[Reader-users] Let's get some discussion going

Mon Jan 28 13:38:39 CST 2008

In the past nokia phones have let you use the pda parts of the device 
even without a sim card.

Chris Meredith wrote:
> Wow.  Just saw the specs on this at the KNFB website (although this new device would give me exactly three times as many phones as I have SIM cards).  Some questions I have as to the new device:
> 
> 1. Is it required that a SIM be in the phone in order to operate?  I completely forget how Symbian works in that, although I know Windows Mobile will let you use some device functions without the SIM.  I suppose that, all else failing, I can try adding a line to my existing account and things.
> 2.  What is the timeframe in which the upgrade path will be announced?  Will the upgrade be offered free to those that bought their device after a certain point?  I presume you will have to send in your old device, but will this be done in such a way as to allow you to keep the old device until the new one arrives, at which point you'll be billed the difference unless you send the old unit back (similar to what Freedom Scientific did with one iteration of the PAC Mate), or will you be required to send the old unit in before you get the upgrade?
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of James Gashel
> Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 8:55 AM
> To: 'Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list'
> Subject: Re: [Reader-users] Let's get some discussion going
> 
> Hi Laura:
> 
> If you are interested in checking out the knfbREADER Mobile, I promise you
> that we are not going to lead you astray.
> 
> Developing this product has been far more difficult than just shoving
> software into a cell phone.  The phone we are using has the unique camera
> and technical specifications needed to function as a high quality Reader.  I
> don't want to imply that everything will work exactly the same as or always
> as good as our first portable reader.  In some instances our new Reader
> actually out performs our first Reader, but in some other conditions it may
> not.  My personal experience is that the two are within about a five percent
> range of one another on the performance scale, provided you learn to use and
> maintain them correctly.  The techniques for taking good pictures are not
> the same, but the results certainly can be.
> 
> Please stand by for our announcement coming up on Monday and then feel free
> to check it out from there.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks, J. G.
> *************
> James Gashel
> Vice President of Business Development
> K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc.
> telephone (443) 854-0854
> toll free (866) 836-9988
> fax (781) 263-9999
> jim at knfbreader.com
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of tribble
> Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 9:35 AM
> To: Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list
> Subject: Re: [Reader-users] Let's get some discussion going
> 
> Hi James -- I do hope the A/B units will continue to be supported as I and
> many others have invested a lot of money in it -- but as for whether it is a
> 
> good idea to go mobile, I think it is great as a pocket sized unit would be
> so much easier to carry around, and the hardware is out there that can
> support such a thing -- most all phones now have cameras and processors, so
> putting the software on it seems like a natural evolution. I am reminded
> though of the use CodeFactory made of the phone cameras to write software to
> 
> identifier color and lighting for blind users.  The software only costed
> something like $30 but I thought it was a really creative use of the camera,
> 
> which many blind phone customers thought they would never need to use.
> however, I bought the color recognizer and frankly it didn't work worth a
> hoot -- I mean, you had to recalibrate it every time your surroundings
> changed or it would give ridiculous results, and if a blind person needs to
> depend on knowing when lighting changes in order to use the recognizer, it
> turned out to be a loser.  But I must say it was a nice try. In the end I
> did go and buy the color test from APH for their ridiculously high price,
> which differs in that it has its own light source and doesn't depend on --
> and in fact can't work when there is -- ambient light.  They have a cheaper
> model for a third the price, but I opted for the color test as I tried the
> other one at convention on some clothes I brought along and it didn't work.
> I have been happy with the color test.
> 
> But back to the reader, if there are similar gotchas for the knfb stuff
> being put on a mobile phone, then I would be leary of sinking money into it.
> 
> Otherwise, if it indeed would work as well as the original units, I might
> scrape into my budget yet again and consider getting one -- maybe after it
> has been out a while.  (I'm still reeling from an unexpected veterinarian
> bill for my little dog who got away and tangled with a fast moving car...)
> Is there a projected price tag on the mobile reader?
> Cheers!
> --le
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "James Jolley" <james.jolley at homecall.co.uk>
> To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader user list"
> <reader-users at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 6:28 AM
> Subject: [Reader-users] Let's get some discussion going
> 
> 
> Hi folks,
> 
> I got to thinking about this after the news regarding the mobile
> product line. What do people think to perhaps buying it as a secondary
> machine if they could afford it? For me, thinking on what Jim said,
> the A and B units surely would continue to have updates as the PDA in
> both of them is fast for what we're doing. After all, it doesn't take
> 600 MHZ or so of processing to do OCR, indeed I remember doing it on
> open book years ago with a 486 DX33. In honesty, do people think that
> the unit is small enough as it is? Getting these things onto mobiles
> is all well and good but as you know, aiming and holding a mobile
> phone straight is difficult for some. My only worry about all this
> miniaturization is that we may forget that these are reading machines
> first and foremost.
> 
> What do people think?
> 
> Best
> 
> -James-
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