Product Features
Maximum paper width: Braille Blazer: 8.5 inches; Porta-Thiel: 12 inches, Paper length settings: Braille Blazer: 0–12 inches in 1/8-inch increments; Porta-Thiel: 8–12 inches in 1-inch increments, Prints on tractor feed paper: Braille Blazer: Yes; Porta-Thiel: Yes, Prints on individual sheet paper: Braille Blazer: No; Porta-Thiel: Yes, Prints on plastic: Braille Blazer: Yes; Porta-Thiel: Yes, Prints interpoint: Braille Blazer: No; Porta-Thiel: Yes, 6-dot/8-dot braille: Braille Blazer: Yes; Porta-Thiel: Yes, Graphics printing mode: Braille Blazer: Yes; Porta-Thiel: No, Sideways printing: Braille Blazer: Yes; Porta-Thiel: No, Specialized printing formats: Braille Blazer: Special mode for cassette labels; Porta-Thiel: Jumbo braille, can change distance between lines, Braille prompts for setup: Braille Blazer: Yes; Porta-Thiel: Yes, Voice prompts for setup: Braille Blazer: Yes; Porta-Thiel: No, Can use as a synthesizer: Braille Blazer: Yes; Porta-Thiel: No, Can configure serial-port parameters: Braille Blazer: Yes; Porta-Thiel: No, Language character sets other than U.S. English: Braille Blazer: Spanish, Japanese, French, French Canadian, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Slovak, and Russian; Porta-Thiel: German, Spanish, British English, French, Stored configurations: Braille Blazer: 1; Porta-Thiel: 8, Pressure controls: Braille Blazer: Three options in menus; Porta-Thiel: Seven settings via external knobs, Direct printing from PC keyboard: Braille Blazer: No; Porta-Thiel: Yes, Waste a sheet of paper each time: Braille Blazer: Yes; Porta-Thiel: No, Warranty: Braille Blazer: 1 year; Porta-Thiel: Not known, Extended maintenance: Braille Blazer: $250/year; Porta-Thiel: Not available, Actual printing speed measured (single sided): Braille Blazer: 11–12 cps; Porta-Thiel: 6–7 cps, Actual printing speed measured (interpoint): Braille Blazer: Not available; Porta-Thiel: 9–10 cps, Weight: Braille Blazer: 12 pounds; Porta-Thiel: 10 pounds, Carrying case: Braille Blazer: Yes; Porta-Thiel: No, Manual formats: Braille Blazer: Cassette, print, available download, embossable from printer; Porta-Thiel: Braille, print, computer disk, Features not usable by the deaf-blind: Braille Blazer: None; Porta-Thiel: Switching between interpoint and single sided, jumbo braille.
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