I agree, as trainers we should get some kind of discount for making their products be better known to users out there. I don't see it happening though *sigh* Rick ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ann Parsons" <akp@xxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <talk-serotek@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 11:24 PM Subject: TalkSerotek: The SMA is dead. Hi all, I can't help responding to this message, and I will probably be responding to Richard Wells' post about modular solutions to the notetaking dilemma. However, I would just like to tell you that when I heard this announcement, I got all choked up. Yeh, this old Netizen who doesn't usually cry at movies got all choked up! Why? Because I had the singular experience last sommer of acquiring a small grant for my business. Being a trainer, I *must* have all three screen readers on my computers here in the office. It is impractical to do anything else. So, when I acquired the $2,000.00 I began looking at what I needed to do in order to upgrade my software. I looked at WE, said, yeh, think WE needs to be upgraded. I looked at Jaws and said, yeh, this needs to be upgraded too. So, I went to my telephone to talk to the folks at the given companies to upgrade my screen readers so that I could train people better. (I believe that trainers should get discounts from Access Technology Vendors, food for another editorial), and I discovered that I could upgrade WE for $450.00., giving me two additional upgrades. Then, I went to their competitors. Friends, I am currently running Jaws 6.0. Jaws is up to version 9, or it was last June. Friend, neighbors, Mike is completely right when he sites the price of upgrading Jaws for me. That company wanted $750.00, yes, seven hundred and fifty dollars they wanted me to pay. Yes, they wanted me, a trainer, one who, if I wanted to, could train their clientele on their software, recommend their products, be of assistance to their vendors and so on and on. They wanted me to pay for the privilege of going from Jaws 6.0 to 7.0, 7.0 to 8.0, and finally, 8.0 to 9.0. I said no. I repeat, I said no. I am still running Jaws 6.0. Yes, still. BTW, I was offered a cracked copy of Jaws 10 by a friend in India. I said no, because I'm an honest person and for me as a trainer to operate with cracked software is wrong, ethically wrong, and I will, not, do it. However, for the thousands of blind people who live in India using cracked software from the U.S. is their *only* means of accessing computers. In basements, in Internet Cafes, in airy classrooms with open windows and verandas outside, in schools for the blind where they *are* teaching braille and learning braille, access to computers is almost impossible unless you use Linux or cracked copies of access software. If information access is a right, then our Indian brothers and sisters are obtaining it in the only way they can, by stealing it! Yes, it's wrong, it's ethically wrong, but it's morally right! So, when Serotek announced this evening that the SMA is dead, I got all choked up. I couldn't help it! Congratulations to you, Mike and to your team! You go guys! Ann P. -- Ann K. Parsons Portal Tutoring EMAIL: akp@xxxxxxxxxxxx web site: http://www.portaltutoring.info blog: http://www.samobile.net/users/akp/blog Skype: Putertutor "All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost." Email services provided by the System Access Mobile Network. Visit www.serotek.com to learn more about accessibility anywhere. The Talk Serotek mailing list Post to the list by sending a message to: talk-serotek@xxxxxxxxxxxxx to unsubscribe from the talk-serotek email list send a message to: talk-serotek-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe Talk-Serotek Archives ar at: //www.freelists.org/archives/talk-serotek/ Visit Serotek: www.serotek.com The Talk Serotek mailing list Post to the list by sending a message to: talk-serotek@xxxxxxxxxxxxx to unsubscribe from the talk-serotek email list send a message to: talk-serotek-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe Talk-Serotek Archives ar at: //www.freelists.org/archives/talk-serotek/ Visit Serotek: www.serotek.com