[real-eyes] Re: Review of the Apple 3GS iPhone
- From: "jose" <crunch1@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:00:23 -0500
Jim thanks so much for posting this. I plug in my head set and shore enough
voice over works while I am on a call. I did notice that the volume of the
caller is over riding voice over. there is no way to fix this.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Fettgather" <jimkc@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 6:56 PM
Subject: [real-eyes] Review of the Apple 3GS iPhone
> As posted on the Candle Shore BLOG:
> REVIEW: Not Every Apple iPhone Is A Golden Delicious
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> The following is my review of the Apple iPhone 3GS Smartphone with regard
> to
> user accessibility for the blind and low vision.
>
> PURPOSE
> While I believe this article contains pertinent information that will be
> useful to everyone, including the sighted, my comments are drawn from a
> visually impaired perspective, only.
>
> This document answers the following questions I continue to receive from
> many visually impaired people which include:
>
> "Mark, what do you think of the new iPhone 3GS?"
> "Is it hard to enter text into messages?"
> "Should I get an iPhone?"
>
> INTRODUCTION
> Since the debut of the iPhone 3 G S with VoiceOver for the visually
> impaired, Apple has been justly praised for its innovative and, to be even
> more honest, dazzling demonstration of its technical prowess.
>
> Without a doubt, just as in the mainstream Smartphone market, Apple has
> set
> yet another refreshingly surprising standard for other companies to follow
> in the area of access technology.
>
> As I write this, I am acutely aware of the almost certain
> anger/frustration/irritation that this piece will elicit from many in the
> "blind community" (if such a community exists) who will consider me either
> unappreciative or unwilling to eat from what was once considered the most
> tantalizing and yet, for the visually impaired, forbidden Apple tree in
> the
> wireless orchard.
>
> I assure you, nothing could be further from the truth, evidenced in part,
> by
> the fact that I compiled, edited, and formatted portions of the iPhone 3G
> S
> User Guide so that it can be read more easily by those using screen
> readers
> and/or screen magnifiers.
>
> As you read this article, I ask that you keep the following in mind:
>
> 1.
> I am not a journalist. In addition to being a city commissioner, systems
> analyst, professional musician, published short story writer, computer
> information systems instructor, software beta tester, and friend to mice
> and
> men, I am a Smartphone enthusiast, who happens to be low vision.
>
> I state this, Dear Reader, so as not to give the erroneous impression that
> I
> will, in anyway attempt to be neutral in my comments or conclusions.
> Simply
> put, I am an opinionated person and this piece is based on my opinions.
> In
> no way is this article intended to persuade, dissuade, or blue-suede you
> but
> rather, offer up a realistic, measured, and if nothing else, sincere point
> of view on the accessibility of version 3.0 of the Apple iPhone 3G S
> Smartphone.
>
> Be assured that, by the end of this piece, I will provide definite answers
> to the questions listed above.
>
> 2.
> With the exception of the Motorola Q9C, I purchase all of my own
> technology,
> assistive or otherwise. This means that I am, in no way, a shill for
> anyone
> or any company.
>
> 3.
> Even though I am perceived by many to be a Windows Mobile (Microsoft) guy,
> during my career, I have been directly responsible for developing,
> purchasing equipment for, maintaining, and staffing Macintosh computer
> labs.
> Further, at one time in my career, I very successfully taught classes on
> how
> to use Macs. For the record, I began using Macintosh computers during
> Apple's OS 6 period.
>
> 4.
> Since receiving my iPhone 3G S at approximately 7:00am on Friday, June 19,
> 2009, I have spent virtually every waking moment testing and exploring the
> device via VoiceOver.
>
> Further, since June 19th, I have made several trips to both my local AT&T
> Wireless corporate retail store and my local Apple store in order to
> consult
> with the staff and, so as not to run out of battery power, purchase two
> additional iPhone docking cables complete with two A/C adapters and three
> 16ft USB extension cords. So, no matter where I am in my home, I can
> comfortably use the iPhone without fear of running out of Apple juice.
> (I've always liked that phrase.)
>
> In addition, not counting the time spent producing the Braille friendly
> version of the iPhone 3G S User Guide, I have read the manual, in its
> entirety, twice.
>
> At the time of this writing, I have spent no less than nine hours
> consulting
> with Apple tech support via either phone or web chat.
>
> Based on my recent activities, in combination with over 25 years of access
> technology experience, I am comfortable making an assessment of the
> accessibility (for the visually impaired) features of version 3.0 of the
> Apple iPhone 3G S Smartphone.
>
> THE HARDWARE
> Simply put, the iPhone 3GS is a beautiful thing to behold, literally. It
> has a nice solid heft that makes one know that this device was built to
> last. Be that as it may, upon purchasing my phone, I inserted it into an
> extremely sheer black leather case with a protective flip cover. I am so
> glad I did because last night, as I got tangled up in all of these cables,
> I
> pulled the phone off my desk and onto the hardwood floor of my office.
> Oops! No damaged resulted from the fall.
>
> I was and continue to be amazed at the high quality of the phone's
> built-in
> microphone, speaker and digital camera. Believe me folks, Apple went
> first
> class on this one.
>
> While I am delighted that Apple decided to equip the iPhone 3GS with a
> standard headphone jack, as a low vision person, the SIM card slot is much
> too close to this jack.
>
> In addition, I find the fact that one must use a paper click style tool in
> order to open the SIM card tray, almost laughable. Again, speaking as a
> low
> vision person, were I to drop this tool on the floor, I am almost certain
> that I would not find it again anytime soon.
>
> So, as for the overall quality of the hardware, the iPhone 3GS is a superb
> piece of engineering success with only two minor design flaws for those
> of
> us with low vision.
>
> ITUNES FOR WINDOWS
> I'll admit right here and now that my previous experiences with iTunes for
> Windows were unpleasant at best and down right destructive, at worst.
> That
> is, in the past, installing iTunes with QuickTime would almost always
> wreak
> havoc with my delicately balanced Microsoft Matrix. (Smile)
>
> I am pleased to report that, at the time of this writing, I have installed
> iTunes on three of my computers and the experience, on each of them, has
> been equally pleasant and remarkably accessible.
>
> While I use AI Squared's ZoomText software screen magnifier to access my
> Desktop PC, I use Freedom Scientific's JAWS software screen reader to
> access
> my notebook computers. While I am certain that some will disagree, I find
> iTunes 8.2 comfortably compatible with the latest version of JAWS.
>
>>From a blindness perspective only, I applaud Apple for updating iTunes so
> that a visually impaired person can quickly and easily configure the
> accessibility features on the iPhone without sighted assistance. This
> new
> level of device access demonstrates Apple's almost uncanny sensitivity to
> the needs of it customers.
>
> In addition, I wish to add that the symmetry between iPhone and iTunes is
> virtually seamless.
>
> Having said this, generally speaking, I am not a fan of iTunes or the
> iTunes
> store. I find the iTunes environment blatantly restrictive and remarkably
> insulting to my intelligence. As an example of iTunes heavy-handed
> approach
> to file management control, after purchasing my iPhone 3GS, I decided to
> use
> a recording of my traditional landline telephone ring, as a ringtone for
> my
> iPhone.
>
> To my dismay, iTunes would not allow this, informing me that I must first
> pay for and then download music from the iTunes store in order to add a
> custom ringtone.
>
> Of course, I was able to trick iTunes into thinking that my own
> home-recorded sound file was, in fact, a legitimate purchased iTunes file.
> The fact that I had to trick the application, at all, angers me to no end.
>
> Just so you know, whenever possible, I purchase online music from Amazon
> which, to me, offers a much more convenient and customer friendly
> experience. As far as I am concerned, iTunes is the only proverbial worm
> in
> the Apple pie and should be avoided whenever possible.
>
> BASIC USER INTERFACE
> Like sighted users, visually impaired users interact with the iPhone using
> hand gestures; however, when VoiceOver, the built-in screen reader, is
> enabled, the gestures differ from the standard gesture interface used by
> the
> sighted.
>
> [Begin Excerpt From iPHone 3GS User Guide]
> IMPORTANT: VoiceOver changes the gestures used to control iPhone. Once
> VoiceOver is turned on, you have to use VoiceOver gestures to operate
> iPhone-even for turning VoiceOver off again to resume standard operation.
> [End Excerpt From iPHone 3GS User Guide]
>
> To Apple's credit, VoiceOver gestures are somewhat intuitive and easy to
> learn. For the most part, they can be executed with one hand. Unlike
> other
> Smartphone screen readers, however, the touch-screen is not formatted into
> absolute regions. That is, even though one can navigate the screen,
> step-by-step if necessary, one can also greatly increase access speed to
> various items by learning where, on the touch-screen an item is located.
> While this may sound daunting at first, given the size of the
> touch-screen,
> one soon learns this expedited method of application and item access.
>
> Therefore, I am extremely confident in stating that there is a very small
> learning curve with regard to basic navigation on the iPhone 3GS using the
> VoiceOver screen reader.
>
> ADVANCED USER INTERFACE (Dialing Telephone Numbers Manually and Entering
> Text)
> You may be wondering why I omitted an Intermediate User Interface section
> in
> this document. I did so because I do not believe that such a level
> exists.
>
> Simply stated, as one may expect given that there are no hardware keys for
> entering letters, numbers, or punctuation marks, there is a remarkably
> steep
> learning curve in learning how to enter text on the iPhone 3GS Smartphone.
>
> Now I realize that those who, like me, have been using the iPhone since
> its
> debut will most likely conclude that I am over stating the level of
> difficulty in learning how to manually enter alpha numeric data, but, to
> those used to a hardware key interface found on traditional wireless
> devices, I assure you , I am not. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying
> that
> the average person cannot learn how to manually enter data with an
> acceptable level of accuracy, I am merely saying that learning how to do
> this well, will take a lot of time, patience, and continued practice. So
> be
> warned.
>
> Fortunately, there are ways to expedite the dialing process by using other
> navigation features such as the Voice Control and standard navigation
> commands.
>
> CONTACTS AND CALENDARS
> Until mastering how to accurately enter characters, those who manage their
> Contacts, Calendars, Tasks, etc. in either Microsoft Outlook or Apple's
> Mobile Me (allowing for data synchronization) will have a definite
> advantage
> over those who must enter this information into the iPhone manually.
>
> BROWSING THE INTERNET WITH IPHONE
> As a visually impaired person, I can safely say that the web surfing
> experience on iPhone is no less than 20 times more rewarding and enjoyable
> than on any other Smartphone I have used up to this point.
>
> MANAGING MEDIA
> As hard as it is for me to believe, the primary reason why I find it most
> difficult to be more than five feet away from my iPhone is because of the
> superb manner in which iPhone handles multimedia including music, movies,
> videos, audio books, television episode, podcasts, etc. What can I say?
> It's fun, intuitive, and completely accessible to those of us using
> VoiceOver.
>
> WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY
> At the time of this review, Monday, June 29, 2009, anyone visually
> impaired
> who may be considering the purchase of an iPhone 3GS should be aware of
> the
> following issues that may or may not be addressed in upcoming iPhone
> updates:
>
> 1.
> While multiple Bluetooth devices may be paired with the iPhone 3GS, only
> one
> Bluetooth device can be connected at once. Therefore, should one use a
> Bluetooth headset with the iPhone (recommended) then a Bluetooth Braille
> keyboard cannot be used at the same time.
>
> 2.
> When the iPhone 3GS is placed next to the ear (or in a relatively vertical
> position), its touch-screen is disabled to prevent accidental dialing.
> One
> technique commonly used by the blind and low vision, in order to enter
> data
> such as account access codes, is to dial while the phone is close to the
> ear
> in order to have touch-tone audio feedback. This technique cannot be used
> on the current version of the iPhone 3GS. In order to have access to the
> virtual touch-tone telephone number keypad during a call, one must use
> either a wired headset or a wireless Bluetooth headset.
>
> 3.
> During a call, when no headset is used, tilting the iPhone 3GS in a
> lateral
> position will cause the device's speaker phone to be engaged. Currently,
> this feature cannot be disabled. Again, it is highly recommended that to
> insure privacy, either a wired or wireless headset be used.
>
> 4.
> Currently, the iPhone 3GS does not allow for custom SMS alerts or system
> sound modification. Further, repeat notification for system alerts is not
> available. Frankly, the six onboard alerts are terrible at best and
> remarkably ridiculous at worst.
>
> 5.
> Even though the VoiceOver synthesizer is among the best accessibility
> features to date, at this time, only the speech rate may be modified. In
> the United States, the VoiceOver synthesizer is a mezzo-alto female voice.
>
> 6.
> Some visually impaired users have reported extremely short battery life
> when
> using the iPhone 3GS. Speaking only for myself, unlike with previous
> phones, I feel it necessary to always carry a secondary remote battery
> charger in order to ensure continued operation of the device.
>
> 7.
> While this has not happened to my iPhone, there are a growing number of
> reports that some units are prone to overheating to the point of becoming
> either uncomfortable to hold or unusable.
>
>
> CONCLUSIONS
>
> QUESTION:
> Mark, what do you think of the new iPhone?
>
> ANSWER:
> I think it is a remarkably accessible and surprisingly versatile device
> that
> will serve as a gateway to as yet unimagined vistas of equality for those
> of
> us who are either blind or low vision. Be that as it may, it is only the
> first step and, as such, there are several aspects of its interface that
> need to be modified in order to secure its place in history as the first
> true off-the-shelf wireless device equalizer.
>
> QUESTION:
> Is it hard to enter text into messages?
>
> ANSWER:
> Yes, it is. However, after much practice, I and many others now feel as
> though we are either as fast or, in some cases, even faster using the
> virtual keyboard than we were using the traditional keyboard. Make no
> mistake, there is definitely a learning curve.
>
> QUESTION:
> Should I get an iPhone?
>
> ANSWER:
> Because of its relatively short battery life, its system sound alert
> limitations, the fact that its position-based automatic speaker phone
> cannot
> be disabled, the omission of all but the most basic of speech synthesizer
> controls, and the one Bluetooth device limitation I do not recommend the
> iPhone 3GS for visually impaired business users.
>
> PERSONAL NOTE
> Having said all of this, I will add, "This is the neatest thing I've ever
> seen. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It's fun, exciting, and
> if
> you can afford one, get it! While it, as yet, cannot take the place of my
> beloved Samsung Epix SGH-i907 Windows Mobile Smartphone, it is, without a
> doubt, the Apple of my wireless eye."
>
> Most Sincerely,
>
> Mark
>
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>
>
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