[access-uk] Re: georgie trial now available, initial opinion

  • From: "Steve Nutt" <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2012 16:36:09 +0100

Hi,

That's what I mean.  I could sell Havens by the bucket load to blind people
who are literally scared of touch screens, and it would likely suit their
needs.

All the best

Steve
--
Computer Room Services
77 Exeter Close
Stevenage
Hertfordshire
SG1 4PW
Tel:  01438-742286
Mob: 07956334938
Fax: 01438-759589
Email: steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Web: http://www.comproom.co.uk


-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Angel
Sent: 02 August 2012 16:12
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: georgie trial now available, initial opinion

No, unfortunately, because the operating system is different.  It is a shame

too.  Because the Haven offers no bells and whistles and has large buttons 
for those with motor or tactile challenges.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Nutt" <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 9:48 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: georgie trial now available, initial opinion


> Hi Mo,
>
> So can you get the Samsung Haven in the UK?  I have been asked 
> occasionally
> if I can get it, and can't find it.
>
> All the best
>
> Steve
>
> --
> Computer Room Services
> 77 Exeter Close
> Stevenage
> Hertfordshire
> SG1 4PW
> Tel: 01438-742286
> Mob: 07956334938
> Fax: 01438-759589
> Email: steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Web: http://www.comproom.co.uk
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf 
> Of
> Mobeen Iqbal
> Sent: 02 August 2012 00:02
> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [access-uk] georgie trial now available, initial opinion
>
> Hi.
>
> The georgie developers have finally seen fit to provide a trial on the
> google play store, all be it a 14 day trial. I have included a link
> below, as well as my initial findings. The following is just my opinion
> and i do not intend to start a debate on list, but it would be
> interesting to see what others think.
>
>
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.screenreader.Georgie&featu
> re=search_result
>
> Main app interface: the first criticism i have is the fact that all
> navigation has to be acomplished via a touch screen. Trying on a samsung
> galaxy pro, i could not click any of the controls via the keyboard even
> though they are recognised as buttons. I could also not dial a phone
> number via the keyboard, something i was very very surprised at!
> something so simple that's been around for years has been over looked?
> this is probably because you have to hover over each item on the screen
> with your finger. on to my next point. it took me a while to figure out
> that you have to hover over a certain icon for 2 seconds or more until a
> tone is heard, then lift your finger to activate it. being used to the
> double tap system normally used in android, this came as a little qwerk
> i could've done with out, though i can see the logic behind it i guess.
> The logic being cut out the need to tap the icon twice and risk hitting
> another icon while you're at it. Also, i would've liked the ability to
> turn off the dog barking sound when the app is launched, and every time
> you return to the home screen from outside the app. nothing against
> guide dogs, but it could be a bit of an embarrassment in public places!
> Also, my phone really started lagging, something its never done with
> other applications no matter how many i've had installed at any one
> time. while i'm writing this, the phone's completely crashed, i'll go on
> to the apps when it reboots.
>
> On to the apps:
>
> Now my battery's back in and the thing's booted, by default, you can try
> out all the apps in the trial. i liked the fact you can adjust screen
> contrast/colours, and also the simplicity of the interface. there needs
> to be more user input in to what can be configured/added for the price,
> i can see this being aimed at a minority market relating specifically to
> the elderly or motor impaired.
>
> I did not like the fact that the volume rocker is taken over by the
> software. there are meant to be 3 pages, each page containing the
> various apps in various catagories. The volume rocker, instead of
> allowing you to alter the volume of the app in realtime cycles through
> the various pages. it also appears to unlock the phone when its been
> locked, something which i wasn't too impressed with. on android, its
> standard practis that all buttons are locked and the power button plus
> jesture is used to unlock. page1 has your standard apps, messaging
> dialer etc, page 2 goes on to OCR, colour recognition etc, page 3 is
> thankfully nothing rood, its your lifestile apps containing twitter,
> audio book services, talking newspapers etc. I would've apreciated it if
> the developers had enabled scroling so you could scrole to page 2/3, or
> again provided a setting to switch between various modes for various
> functions i.e the ability to turn things on and off, or use alternative
> jestures for commands.
>
> I am going to be using the software over the next 2 weeks, so may post
> further findings. Also if people request, i may consider doing an audio
> demo all be it opinionated giving each app a chance, to save people
> installing it. I would also have liked to see tighter integration with
> google maps. At the moment, yes you can find out where your nearest bus
> stop is, taxi information, but you don't appear to be able to send these
> to google maps to navigate to the destination in mind.
>
> The voice applications also appear, or may rely on the internet. I
> haven't tested the application offline yet with no internet connection,
> but suspect that because of past experience, the phone will be sending
> what ever you say, dictated text messages, numbers, etc to google's
> servers then back to your phone. Any android user using this app may
> wish they were on some kind of data plan if this is the case.
>
> I have also tried the colour recogniser application. ironically, a
> freely available talking colour application from the android market,
> Colour ID,  produced better results than their app! Their app just
> stated my teashirt colour as black, the colour ID app was kind enough to
> be more specific and tell me that it was brownish black, and that the
> colour of my door was grey.
>
> The OCR app appeared to be doing something, though it requires the user
> to have the phone level, i.e as if resting flat on a desk before it'll
> scan. this could proove to be an issue if reading a sign/business
> information that isn't necessarily on a flat surface. oh dear, where's
> the gents? i'm getting desperate now!
>
> You can configure settings remotely for georgie via the web, or sight
> and sound can do this for you. i'm not comfortable with this approach.
> I'd like to know how secure the remote access app used is? is it
> encrypted? how safe is user data? Privacy is at risk, what if they can
> read your text messages? one user complained that sight and sound or
> someone sent him an unsolicited text message because he posted a bad
> review! this could be a error/over reaction or mistake  on his part,
> but? i've installed this on a handset i'm not bothered about but i'd be
> hesitant to install this on a handset i'm using for daily use.
>
> I would've liked to see inclusion of an email application, as well as a
> web browser of some kind. georgie at present won't support this at
> present so you'd have to use talkback to surf the web.
>
> I also couldn't find an option to access the rest of the phone's
> settings, though i haven't customised it or atempted to unlock advanced
> settings if any are available. apparently you can control what the user
> can do on the phone and provide/limit access to certain functions, so
> we'll see if in the next few days i unlock this supposed functionality.
> An option to access the android market or the app draw would've been
> nice, though again this doesn't appear to be their aim. their aim
> appears to be make the phone as simple as possible for a basic user, and
> that's it. for a hefty price tag! The app also froze, and i received a
> force close message on screen informing me that georgie had terminated.
> i then had to reactivate it via my home button. that, by the way was
> when i tried to access the georgie news option. this option is meant to
> provide you with the latest updates from the world of georgie, i have
> visions of them providing georgie with his own personal blog! there are
> after all pages on facebook for pets. nothing wrong with that of
> course... but? anyway back to the point.
>
> And now on to my final point. the contacts app, call/phone app,
> messaging app, colour recogniser app, and even the OCR app using google
> goggles all have free alternatives. Google maps are a lot better now and
> its becoming easier to find your location, to navigate to places, to
> find local places of interest, and its all free! even if you do
> pourchase mobile accessibility, at least you can use it outside its own
> homescreen if you wish! What would then prompt me to buy this. I would
> buy it if i had a really basic android user in mind, though i'd first
> try my very hardest to go the free/lower cost  root not because i'm
> stingy, but a lot of the time people don't have money to burn and also
> there are apps out there that do the job. the eyes free shell home
> screen is perfectly customisable and allows you to make things as simple
> as they could be for someone by adding/removing the apps the user has
> access to. Mobile accessibility is basic enough for most people. Also,
> if my client just wanted a basic phone, basic second hand and brand new
> nokia symbian phones abound on the internet. the haven phone could also
> be imported to the UK, and i saw a phone that spoke the numbers dialed
> for £15 in tesco the other day. The only reason i would personally spend
> any money on this application is the OCR capability, and possibly the
> audio book/talking newspaper ability though at that price, do we get a
> free subscription to the services in question? perhaps we should?
>
> the pricing model is also unclear. they state that £150 will get you the
> default apps. now as far as i know, that's just the basic apps, dialer,
> messaging, contacts, georgie news and help, the phone dialer, and the
> call log. mobile accessibility offers all this and more for almost a
> third of the price! yes MA isn't perfect but that's not the point, who
> is? £25 extra each for the lifestile and communications apps doesn't net
> you much. the audio books app, the camera app, again a free alternative
> available, OCR, tweet by voice, ask any question by voice anyone ever
> heard of freely available jeanie? talking newspapers, podcasts, and lets
> not forget the amazing voice blog. If anyone wants to hear me singing in
> the shower, please let me know! the potential is amazing isn't it? the
> sarcasm is partly intentional, sorry i'll stop it now...
>
> So, from this hotchpotch email, a conclusion: the app is very over
> priced, even code factory who i expected to charge a lot more for their
> app haven't charged much at all, its even available stripped down in the
> US for free. If users have free alternatives and are only paying for
> simplicity which can be achieved with selection of a few choice free/low
> paid apps, what will compell people to buy this? now if they'd included
> a turn by turn navigation aid like wayfinder for symbian if anyone
> remembers that, that would've impressed me. I really hope that the
> company does well, though there's still a long way to go. I hope it does
> not go the same way as thunder i.e get knocked out by an open source,
> free!  effort like NVDA. I never really managed to achieve much with the
> thunder screen reader, it was rather embarrassing when atempting to demo
> it as part of training a few years ago it kept crashing. we couldn't
> even get it to read out word documents or the web in a satisfactory 
> manner.
>
> As i have already said the opinions i express above are just based on
> early findings. A lot could change over the next 2 weeks. I may end up
> loving? georgie, though i doubt i'll be paying for it. If i've been
> harsh on the developers, it wasn't intentional. the georgie app only has
> a 2.2 star rating on the play store, and the majority of the reviews are
> from those that are experiencing frustration using the application. some
> can't get it to work though this could be user error. i wonder how many
> phones they tested this on?
>
> From a business standpoint, if you set the right price people will buy
> your product, set it too high and they'll turn to other sollutions. £300
> with a handset included? a Nokia C5 with talks costs £100, a basic
> handset like the sony experia pro with icecream sandwitch which is
> totally accessible would only cost £180 at the most.
>
> finally, i'd like to round things off by quoting a comment from someone
> called justin on the eyes-free list with which i agree. i hope you don't
> mind me quoting you justin, though i don't know you personally.
>
> Justin <justinmacleod@xxxxxxxxxxx> Aug 01 10:06PM +0100
>
> That's what I think is so scandalous. They are indeed targeting older 
> people
> and those who are less up to speed with computers, those who don't know
> better or those that can't, for whatever reason, cope with the free, 
> cheeper
> alternative that actually does more. Why should they have to pay more for
> less?
>
> Anyway, it would be great to hear people's experiences. If i'm wrong
> about anything in this email, i'll gladly stand corrected and i'm still
> giving georgie a fair chance. People are also welcome to write to me off
> list,
>
> mobeeniqbal@xxxxxxxxx
>
> is where you'll find me. Its taken the best part of 2 hours to write
> this, anyone for a cup of tea?
>
> Thanks for reading,
>
> Mo.
>
> ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:-
> ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
> ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
> ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> ** and in the Subject line type
> ** unsubscribe
> ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the
> ** immediately-following link:-
> ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
> ** or send a message, to
> ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
>
>
>
> ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:-
> ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
> ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
> ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> ** and in the Subject line type
> ** unsubscribe
> ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the
> ** immediately-following link:-
> ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
> ** or send a message, to
> ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
> 

** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq



** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq

Other related posts:

  1. Home
  2. access-uk
  3. Archive
  4. 08-2012