[Reader-users] Serious Reader blues

Wed Nov 15 07:47:11 CST 2006

Hi Deborah:

Thanks for your response.  Based on the message you sent, I feel sure
that you will be contacted to get things back on track with your Reader.
Please feel free to contact me directly if the present situation is not
resolved shortly.   

-----Original Message-----
From: reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Deborah Kendrick
Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 8:01 AM
To: Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader users list
Subject: Re: [Reader-users] Serious Reader blues

Thanks, Jim.  Just so you know, I wanted very much to purchase directly
from NFB, but was at a slight disadvantage in that the money wasn't
coming out of my own pocket.  All of the units purchased in Ohio by the
VR agency will, apparently, come from Universal Low Vision Aids, who
buys them from KESI.  I will truly appreciate any help you can offer.
I've sold the idea of the Reader to so many people, and this feels like
a sort of cruel joke that I'm ow stuck with one that doesn't work!
Deborah

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gashel, James" <JGashel at nfb.org>
To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader users list" 
<reader-users at nfbnet.org>
Cc: <jgashel at nfb.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 5:27 PM
Subject: Re: [Reader-users] Serious Reader blues

Hi Deborah:

Your Ohio Dealer for the Reader is affiliated with Kurzweil Educational
Systems, Inc (KESI).  This is not the Company that the NFB partially
owns along with Ray Kurzweil.  In fact, neither the NFB nor Ray Kurzweil
have any financial interest in KESI.  The company we have formed to
develop the Reader further does not market the Reader directly to
customers.  The Reader is only sold by KESI dealers and to some extent
directly by the NFB.  The only way the NFB can help you directly with a
reader problem is if you have purchased the Reader from the NFB.  That
includes furnishing you with updated software.  At this point we have
updated all of the NFB Reader customers to version 3.1.5.

Putting all of that to one side, our company, called K-NFB Reading
Technologies Inc. does have an interest in being sure that people who
have purchased the Reader from a KESI dealer or from the NFB itself are
satisfied with both the product and the service they receive.
Therefore, you have my word that I will definitely do what I can to
bring your situation to someone in the chain who can do something to
make things work out well for you.  Our goal is to be sure that you
receive the same high quality service in working with your Reader
regardless of whether you purchased it from the NFB or a KESI dealer.
However, since, in your case the Reader was not purchased from the NFB,
I am not in a position to do the things directly that the NFB would do
if the Reader had been purchased from us.  Please stand by, and let's
see if we can get something going so your Reader will perform at the
standard we expect.

-----Original Message-----
From: reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rob Monitor
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 2:54 PM
To: Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader users list
Subject: Re: [Reader-users] Serious Reader blues

Hi, Don't know why you are having so much trouble with your reader I got
my from NFB and everything if going just fine. The updates that I've
gotten are
3.1 and 3.1.5 and both time they send me the new card and ask me to send

back the old one so they can look at it and make any changes   to it...
Also
I talked to Kurzweil tech support and found them real nice I just had
some questions about what kind of PDA and camera that they used  for the
reader and the person  I talked to  was more and happy to talk to me
about it ...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Deborah Kendrick" <dkkendrick at earthlink.net>
To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader users list"
<reader-users at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 1:22 PM
Subject: Re: [Reader-users] Serious Reader blues

> Hi All,
> This isn't exactly something that should go to the list, but I'm so
> unhappy that I thought maybe all of you could offer some help.
> As you may know, I was a Reader Pioneer, and instantly took to and
> loved the KNFB Reader.  I did lots of demonstrations -- all of them
> successful -- and used it in all manner of situations.  I wanted to
> keep it, but couldn't afford it.  Under a "post employment' kind of
> thing, I got the VR system in my state to purchase one for me.  It all

> was seamless -- or so I thought:
> My
> new one arrived, and I immediately sent the test unit back.
>
> But my new unit was ordered through an Ohio vendor who orders them all

> from Kurzweil.  My first frustration was the limited amount of time it

> holds a charge -- not even a whole day frequently.  Then, I was
> unhappy because everyone else on the list seemed to be getting 3.1 and

> I didn't have it.
> The dealer told me it wasn't out yet!  Then my unit totally crashed --

> no hard reset would do.  I finally got tech support (through the Ohio
> vendor
> again) and was told to turn the camera on and off a few times.
> Strangely, that jump started the unit.  I was going to San Francisco
> for five days and really wanted to use it.  But alas, by the time I
> got there, that jump start was ineffective.  Nothing could persuade
> the unit to come to life.
> Add to this frustration that the dealer told me last Wednesday that I
> now can get 3.1 (never mind that many of you already have 3.5) but
> that in order to get it, I must first send in my SD card.
>
> If there is indeed a new company, merging the efforts of Kurzweil and
> the Federation, why then is there so much disparity between the two
> sources for the Reader?  Our state convention starts day after
> tomorrow, and I'm sure all of us who do have the Reader will be asked
> by others to show it.  All I have is what seems to be a piece of junk.
>
> Yes, I'll go back to the dealer from whence it came, but the above
> questions remain valid.  Why will the upgrades from Kurzweil lag
> behind those from NFB?  And why must I jump through hoops to get them?
>
> Anyone who knows anything or can give me direction will be my
> hero/heroine of the day!
>
> Deborah
>
> _______________________________________________
> Reader-users mailing list
> Reader-users at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
>
>

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