Hi Iain,
I quite agree, and this is a major frustration for me as well. I recently
attended a screen reader demonstration at our local Society for the Blind.
I knew most of the information I needed beforehand, but thought I would go
along anyway. The manufacturer had their local representative here, but
also fortunately someone from HQ.
As the USB pen drive version of the software was the main feature they
were
touting, I asked the rep if I could really just literally walk up to any
computer in any location, plug in my drive and use it straight away. The
rep said yes. Now, having just witnessed two ladies from a local college
asking the same question and finally getting a completely opposite answer,
I
made as if I hadn't heard that conversation and pushed the issue. Being
versed in IT as I am, I asked the rep how this could be. Surely using the
pen with computers connected to corporate networks, internet cafes or
academic institutions would encounter rights issues? Surely they wouldn't
just leave the systems logged on with admin previlages, and thus this
would
cause a problem when installing the screen reader's interceptor.
Now given this is probably going to be the most common question asked by
potential customers, I was surprised when the rep had to go and ask the
woman from HQ for the answer. He really didn't come across as knowing
much
about the product, was constantly having to quote from printed literature
and I have my doubts as to whether he had even used the software or spoken
to anyone that had.
To cut a long story short, when I finally presented my impressions to the
woman from HQ and the rep, they grudgingly agreed the info they were
giving
out was misleading and that, had I placed an order there and then, I could
have bought the software under false assumptions. But it proved my point
about people selling goods with little more knowledge than that gained by
reading the packaging. Often the customer knows more about the product
than
those selling it.
So yes, I can sympathise with you. What's even worse is that we depend on
those selling us the goods often considerably more than sighted peers, as
we
have issues readily accessing information (such as needing to access it
electronically and having problems reading printed materials).
I'm not saying that we expect sellers or marketers to be fountains of
knowledge, but they should at least be able to tell us about the features
we're paying for. There's nothing worse than bying something, and then
either finding it does more than you thought which is good, or finding it
doesn't do half the things you thought it would, an dhaving paid an
exhorbitant price for it.
_______________________________________
Have a pleasant day,
Kind Regards and Best Wishes,
Hussein.
Hussein Patwa
Tel: 0789 47 595 62 (UK)
Tel: +44 (0)122 4433 954 (SIP)
Skype: patwaspotterfan2
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-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Iain Lackie
Sent: Sunday, January 03, 2010 10:11 AM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Internet radio
My only experience of the Sonata was seeing it at Sight Village in
Glasgow
last March. The one thing I remember about the demonstration was that
the
man doing it was unclear as to whether the Sonata could access Listen
Again
content. I couldn't help thinking that it would have been better if the
demonstrator had a more intimate knowledge of his product. There was
almost
that feeling that we should be saying automatically how wonderful it
was.
I'm sure for many people it will be a wonderful product. However, it
seems
to have the disadvantage of the (what we might call) the simple product
in
that many people will quickly discover they want to do something more
than
it can cope with. I think I would quickly become annoyed with those
spoken
prompts.
Iain
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Pele West" <pele.west@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, January 03, 2010 9:37 AM
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Internet radio
>
> Hi Jackie and Everyone
>
> I saw the Sonata radio at an exhibition at the end of November. The
man
> from Wireless for the Blind was very keen to demonstrate how they had
set
> up a
> station in Zimbabwe for someone that day. I asked if we could set up
the
> links to the stations ourselves and he asked me why we would want to.
>
> After some discussion he said they were still listening to ideas from
> everyone and were trying to make their website more accessible.
>
> Also, he said you could put as many presets as you wanted on the
radio. I
> understood you could only have 21.
>
> I have not bought one.
>
> Pele
>
>
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