Introduction
In 2025, HumanWare announced that it was working on a brand new concept to supersede the BrailleNote family of products incorporating a modern twist. In March of this year, I was invited to join an experienced group of Braille users to beta test the BrailleNote Evolve. This is a Windows 11 computer that combines the renowned KeySoft suite of applications HumanWare note-taker users know so well, with the popular NVDA screen reader. So as we edge ever closer to Evolve’s release, let’s take a look at what we know so far.
BrailleNote Evolve Overview
The Evolve measurements and weight are:
- 243mm (9.57 in) wide;
- 175mm (6.89 in) deep;
- 20mm (0.79 in) thick;
- 990g (2.18 lbs) weight.
The box contains the following items:
- BrailleNote Evolve
- Carrying case
- Nylon strap with shoulder pad
- Two-part power supply
- Modifier stickers
- Earbuds
- Command summary in print and Braille
- Quick start guide in print and Braille
- Six months free JAWS trial (optional)
- Warranty: one year in North America, two years in Europe and Australia
For those who are familiar with specifications and like to know what is under the hood of their machine, BrailleNote Evolve is extremely comparable to regular Windows laptops.
- Processor : Intel Core Ultra 5 (10-cores processor)
- 32GB RAM (LPDDR5x)
- 512GB Internal storage
- Stereo Speakers
- Stereo Microphones
- X2 Bluetooth V5
- Programmable Near field Communication (NFC)
- Vibration Motor
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
Place the Evolve on a flat surface with the Braille display closest to you. On the top face of the unit are the following controls:
On the top left corner is an escape key. On the top right corner is the forward delete key.
The eight-dot Braille input keyboard occupies the middle section of the device with dot seven as the backspace, and dot eight as the enter key. Between dots one and four, there is a tactile cross which form the up, down, left and right arrow keys for navigating through menus and icons.
Moving towards the front of the top face is the regular space bar. On either side of this are some additional keys that make moving around Evolve more straightforward. To the left of the space bar are three keys: the longer key is the shift key. Below this are two smaller keys, the leftmost being the control key, and the one next to it being the Alt key.
To the right of the space bar are three further keys with exactly the same layout as those on the left. The longer one is the insert key which acts as the JAWS or NVDA modifier key, depending what screen reader you are using. The two keys below are the function key on the left, often referred to as FN, and the Windows key.
Moving further forward on the top face is a 32-cell Braille display with equivalent number of cursor routing buttons above it.
The front edge of the Evolve comprises the familiar HumanWare thumb keys for panning, and round Home button in the middle.
On the left side of the Evolve, going from front to back, is a slightly recessed smooth power button. Press and hold until you feel a haptic vibration to indicate the machine is starting. Tap it lightly to put Evolve in and out of standby mode.
Continuing from front to back on the left side of Evolve are two USB C thunderbolt ports which power your unit and can be used for external drives and other peripherals. You would use one of these ports to charge your device but it doesn’t matter which of them you use for this purpose.
Moving further away from the front of the Evolve on the left side is an HDMI socket for adding a monitor.
Finally, there is a Kensington lock at the rear of the left side.
On the right side of Evolve, going from front to back, is an Actions button for giving the unit voice commands. This key has a dot on it, and I am assuming there will be more to come from this feature over time.
Moving further back on the right side are two volume buttons, volume down and volume up.
Next is a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combination socket.
Finally, there is a USB A port for connecting an external keyboard or other peripherals.
The Evolve comes in a sturdy carrying case with a lid that closes over and snaps shut with a magnetic closure. The case has four feet so that the Evolve doesn’t slide about when being used. Closing the lid when the unit is powered puts it into sleep mode.
Getting Started
When you first power on the Evolve, you must wait until you hear the TTS engine start speaking to tell you that you will need to set up the machine. This is a Windows 11 device so it is not what BrailleNote customers are traditionally used to. The process of setting up the device involves choosing your language and region, adding your Wi-Fi network credentials and entering a Microsoft account. There will also be a wait while Microsoft collates this information and verifies the registration process. You will be asked several questions such as adding a PIN, whether you want to back up your settings, and agreeing to certain terms and conditions, all exactly as you would encounter on setting up a regular Windows PC or laptop. I must admit that, at this initial setup stage, I opted to use a wireless USB qwerty keyboard rather than inputting Braille. I did this for convenience, and to ensure that the credentials I entered were accurate without any Braille translation errors.
When you finally complete these steps, you can now begin customising your desktop, taskbar and other Windows features to your own requirements. You will also encounter the new KeySoft Main Menu which comprises the following items BrailleNote users will be familiar with:
- Braille Editor (Key BRF)
- Excel
- File Manager (Key Files)
- Math Editor (Key Math)
- Microsoft Edge
- Outlook Classic
- PowerPoint
- Victor Reader
- Word
- All Apps
If, however, you just want to use your Evolve as a regular Windows laptop with Braille input, you can stop the KeySoft menu from starting. But for those who are transitioning from a previous BrailleNote product, you are advised to use the KeySoft menu to find everything you need until you become accustomed to the machine.
For new users to the NVDA screen reader, you will be able to customise this by pressing insert+N and navigate to the NVDA settings where you can choose your TTS voice, adjust speed and pitch, and make the screen reader more comfortable to your liking.
When you began setting up your Evolve, you were asked to enter the credentials of your Microsoft account. This allows you to use Microsoft 365 which comprises Outlook for email, Word for creating and editing your documents, Excel for using spreadsheets, and PowerPoint for creating presentations. All these applications on the Evolve come with HumanWare add-ins to make navigating the ribbons and features of these programs more straightforward for new users.
Some Points To Note
At the time of writing, (the end of May,) Evolve is not yet the finished product in terms of its software. There are still some bugs, but this is the nature of any new product so should not cause alarm or doubt. While NVDA is the default screen reader you interact with on Evolve, you can install a copy of JAWS and use one of your authorisations as I have done, primarily because I am a long-standing JAWS user and want the Evolve to be as close to a standard Windows 11 experience as it can be. In fact, I have also installed the JAWS add-on, Leasey, produced by
However, HumanWare has teamed up with
to offer a six-month trial of JAWS to new users who might wish to use it instead of NVDA. At the time of writing, there is no definitive price for a JAWS licence once the six-month trial ends. Therefore, my advice is to contact HumanWare for pricing if you want to use JAWS on your Evolve. While JAWS is distributed in the UK by
my understanding is that HumanWare is looking after JAWS specifically for the BrailleNote Evolve, and that if you choose to purchase a JAWS licence after the six-month trial, the licence you buy will only work on the Evolve so is priced slightly lower than a regular JAWS offering.
Remember though that as this is a conventional Windows machine in every other respect, you can install any application you would work with on a regular Microsoft device, whether that be OCR software, Braille translation program or any other tools and utilities you frequently use.
Conclusion
We are only at the beginning of the Evolve journey which is why, in my view, this product has been given a very appropriate name. Those of us who love our Windows machines have waited a long time for a device like this to arrive. Yes there are competitors like the B.Note family of products from
and the InsideOne from
but this is HumanWare’s first foray into Windows, and I am very excited by what is evolving thus far. Some may remember ElBraille, a collaboration between the Elita Group and Vispero a few years ago which, for several reasons, didn’t live up to expectation. So Evolve is imminent for release, and once the current bugs are rectified, I think it will be widely adopted, particularly in education.
HumanWare is also working on a qwerty model which will include a 40-cell Braille display. Naturally this will incur a price difference and be slightly larger and heavier than the current Evolve Braille input keyboard. I must say that this prospect is very mouth-watering though as I do like a qwerty keyboard.
I would like to see the battery life on Evolve beefed up from the current four or five hours we are getting, and I believe the out-of-the-box experience for new users to Windows needs to be a little more polished.
For further information, current pricing or demonstration, contact HumanWare on 01933 415800, or visit HumanWare