[tabi] Re: Apps For The Blind And Visually Impaired: iPad/iPhone Apps AppList
- From: "Terri" <tblmt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 20 May 2012 18:01:06 -0400
Hi Guys!
Rather than having the expense of the iPhone, I use an iPod Touch. I
absolutely love it! I can enjoy all of the apps that you use with the Iphone.
The only thing is, that you have to have access to a wireless connection to
take advantage of anything that uses the internet. This is a much more cost
effective solution. Of course, you can not use it everywhere you go, like the
iPhone. Many public places and offices do have wireless available to visiters.
I can't go on enough about what a great thing this has been for me. For my
particular situation, it has been much more affordable to have the iPod Touch
with a wireless connection at home and have a basic cheap cell phone plan.
For anyone who might not be familiar with the iPod Touch, basically it will do
practically everything an iPhone will do with the exception of the capability
to make phone calls.
I hope this information might be helpful to someone.
Take care everyone.
Terri
----- Original Message -----
From: Allison and Chip Orange
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2012 3:45 PM
Subject: [tabi] Re: Apps For The Blind And Visually Impaired: iPad/iPhone
Apps AppList
Hi Jim,
Since no one else replied on list anyway, I'll give you my guesses, as well
as another point of view.
A friend of mine owns an I-phone, and pays around $100 per month. You could
probably take a lower data plan (less bytes per month), and less minutes, and
get it down somewhat, but I doubt you'll get it under $80 per month. If you
buy any apps which price themselves as a service with a monthly fee, of course
that will add more. Almost all of the apps (the really useful ones which do
something with analyzing data) do require a data plan, as they send the image
or the sound of your voice back over the data link to a server, where it's
processed, and the result is sent back to your phone; so you can't get away
with buying a voice plan only. There's also the cost of the phone initially,
and you'll have to sign something like a two-year contract; getting out of the
contract will cost you almost as much as finishing out the contract.
You asked about which model of I-phone; from my reading (I don't own one) it
sure looks like the 4S with its speech recognition capabilities would be the
preferred phone.
Here's the other point of view part: every one I know says "I love my
I-phone (or smart phone)", so you all don't need to write to tell me that, I
know it from other times when I've presented this point of view. My point is
that, especially for someone who has to live on SSI or SSDI, these phones are
far too expensive; selling you "coolness", but coolness at too high a price.
And when your contract is over, unlike if you had purchased a talking GPS or a
talking barcode scanner, you have nothing. To continue having OCR or GPS
capabilities you have to sign another contract.
Therefore, I think most blind people who live on such restricted incomes,
would be better off using one of the prepaid phones (which cost around $80 a
year, instead of $1200 a year), and then consider purchasing OCR devices or
software, barcode scanners, laptops, etc. instead. They don't have the cool
factor I know, but you often can buy such devices refurbished or used, and of
course you own them. More than just own them, you're under no contract to
continue to pay for them; if you need your money for something else, you don't
have to keep paying it every month to a phone provider; you are much more in
control of your financial world.
Note that this is not a discussion on how nice the smart phones are, or what
they can do; only that financially I believe you have better choices. I also
have reservations that blind people who can afford these phones, are
encouraging those who cannot, to buy them. Even to the point of encouraging
others to get rid of their household landline.
Once you feel you can easily spare $1200 a year and not miss it, then go
for it and enjoy! (but then I'll argue there are few people who can really
afford to spend $1200 a year and not miss it, there's always a stronger
argument for saving that money).
I hope you received some off-list replies at least to your question (I was
surprised not to see any answers), but I thought this issue was important
enough to be raised on the list.
Good luck,
Chip
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From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of K4NKZ Jim
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 4:46 PM
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tabi] Re: Apps For The Blind And Visually Impaired: iPad/iPhone
Apps AppList
thanks! for all this info!
questions:
1, which apple phone is the best for us to get?
2, is their one for OCR?
3, what would be the monthly cost for the Apps and phone use?
Have A Nice Day, From, K4NKZ Jim B.D.T.B.
On 5/19/2012 2:52 PM, Lynn Evans wrote:
This may be useful, I hope.
http://appadvice.com/applists/show/apps-for-the-visually-impaired
Other related posts:
