Price is high compared to what?

[Kelly Pierce]

How about a $200 reconditioned laptop running Windows XP?  for a phone, one 
could use the LG or Motorola phones usually free with no additional charge 
for accessibility.  If one wants scanning and OCR, the FineReader OCR 
program is accessible with JAWS and an altra thin flatbed scanner can be 
packed with the laptop.  While all of this is not available to run out of 
your shirt pocket, it is still portable and easily moves with the end user 
in transit.  All of this for just 10 to 15 percent of the cost of this 
newfangled premium-priced offering from the NFB.

Kelly




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Aldrich" <jkaldrich at qwest.net>
To: "The Accessible Phones Discussion List" 
<Blindphones at mosenexplosion.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 9:32 PM
Subject: Price is high compared to what?


> Hello!
>
> Well, a Voice Sense has gone up from its introductory price of $1795 to
> $2395.  A Small Talk Ultra is close to $2600.  This is certainly better 
> than
> the $5000 and $6000 and more we have been paying for some of these 
> products.
> When one considers the KNFB Reader has many of the features of the above
> mentioned products complete with Book Share and being able to read
> translated braille files, well, I'd say the KNFB reader is well into the
> price range of many of these products I mentioned!  Yes!  If one has any
> number of these products, it adds up fast!  But then, $500 for a phone 
> isn't
> exactly a low cost phone either!  This brings me to one of my questions!
> Will Talks be able to allow one to download and read book Share files? 
> If
> not, Mobile Speaks would have the edge for me.  I think when one 
> considers
> all the notetaker capabilities these newer phones have thanks to the
> software in question, I'd say the price isn't all that out of line and it
> could go down.  The price for the original KNFB Reader has dropped but 
> maybe
> this is due to the present cell phone unit.  Okay!  It is high when
> comparing cell phone products only but not so high when considering all
> possible choices!  I think the idea of a portable product is to have
> everything in one package since we also are talking about surfing the 
> web,
> Email and text messaging!  So how high is too high?  I'm afraid we won't
> solve this issue for some time to come but I think competition is slowly
> moving these prices down!  Of course, a braille display will always bring
> the price up but a number of the newer ones work with bluetooth!  Okay! 
> The
> Icon or Braille Plus is around $1300 to $1400 but it uses Linux and it 
> isn't
> a scanner nor does it have a camera!  I understand they may incorporate a
> phone into this device as well as GPS so who knows what may come of it!
>
> I can't speak for FS since I no longer use any FS products myself.
>
> Just some food for thought!
>
> Jim Aldrich
>
>
> You received this message because you subscribed to the Accessible Phones 
> Discussion List.
>
> If you don't want to receive messages from this list anymore, just send a 
> blank e-mail to:
> blindphones-unsubscribe at mosenexplosion.com