?
The rechargeable battery used by Impact will last approximately
6-10 hours between charges (actual duration will vary depending upon
how often you're actually communicating). To recharge the battery,
you just plug in the recharging cord (as you do for a laptop computer).
When you're near an outlet and want to conserve your battery, you
can run Impact off an AC source (adapter included). The external
speaker included with the Tablet XL version of Impact also uses rechargeable
batteries, which will last at least as long as those of the device
itself.
What are "ambiguous keypads" and "disambiguation"?
Two of the interfaces provided with Impact have multiple
letters on each button - like a telephone keypad. As you type on
these "ambiguous
keypads", the computer figures out which specific letters you
mean - it "disambiguates" the letters. Occasionally, Impact
will guess the wrong letter. In this case, you tell the system to "retry" and
guess a different letter. Because there are fewer keys on an ambiguous
keypad than on a normal keyboard, the keypad buttons can be bigger
(and easier to select).
Is there any other software besides
Impact on the device?
All versions of Impact come with a number of third-party
software packages. On the Palmtop
2G version, these include a contact
manager, scheduler, and notepad. On the Tablet XL version, there
is considerably more software: a word processor, a spreadsheet, an
email program, a web browser, and more. Please note that we only
provide support for Impact - we encourage you to explore your portable
computer, but we cannot help you operate other programs. Note that
our "dedicated device" version, Impact-D,
prevents all access to other software.
Can I make my own interfaces?
Yes! You can design your own symbol-based and phrase-based
interfaces using the built-in interface editor or using the PC editor.
With the Mayer Johnson (
www.mayer-johnson.com) symbol
pack (included on all Impact devices), you can access any of nearly
6,500 full-color symbols.
Are there any symbol-based interfaces
for Impact?
Impact ships with a simple symbol-based interface designed
to show how you might design your own configurations using the built-in
interface editor or PC-based editor. Using either editor, you can create
multi-page interfaces that combine symbols, phrases, and onscreen keyboards.
Additional add-on vocabulary sets are available for purchase.
How does the built-in interface editor
work?
You can configure a personalized symbol-based or phrase-based
interface right on Impact simply by entering "design" mode
and double-clicking on the buttons that you wish to edit. You can add
pictures and text; change font styles and colors; and alter button
colors and styles. Additionally you can add new pages and configure
links between pages. You can also use the (free) PC-based editor to
create and modify interfaces. You can also import images and sounds
from the PC.
Can I buy a PC version of Impact?
There is a PC version of Impact, but it is primarily an
internal research tool. We have no definite plans to release Impact
for the desktop, but we do offer a free demo version of Impact for
Windows PCs.