[access-uk] Re: Portset.
- From: "Steve Nutt" <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2007 09:23:17 -0000
Hi Ari,
Mercury is not a pen. It is a full desktop computer, with a cut down
version of Supernova.
All the best
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
ari
Sent: 03 December 2007 09:18
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Portset.
Hi Ray,
Yes, I agree that constructive is the way, but, for me some of these
adaptive technology company's prices are very high, in that, even some
governments and organisations don't want to pay for all the blind people
working there to have access to JAWS or other screen readers. At the
university where I was, for example, although we were more than 2, we only
had the 2 computers with JAWS, and I have met people on chat rooms who have
openly asked me, probably out of some sort of desperation, if I knew where
to get jaws cracks, because the place where they were employed, one was even
managed by a government, they were using the fourty-minute JAWS, and this
guy was a qualified person with a university degree, and in quite a good
job. Lucky that free options are becoming available like NVDA, and what's
good is this new cheap pen thing that Dolphin has brought out here, called
the Mercury or something, but I still haven't seen it. I do realise that the
whole argument has the two parts, where the companies say they need to make
money, but for me $895 for a software program, plus everytime you pay for
upgrades is very expensive, especially if you're lucky enough to find a job
in a country that doesn't have laws to help disabled people.
Ari
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 5:39 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Portset.
> Arri, I don't want to be negative. Being critical certainly isn't the
> same as 'negative'. What I want is constructive, not istructive
> criticism.
>
> It is always bad to base discussions or politics around negatives and
> anti stances alone.
>
> From Ray
> I can be contacted off-list at:
> mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> ari
>
> Yes Ray, it's really a pity there isn't just a list to which you could
> subscribe which justs highlights all the negative things of AT and the
> people in it, sort of having an absolute scream at the whole industry
> in particularly. I love this list because the moderators are much more
> relaxed then most of the dragons on the, dare I say this, American
> lists, I suppose it's just their culture with the whole could-be-sued
> thing, where do you draw the line at freedom of speech, some lists,
> you try and criticise something you get a huge moderator thing
> accusing you of some stupid thing called flaming, most of them are
> unreasonable.
> Ari
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 4:11 PM
> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Portset.
>
>
>> Think we can happily agree to disagree Wendy on the meanness, or
>> otherwise of 'the blind'.
>>
>> Access Tech's affordability is something that greatly interests me
> and
>> often vexes me too. Trouble is that neither this list, nor Vi-gen
>> much likes the topic t=being raised at all; some of the reasons
>> aren't hard to see, but your comment of wonderment at people
> affording
>> it does want me to re-iterate the too often unstated fact that many
>> blind people don't actually pay for it, at least those in work, and
>> that is a big reason why prices are so high. Another is the
> political
>> realities we live under as, given the smallish market then strictly
>> for profit organisations are going to charge whatever brings in the
>> return they think is due to them. Interesting discussions on this
>> subject area can be read at Blind Confidential and Blind Access
>> Journal, which are American bloggs, but sometimes our own Will
> Pierce
>> gets mentioned; a bloke who seems to dwell in the intellectual
>> stratasphere more than the bloggosphere!
>>
>> There are those earning a living and some a very respectable one at
>> that, who aren't gunna have things change if they have anything to
> do
>> with it. It's down to political economy really; and that being so,
>> no one is proposing slapping a levy or obligation on the big
>> corporations to fund a proper budget for development,much less a
> state
>> subsidy for it. You don't have to be a raving socialist or lefty
>> either to see the sense of that solution; just out of step with
> those
>> who have a stranglehold on our lives.
>>
>> More interesting reading at:
>>
>> http://www.blindaccessjournal.com/
>>
>> http://blindconfidential.blogspot.com/
>>
>> From Ray
>> I can be contacted off-list at:
>> mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> Wendy Sharpe
>>
>>
>> Ray
>>
>> I think the price I paid was about right too.
>>
>> I do realise that not wanting to pay the licence fee is a bit mean,
>> but TV sets are not cheap either, so I decided to go for the sound
>> only bargain.
>>
>> I agree with you about the BBC, and what we would do without Radio 4
> I
>> don't
>> know. Years ago we used to pay a small radio licence fee, and I for
>> one wouldn't mind forking out a bit to the BBC for the privilege of
>> all their radio access, not just national, but regional and local
>> too. Since going online I have been able to enjoy listening to BBC
>> radio when I have missed interesting programmes, and the work they do
>> on their website is fantastic.
>> I get loads of news and other information from them, and as far as I
>> am concerned they are second to none.
>>
>> Your reference to the well-known stinginess of the blind is the only
>> point where I would take issue with you. I think it is often more a
>> question of lack of funds than actually being stingy. I was lucky
>> enough to
> have
>> worked
>> full time for over 40 years, so I managed to build up a bit of
> company
>> pension as well as the one from the state. This means that if I
> want
>> to buy
>> a new PC, talking product, etc, I don't have to worry about the cost
>> half so much as I would if I had never found a job and had to live on
>> benefits.
>> Given the appalling statistics regarding employment of blind people,
>> it's a wonder to me that products specially designed for us sell as
>> well as they do.
>>
>> Wendy
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
>> Behalf Of Ray's Home
>> Sent: 02 December 2007 13:16
>> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Portset.
>>
>> Wendy, and anyone interested, what you paid is more or less what I
>> think it would be worth new if a large number of people were to buy
>> into this sort of stand-alone piece of equipment, so good on you
> that
>> you found it at the right price.
>>
>> Afraid though that I've always been of the mind that what the Beeb
>> does suits me admirably, though I know in this world of mass
>> dumned-down culture - which the Beeb isn't slow to cater to - its a
>> case of knowing the price but not the value of such a valuable asset
>> as the Beeb is. Unpopular I know, but given the mass hatred of the
>> licence fee, and then couple that with the well known stinginess of
>> the blind, and you have a sure formula for shreaks of can't pay,
> won't
>> pay!
>>
>> I'm oh so glad I've been able to enjoy a variety and quality that
>> would be denied me if I'd been born almost anywhere else. I could
>> quite honestly see me going no TV at all if commercial offerings
> were
>> all that were on offer.
>>
>> A happy to be unpopular,
>>
>> From Ray
>> I can be contacted off-list at:
>> mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> Wendy Sharpe
>>
>>
>> Ray
>>
>> I would certainly never have bought one at full price, and the only
>> thing I lack is a DVD player, but I have now sussed out how to play
>> DVD's on the PC using Power DVD.
>>
>> I have always thought that Portset's prices were way over the top.
>> The
>> media centre does also have the facility to record programmes, but
>> there is no way to transfer recordings from its internal disk or
>> whatever it uses to another hard drive, on the PC for example.
>>
>> Frankly, I was seriously thinking about giving up TV altogether when
>> we finally switch over, as I refuse to have a TV and pay a licence
>> for something I can't see. I'm a mean person, I know, but there is
> nobody
>> else
>> here who wants to watch telly.
>>
>> I got my media centre for £300, which I thought was a bargain, and
> it
>> is a
>> very nice piece of kit, but the original price is far too high, and
>> even with competition from anything else which can talk, Portset
>> never
> seem
>> to
>> drop their prices.
>>
>> Wendy
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
>> Behalf Of Ray's Home
>> Sent: 02 December 2007 12:51
>> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Portset.
>>
>> Sorry, but I don't feel obliged to be overly-polite on this one.
> The
>> price ranging up to near a thousand quid has to be one of the
> all-time
>> rip-offs, even considering the realities of access tech. I really
>> don't know why anyone with a PC would even consider it, and that by
>> definition, is pretty well everyone on a list such as this one.
>>
>> You can hardly blame the guy for wanting to hold on to the miche
>> market he had with the original teletext reciever, but times have
>> moved on since then, I'm glad to say.
>>
>> Still, as I've said to the original enquirer off-list, I can hardly
>> criticise you if you really want to spend money in this way, but
>> frankly, many wouldn't.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> From Ray
>> I can be contacted off-list at:
>> mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> Gordon Keen
>>
>>
>> Strange, safari went straight to it and I've just browsed through
> the
>> models available.
>> World wide weirdness!
>> Cheers
>> G
>> From glorious Devon, England.
>>
>> On 2 Dec 2007, at 12:26, David W Wood wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Gordon - this link gives:
>>>
>>> This page is not available
>>>
>>> David
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
>>> Behalf Of Gordon Keen
>>> Sent: 02 December 2007 12:16
>>> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> Cc: Gordon Keen
>>> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Portset.
>>>
>>> Hi
>>> For alternatives check out:
>>> http://www.tvhelp.org.uk/audes/equipment.index.html
>>> Hopefully competition will force down prices in the not too distant
>>> future.
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>> G
>>> From glorious Devon, England.
>>>
>>> On 2 Dec 2007, at 11:03, Jackie Cairns wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> My only comment, and please feel free to jump on me if you want
>>> folks (though not literally) (smile), is that it's a rip-off for
>>> £620 or whatever it costs. I know it speaks, but £620 for that?
>>> Phew!
>>>
>>> I loved their Talking Teletext unit when I had mine, but that was
>>> when there wasn't so much information available elsewhere. Certain
>>> Freeview boxes, while they don't provide speech navigation, do offer
>>> Audio Description, and there are also lots of DAISY players on the
>>> market to tap into. I just think it's well OTT.
>>>
>>> Jackie
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: sue morgan <mailto:sue@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 12:35 AM
>>> Subject: [access-uk] Portset.
>>>
>>> Hi list.
>>>
>>> I've been reading about the Portset Accessible Freeview Receiver and
>>> I'm quite interested in it. I'm wondering if anyone
> on
>>> this
>>> list has one, or knows anything about them. I've listened to the
>>> audio demo on the Portset website and it seems very accessible.
>>>
>>> Any feedback would be grate as I'd love to have an accessible
>>> freeview receiver.
>>>
>>> Sue.
>>> e-mail sue@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> mobile 07968825286
>>> msn sue@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> skype suemorgan1006
>>>
>>>
>>> Gordon Keen
>>> gordonkeen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>
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