[Reader-users] i dont get it

Thu Feb 21 09:57:18 CST 2008

Wow, thank you for such nice words! I've never owned the classic, but do 
have a license for K1000, and still own the Xerox Kurzweil personal reader, 
which is still around here. :) When I got it, that was the wonder of wonders 
in 1991, and here it is 17 years later and the hand scanner of that unit is 
bigger than the complete mobile reader of today, with much more to offer, 
including complete communication to the outside world capabilities, let 
alone reading in all portable situations. :)
Curtis Delzer

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vickie Saucier" <vsaucier at dss.state.la.us>
To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list" 
<reader-users at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 3:08 PM
Subject: Re: [Reader-users] i dont get it

Curtis, thanks for saying all of that stuff! Although I'm not technically 
gifted as many of you are. I appreciate all that we have. I cried when Jim 
demonstrated the classic for the first time.  At this point in time I am so 
excited by all the wonderful things that we have now and all the wonderful 
possibilities to come. I stay  on this list for several reasons: new 
knowledge and also for the continued inspiration that you all give me. It's 
fantastic to know so many "nice and gifted" people. Vickie the shopper

>>> "Curtis Delzer" <curtis at calweb.com> 2/20/2008 2:38 PM >>>
You can connect a keyboard to the phone and operate it much like you would a
computer, e.g. get email, surf the web, on top of making and/ or receiving
phone calls, even use skype with it? ... wow, and then, wow again, seems to
me that the reader is becoming a device which can handle all your most used
computers needs, for communication, especially. I don't yet envision burning
CDs with it or writing complex audio like Sound Forge, but ... I am probably
wrong or will be made wrong, in just a few short years, if not already. :)
This is the beginning of 2008, only that! Talk about access, seems to me
we're getting just about all the right kinds of access now, let alone in a
year or three.

I wish I had a couple thousand and a half hundred more dollars to do all
this right now. Those who spent $3000 or so a couple years ago, I can
understand somewhat the frustration a bit, but $500 for a complete upgrade
of the software which recognizes, talks, handles the OS in the phone, and
then, getting a first rate cell phone like the N82, for another $475 or so
just is the opening salvo it seems to me in our assault in the access world
of communications is truly phenomenal. These phones can only improve, and
with more improvement, can only become less complex, more  complexity under
the hood, sure, but easier for the end user. The more the cell phones
improve, the better the reader becomes, let alone becoming a better
communications aid. Look at how much easier it is with this first major
upgrading of the software, as far as the interface with the user is
concerned, how much easier it is to direct the camera because fewer
potential skewing, (look ma, no cords), and few batteries to change or
charge, fewer pieces of hardware to handle, etc. etc.
I bet in a couple years, there will be another device which does more, but
there isn't much you can do except shrink the unit into a smaller device,
which really isn't productive enough to justify a huge price increase, to
probably a good bit of development of third party software will be the main
issues for a few years, and the adoption of this software into a newer
phone, is all, that'll probably happen. I submit that this handling of the
reader by a cell phone is a major breakthrough, not just an innovation, but
a major breakthrough. How many million cell phones are there, and then, how
many classic readers are there? Do the math and realize that to have what we
need in a device that is not specialized like the classic reader, is a major
coups for KNFB. How many companies have taken the bull by the horns and gone
ahead and developed this technology for us to enjoy, and why the hell
shouldn't they profit from it? I don't mean exorbitantly profit, but
decently? Any work you do for anyone you should be paid for it, especially
when the work you do is specialized, and in a field which takes expertise to
handle, and takes a bit of schooling for you to gain that expertise, decent
compensation should be made to you.

Curtis Delzer
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Evelyn Weckerly" <weckerly at i2k.com>
To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list"
<reader-users at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 12:24 PM
Subject: Re: [Reader-users] i dont get it

Hi,

I've been purchasing high tech stuff for just about 20 years now. I
have seen features added, but the price has always remained the same,
or, in the case of screen readers, gone up somewhat. The KNFB Reader
is the fist device I know of that has steadily gone down in price.
Had I had any inkling that that would happen, I very well might have
waited instead of buying one of the first ones almost two years ago.
I have adjusted my insurance on the unit once and will have to do so
again whether I upgrade or not. Buying new, you will have seen a
price reduction of $400 this year. Last year the price was reduced by
$1000. Pray, tell, complainers, can you name any other piece of
adaptive technology for which that has happened? I'm not complaining
about other good companies, but I think the complainers on this list
need a history lesson so that they can put things into perspective.
Sure, I can sit here and complain about what I spent almost two yers
ago, but I was proud to be no. 13 to purchase. The development of
adaptive tech is highly labor-intensive and requires people who are
highly skilled and know what they are doing. I'm very thankful that
people who purchase now for the first time will pay a little over
half what we pioneers paid. So let's put things in perspective and
get on with helping one another. I would be glad to correspond with
anyone offlist who would like more details about my experience with
all this stuff (smile). Thanks to all who read to the end of this.

Regards,

Evelyn

At 12:09 PM 2/20/2008, you wrote:
>In the interview I did for Blind Bargains, James Gashel said the software,
>other than the user interface, was basically rewritten to account for the
>difference in distance of taking a picture and the varied design of the
>camera. Not to mention the Symbian operating system of the phone compared
>with that of the PDA. If you're upgrading your reader, you're not really
>paying for lots of R&D, your $500 is for the newer version of the software
>which has been reengineered. If you're a new user, you're paying $1,595,
>which is less than half of the original cost.
>
>I don't believe JAWS, the Braille Note, braille printers, and many others
>dropped their price by over half in two years, or even at all.
>
>The cost of the phone gets you much more than just a reader. The phone is
>one of the most high-end on the market and many of us, myself included,
>will
>be using it in place of a PDA or dedicated notetaker.
>
>Hope this helps.
>
>
>
>J.J.
>www.BlindBargains.com
>Deals, news, and resources for the blind and visually impaired
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Vidya" <joshvidya at gmail.com>
>To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list"
><reader-users at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 12:00 PM
>Subject: Re: [Reader-users] i dont get it
>
>
> >I can understand Kurzweil's motives of profiteering, but not that of
> >NFB's.
> > For one time, one can willingly pay in the name of r&d expenses but not
> > twice. It is not a new software, mind you, a tweaked one to suit a
> > mobile
> > phone.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Cindy Handel" <cindy425 at verizon.net>
> > To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list"
> > <reader-users at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 7:04 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Reader-users] i dont get it
> >
> >
> >> Well, no one must switch to the new reader.  There is an upgrade offer
> >> being
> >> made, but there's no requirement to upgrade now.  Kurzweil wouldn't
> >> have
> >> to
> >> offer a discount, at all.
> >>
> >> Cindy
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Vidya" <joshvidya at gmail.com>
> >> To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list"
> >> <reader-users at nfbnet.org>
> >> Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 12:48 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [Reader-users] i dont get it
> >>
> >>
> >> NFB at least should pressurize Ray Kurzweil to give a cheaper upgrade
> >> to
> >> KNFB mobile software to its initial buyers.
> >> Why are the same people expected to pay twice for the R&D?
> >> Or does NFB get some commission on each sale?
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Keith and Tracy" <hear2c at mchsi.com>
> >> To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list"
> >> <reader-users at nfbnet.org>
> >> Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 9:06 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [Reader-users] i dont get it
> >>
> >>
> >>>I think one of the reasons they are jumping to a cell phoone is that
> >>>the
> >>>PDA
> >>> is no longer available from Fuji, which, I guess, is the maker of the
> >>> version KNFB used originally.  As for the hardware being tapped out, I
> >>> think
> >>> it's a bit too much for consumers to chew.  I'm sure there is some way
> >>> to
> >>> update the hardware wireing/chipsets or something to allow for
> >>> expansion
> >>> of
> >>> the software.
> >>>
> >>> Another thing is that I think people were complainng on how bulky the
> >>> classic reader is.  I personally don't think it's that bad, but
> >>> whatever.
> >>>
> >>> Keith
> >>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>> From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
> >>> To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list"
> >>> <reader-users at nfbnet.org>
> >>> Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 7:36 AM
> >>> Subject: Re: [Reader-users] i dont get it
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> This is not my experience.  Some people can get someone else to buy
> >>>> access
> >>>> equipment, and some people can't.  My employer bought the braille
> >>>> display
> >>>> I have at work.  I bought the one I have at home.  I bought my KNFB
> >>>> reader.  Plenty of other people I know also bought their readers
> >>>> themselves, getting the money together one way or another.
> >>>>
> >>>> But I'm with the guy who started this tread.  How can a cell phone be
> >>>> better stronger faster than a PDA?  The PDA's not that old.  It
> >>>> doesn't
> >>>> make sense to me.
> >>>> Tracy
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> I think it is a good deal easier for americans to obtain equipment.
> >>>>> There access for employers and so on is a good deal better than here
> >>>>> in the UK. If your blind over there you get braille displays just
> >>>>> because you sort of want them. Over here we have to justify,
> >>>>> justify,
> >>>>> justify etc.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Best
> >>>>>
> >>>>> -James-
> >>>>> On 4 Feb 2008, at 12:33, Keith and Tracy wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> I think you are mistaken about the  funding aspect.  The deaf has
> >>>>>> closed
> >>>>>> captioning on TV shows and movies, which is madated by the feds.
> >>>>>> The tv and
> >>>>>> movie studeios have lobbyists up the wazoo, telling congress that
> >>>>>> they don't
> >>>>>> want to fund Descriptive video for shoes and movies.  If you are
> >>>>>> talking
> >>>>>> aobut Lion's clubs, even Iraq has Lion's clubs.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Keith
> >>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>>>>> From: "william lomas" <lomaswilliam at googlemail.com>
> >>>>>> To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list"
> >>>>>> <reader-users at nfbnet.org>
> >>>>>> Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 1:28 AM
> >>>>>> Subject: [Reader-users] i dont get it
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>> hi all
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> how have they maxed out the hardware of that PDA for the classic
> >>>>>>> it is ten times faster than an average mobile phone is much much
> >>>>>>> much
> >>>>>>> faster, and no one is going to fund you buying a phone to have OCR
> >>>>>>> on
> >>>>>>> it if you want it for a job
> >>>>>>> you guys are all blinded by technology it hillarious
> >>>>>>> so what it is a mboile phone? big deal, 90 percent of us here
> >>>>>>> already
> >>>>>>> own them
> >>>>>>> you'll ahve to buy a new phone? oh it ok as you US guys get
> >>>>>>> everything
> >>>>>>> phones, funding for this, funding for that, we get nothing here in
> >>>>>>> the
> >>>>>>> UK
> >>>>>>> i feel so sorry for those people who brought the classic for
> >>>>>>> example,
> >>>>>>> were told it would work in their langauge i.e to read spanish
> >>>>>>> french
> >>>>>>> german, and are now told thanks for your money but we are scrweing
> >>>>>>> you
> >>>>>>> over, buy out new product now to get what you should have had int
> >>>>>>> he
> >>>>>>> old one it pathetic
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>>>> Reader-users mailing list
> >>>>>>> Reader-users at nfbnet.org
> >>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
> >>>>>>>
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> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>>>> Reader-users at nfbnet.org
> >>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
> >>>>>
> >>>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
> >>>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>> Reader-users at nfbnet.org
> >>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
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> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
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> >>> Reader-users at nfbnet.org
> >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Reader-users mailing list
> >> Reader-users at nfbnet.org
> >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Reader-users mailing list
> >> Reader-users at nfbnet.org
> >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
> >>
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Reader-users mailing list
> > Reader-users at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/reader-users
>
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