Hello Don:
Please don't hide under a parapet, <smile>!! Come on out and be part of the
ROUND TABLE discussion.
There are some interesting thought contained in your post. Perhaps it is
JUST ME: I think it is PRICE GOUCHING when Humanware FORCES ME to TAKE ON
TWO UPGRADES when all I need is one. For example, I want to UPGRADE TO
VERSION 7.0 or whatever the latest Keysoft thingy is that would work on my
BrailleNote Classic. To get to Version7.0, I MUST FORCIBLY PURCHASE the
Version 6.0. This, in my opinion, is a RIP OFF. And I think the ONLY
REASON why Humanware CAN GET AWAY with it is because no company in the
assistive technology HAS EVER BEEN SLAPPED with a real lawsuit that has GONE
THROUGH THE COURTS. Wish I have the clout--I'd like to PULL TH FIRST STRING
on that one! Microsoft, despite the fact that it is HARDLY EVER LIKED by
many, never FORCED ME to buy Windows 95 before upgrading to Windows XP, but
if it had been an assistive technology company like Humanware, I will still
be running DOS as I might not be able to COME UP with the UGE SUM required
to purchase all the upgrades.
Having add-ons for each country can be a tough call; you should realise,
Don, that the United States HAS THE LARGEST MARKET for assistive technology
deployment; everybody WANTS TO SELL HERE, <grin>!! We Americans have
INSATIABLE APPETITES for the best and the greatest, and always want to be
able to STAY IN LINE with our sighted counterparts. Hence the need for us
to CLAMOUR for BETTER AND GREATER ACCESSIBILITY from time to time. We pay
6,000 plus Dollars, ad we OUGHT TO DRIVE OUR TOY to death gaiing access to
what MAKES US STAY GAINFULLY EMPLOYED and on the SAME PAGE as our sghted
peers.
Regarding Bookshare and RFB&D books and their access using the BrailleNote
product family, it is much easier for us here in the United States to GET
PERMISSION to reproduce PRINTED MATERIALS in ALTERNATE ACCESSIBLE FORMATS.
In fact, our copyright laws PERMITS AND ALLOWS us to do this. Copyright
laws vary from country to country, and, since MOST COUNTRIES DO NOT HAVE
SPECIFIC LAWS ON DISABILITY RIGHTS, there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY agreements
regarding access to PRINTED MATERIALS in those other countries can be easily
negotiated. This, I paucit, is the reason why both Bookshare and RFB&D
LIMIT ACCESS RIGHTS to the MATERIALS the produce to ONLY U.S. CITIZENS! In
this regard, neither corporation can be faulted!! It might be nice if blind
folks in other countries could articulate what kind of upgrades they'd like
to see in the BrailleNote or VoiceNote.
As for me, I'd like the ability t INSTALL THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE overtly
proprietary stuff MAKES ME SICK!! Assistive technology companies ARE
NOTORIOUS for NEVER TRYING TO GET OFF the proprietary trail. It is, I feel,
their way of MAKING SURE THAT THE "MILKING OF THE COW" REMAINS THEIR
EXCLUSIVE preserve.
Sincerely,
Olusegun
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