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HumanWare is pleased to announce the launch of KeySoft 5.0 as part of the company’s new software Maintenance Agreement (SMA) plan. This plan has been designed to give you, the customer the option to update the functionality of your BrailleNote or VoiceNote as software is upgraded and released.
The Flash Disk upgrade version of KeySoft 5.0 is the first general release of KeySoft that requires a “Product Identification Key” to be in place to “unlock” the software, and allow it to run on your BrailleNote or VoiceNote. The certificate is automatically integrated into the KeySoft 5.0 installation package. The installed package will fail to run if installed onto a machine with a different product signature.
To achieve efficiency and control of the distributed software, HumanWare has launched a Software Distribution Web (SDW) site to generate and distribute the KeySoft 5.0 installation packages. User’s are able to log on to the SDW using the Serial Number of their BrailleNote/VoiceNote, check their current software eligibility status, and if desired download available software.
In the following discussion the term BrailleNote applies to all models of the BrailleNote/VoiceNote family of products.
Questions and Answers
What’s New in KeySoft 5.0?
What’s in the KeySoft 5.0 Upgrade Package?
Where does the KeySoft 5 Flash Disk Upgrade install its files?
Can I have KeySoft 5.0 burnt into ROM?
Am I Eligible to Receive KeySoft 5.0?
How do I Confirm my Current Software Status?
How do I Determine the Serial Number of my BrailleNote?
Why does my SMA Status show 0?
What happens if an upgrade is required to KeySoft 5.0?
Can I use my BrailleNote to download the upgrade?
Can I Download my software more than once?
I asked for my software on Compact Flash?
What’s New in KeySoft 5.0?
Included in KeySoft 5.0 are 5 major, new, feature rich functions. These are:
1. A stopwatch – Now you can time any event down to one hundredth of a second, even while working in another BrailleNote function and, if you choose, insert the results into a document.
2. A media player for MP3 files – Turns your BrailleNote into a portable audio player. Listen to MP3 tracks, skip back and forward along the track, adjust the volume independently of normal speech.
3. Bookshare.org – Download txt, brf or doc format books from Bookshare directly onto your BrailleNote, unpack them and read them straight away. All you need is Bookshare.org membership (US residents only).
4. KeySync – Synchronize your BrailleNote Address List with Microsoft OutLook’s Contacts list, so that no matter where or when you update or add a contact, it is a simple process to update sets of records.
5. Duxbury Braille translation – KeySoft now uses Duxbury, the industry leader in Braille translation.
The On-line Help and Electronic User Guide have been fully updated to include the new features. There have been many minor changes, fixes and updates, too numerous to list. Of significance, are stability improvements that sometimes caused lockups when saving large files in the Word Processor, the occasional truncation of large files during editing, and the potential problem of losing data following receipt of a “Parameter is incorrect” error when exiting a file.
What’s in the KeySoft 5.0 Upgrade Package?
There are 2 components to the KeySoft 5.0 upgrade package, one for the BrailleNote, and one for your PC running Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
If you don’t intend to use the KeySync facility to Synchronize your BrailleNote Address List with Microsoft OutLook’s Contacts list, you do not have to download and install the ‘KeySync PC’ set-up software.
The BrailleNote Flash Disk install package is a self-extracting zip package, which may be installed either by ActiveSync or from the ‘Application Program’ option on the Utilities menu. The BrailleNote install package for all models is named ‘KeySoft 5.0 Build 24.exe’, and is typically around 1.5MB in size.
The KeySync set-up program is around 600K in size, and when installed on your PC, it will install the KeySync program to the PC, and determine whether your PC has the necessary Microsoft system components installed. If these components are not present, you are offered the choice to go on-line and have the components downloaded and installed from the Microsoft download site.
The Microsoft dot.NET system components are of significant size, up to 27MB depending on what components are required. If you don’t have access to a high-speed Internet connection you should consider requesting a copy of the
‘BrailleNote Family PC Software V5.0’ CD from your closest HumanWare sales office. A charge will apply for the supply and mailing of this CD.
Where does the KeySoft 5 Flash Disk Upgrade install its files?
As the name implies, the KeySoft 5.0 install package, installs files onto your BrailleNote Flash Disk. The installation software will check that sufficient free disk space exists before commencing the software upgrade.
Can I have KeySoft 5.0 burnt into ROM?
SMA and Single Step Upgrade pricing is based on installing the upgrade to the Flash Disk, and does not allow for burning the image into ROM.
A separate charge will apply if you wish to upgrade your ROM image, and you should contact your HumanWare sales outlet to determine this charge. The ROM image for KeySoft 5.0 will not be available until October
2003.
Am I Eligible to Receive KeySoft 5.0?
Your eligibility to receive the KeySoft 5.0 Flash Disk upgrade is dependent on one of the following:
1. Your BrailleNote was purchased after 1 February 2003, and is fitted with the Second Edition motherboard, as identified by the extra Compact Flash card slot on the back panel.
2. You have purchased an SMA for your BrailleNote. The SMA is only available for BrailleNote units that have the new Second Edition motherboards, or Classic BrailleNote models upgraded to KeySoft 4.01 with KeyWeb functionality enabled.
3. You have purchased a Single Step Upgrade that upgrades your software from KeySoft 4.01 to KeySoft 5.0. Again, the Single Step Upgrade is only available for BrailleNote units that have the new Second Edition motherboards, or Classic BrailleNote models upgraded to KeySoft 4.01 with KeyWeb functionality enabled.
How do I Confirm my Current Software Status?
If you consider that you are eligible to receive the KS5.0 Flash Disk Upgrade, you may go the SDW User site to establish the status of your current software eligibility.Details of the SDW User site address will be given in a separate information release.
Once you have entered the Serial Number of your unit and the logon Password, you will either be taken to the ‘KeySoft SMA options’ screen where a summary of available software will be presented, or you will receive a message indicating ‘Invalid serial number or password, please try again, or email
sma@pulsedata.com
If you receive the latter message, it indicates that we may hold no records for your unit on the SDW site. This may be correct, or it may be an error, and if you feel that you are entitled to receive the KeySoft 5.0 upgrade, please send an email to
sma@pulsedata.com. This email should include your name and address details, the model and serial number of your BrailleNote, and information such as Invoice details that will assist us to resolve your enquiry in the most expedient manner.
How do I Determine the Serial Number of my BrailleNote?
The Serial Number of your unit may be determined from the Main Menu, by pressing SPACE with I for units with Braille keyboards, and READ with I for units having computer style keyboards. Press the SPACE bar repeatedly until the serial number information is displayed. The number that you are looking for is just the 5-digit number prior to the first dash. For example, if the displayed serial number was “Serial Number 13287-13287-800-US”, the number you would enter is ‘13287’ without the quotation marks.
Why does my SMA Status show 0?
People who have purchased an SMA will notice that their ‘SMA Status’ is reported on the SDW site as ‘0 SMA Updates Remain’. Please be assured that we are aware of your current SMA status, and this will report correctly once the SMA “Plug-in” component is activated sometime in October. An announcement will be made at that time.
The ‘0’ SMA status does not effect your ability to download KeySoft 5.0.
What happens if an upgrade is required to KeySoft 5.0?
If you are eligible to receive KeySoft 5.0 Build 24, you will also be eligible to receive any subsequent minor release packages. Such minor releases would typically be to fix bugs, and would be differentiated from the original by a change in version and build number. For example, KeySoft 5.01 would be deemed to be a minor release. The release of any minor KeySoft upgrade would be publicly announced, and the installation package generated off the SDW site would automatically include the updated software.
Can I use my BrailleNote to download the upgrade?
Yes, you may use either your PC or BrailleNote to download the KeySoft 5.0 installation package.
If you intend to install the ‘KeySync PC’ component, we would recommend that you use your PC to download this.
Can I download my software more than once?
You may logon to the SDW site whenever you wish, check your software status, and re-download available software packages.
For example, you may initially decide that you don’t need to install the PC KeySync software, so you only download the KeySoft 5.0 install package. Some time in the future, you decide that you now wish to use the KeySync feature, so you simply return to the SDW site and download the ‘KeySync PC’ set-up package.
I asked for my software on Compact Flash?
Auto-shipping is expected mid September to those clients who paid for their SMA software to be supplied on Compact Flash. Because this release contains a PC software component, you will also receive a ‘BrailleNote Family PC Software V5.0’ CD.
Of course, you may also go onto the SDW site and download and install the software prior to receiving your copy on Compact Flash card.
KeySoft 5.0 Release Notes
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