[bookshare-discuss] Re: OT: Getting sucked dry for assistive technology and u...
- From: Rogerbailey81@xxxxxxx
- To: bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 19:50:14 EDT
Have they really come down that much? I remember when I first heard of
Dragon Naturally Speaking it was in about 1989 or not too long after that and I
said to myself that I wish I could afford that. The price was considerably
more than any amount of money I had ever had together at one time. Even
though I wished I had one at that time I really did not need it and still don't
so I never looked into it again. Now I understand that it works a whole lot
better than it did then and, apparently, the price is down to something I
might be able to swing. Alas, I still don't need it and I am quite used to
typing. I don't think I will be in any rush to go out and get it. By the way, I
was watching the evening news a little while ago and there was a commercial
for a car with a navigation system with voice recognition. The driver was
having what amounted to a conversation with his car. There was certainly not
anything like that available when I was driving and I still have never ridden
as a passenger in a car that could do that. The first thing that popped
into my mind as I was listening to the commercial was Star Trek.
"If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything.
" Malcolm X
The Militant: http://www.themilitant.com Pathfinder Press:
http://www.pathfinderpress.com
Granma International: http://granma.cu/ingles/index.html
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table with 2 columns and 6 rows
Subj:
[bookshare-discuss] OT: Getting sucked dry for assistive technology and
upgrades (was Re: Re: Daily new book lists are now on web)
Date:
10/8/2009 4:56:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From:
cherryjam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Traci (and all), this is one of my hot buttons, too. When I
first became disabled and couldn't use a keyboard, the price of
products that allowed me to use voice commands to control a
computer were $25,000. Upgrades? Thousands and thousands each time.
When it became 'popular' to use voice-driven systems in offices
for workers with carpal tunnel, lo and behold suddenly the same
software products tumbled and tumbled in price--they're now under
$200.
Yes, they have a bigger market. But from tens of thousands to
$200? I appreciate the drop, but who are they kidding? How about
all those disabled folks who put out $25,000 plus tens of
thousands more on upgrades - did they get refunds? I think not.
I see this kind of exploitation going on all the time in
assistive devices of all ilk for the blind and disabled, and it
really ticks me off. I understand the costs of engineering and
software development -- my husband was a chip designer originally
and I headed up an IT unit in a huge company. What I see going
on isn't, in my opinion at least, passing along development costs
to the consumer. It's bilking us, because we're a captive
market, for providing something that tries to help us help
ourselves to do everyday tasks that allows us to be
self-sufficient and are part of every-day life and ordinary for
everyone else.
Yep. Hot button for me! smile.
Judy s.
Traci Evans wrote:
> You are saying what I and a few of my friends have been screaming for
> years. Now these products are geared to make our lives easier. I can't
> think of the word I wanted to say so I settled for easier. When I had
> an active rehab case, my counsellor told me that gone are the days when
> obtaining an authorization for a computer could be considered
> frivolous. He said that all blind patrons needed a computer to be self
> sufficient and manage their daily lives.
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