[gps-talkusers] Re: the best of all worlds
- From: gavin atkins <gavin.atkins@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2005 13:24:46 -0500 (EST)
Hi Mike and list
I do follow your reasoning regarding supply and demand for the GPS system,
isn't it so easy to forget that just 3'4 years ago I and most other blind
people had no GPS system at all! but like with all things now we've got it we
want more facilitys and cheaper.
Personally as a totally blind self employed piano tuner the BN32 and GPSV3 have
completely changed the way I aproach my working day, I can now venture out with
my Guide Dog Carter, into unfamiliar towns and area's of my own town knowing
that I can always know more or less where I am, thus saving me money on
Taxicabs and wasted time getting lost, and making me feel safer!, also i can
employ my driver's time more efficiently, saving me money.
So although the British goverment's Access to work scheme paid for the BN I
have paid for the GPS system so far and consider it an investment.
GPS has made my working and personal life so much more interesting, (train
journeys are much more exciting! except for Virgin trains window's that prevent
the Magellan seeing out), And of course I am fortunate to have employment and
the support with the perchase cost of the BN, but I can see how it is creating
a two tiered group of, those with the technology and those without.
Naturally now that the Doorway of GPS has been pushed open we all want to fling
it wide and get running round in the world that's been opened up to us.
Hopefuly those who controle the perse strings will begin to understand just how
amazing GPS is to blind people and that its not just a toy, that sighted people
may play with if there to lazy to read a map which is readily available to them
for about half the cost of a local Taxi journey.
Regards Gavin Atkins
> ----- Original Message -----
>From: Michael May <MikeMay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: "GPS-talkusers-freelists.org" <GPS-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 09:04:40 -0800
>Subject: [gps-talkusers] the best of all worlds
>Regarding recent comments about the best of Trekker and BrailleNote in one
>system. I have to say that the one-pound BrailleNote PK with a Bluetooth
>GPS receiver weighing a couple ounces is amazingly small and the lack of
>wires is wonderful. I dare say Trekker weighs more than that altogether.
>Now to the issue of price. If as many blind people or their funding
>agencies bought GPS as purchased a screen reader, the price could probably
>be cut in half. The blindness market is small and GPS purchases are a small
>portion of an already small market. In order to have a low priced GPS, it
>will have to be an off-the-shelf mass market product. In that case, you
>will have a low price but reduced functionality and support. We just need
>to be realistic that there are trade offs between price and functionality.
>We can't have our cake and eat it too.
>We are hopeful that with more users out there and more education of rehab
>folks and O&M instructors, the blindness
> GPS market will grow so we can continue to bring you more and more
>features and maybe even lower prices.
>Several of us from Sendero monitor this list and we take your suggestions
>very seriously. Sendero just past its 5 year anniversary and we are very
>grateful for your customer loyalty. We have come a long way in that time
>and we look forward to more major strides over the next five years.
>Mike
>Michael G. May
>CEO Sendero Group
>Developers and distributors of BrailleNote GPS
>Distributing BrailleNote, VoiceNote, Miniguide, The Tissot Silen-T tactile
>watch, Talks cell phone software and the ID Mate, bar code reader
>MikeMay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>http://www.SenderoGroup.com
>(1-888-757-6810, Fax (530) 757-6830, Mobile (530) 304-0007
>Sendero Group, LLC
>1118 Maple Lane, Davis, CA 95616-1723, USA
>Latitude, 38 33 9.239 North
>Longitude, 121 45 40.145 West
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