Sharon, The transplant was made available so that existing clients could take advantage of the mPower platform at a cost of around US$2000 if they were up-to-date with their Classic software, as against a replacement cost of around US$6000 for a new 32 cell mPower.
The braille cell assembly is made up of individual braille cells and the structure of the manufacturing design of the cells changes over time. This happens irrespective of who makes the cell and there will inevitably come a date where you can't drop in a replacement cell because of changes to either the mechanical or electrical characteristics. People do have an unrealistic expectation of how long you should be able to service something. I'm not a heavy mobile phone user, but I'm onto my 5th phone and in most instances I've got a new phone because the old phone just couldn't be serviced, and if I wanted some new feature then I payed for a new phone. We do recognize the fact that equipment such as the BrailleNote is expensive, and that is the very reason why we offered the transplant option. Regards Maurice ________________________ Maurice Sloane Sales & Support Manager - Blindness HumanWare Direct Dial: +64 3 940 2223 Mobile: +64 21 528 374 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: www.humanware.com Sharon Campbell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 07/12/2007 01:29 p.m. To [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] cc [email protected] Subject why trust HumanWare?? Maurice: Please explain why a transplant was ever made available. If, as you said, the parts are no longer available for the older displays, why was HumanWare so willing to take our money and convert classics into sransplants? Why did they keep the old displays at that time? Furthermore, why are you no longer with Tieman? The display provided in the new mPowers is garbage. Now, Greg Brown tells us policy is to send our new mPowers in twice a year for cleaning and soaking in solution! Excuse me, but when you're dealing with cancer and depend on your machine for email of appointments and results, this is unacceptable!! For those, like my Husband, who just spent out $340.00 on a Maintainance contract, and we transplanted his unit before that, why not start shelling back money to all who had belief in your Company. "Never pity missionaries; envy them. They are where the real action is -- where life and death, sin and grace, Heaven and Hell converge." --Robert C. Shannon Coffee Shop phone number: 773-572-3094. > ----- Original Message ----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: sammie clay <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date sent: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 13:14:28 +1300 >Subject: [Braillenote] Re: in case you haven't seen messages on this subject >Hi Sammie, >Thank you for forwarding through the messages relating to service >contracts on mPower's transplant units using the older Tieman displays. >My understanding for the reason that the US office is no longer able to >offer a service contract on units fitted with the earlier Tieman braille >cells is that replacement parts are no longer available, so apart from >cleaning and minor repairs it is now becoming increasingly difficult to >service the braille cells. >The mPower motherboard is the same irrespective of whether the unit is >fitted with the older Tieman cells or the later KGS cells, so the >servicing issue relates directly to the braille cell and its associated >Cursor Routing board. >I will contact the US office to summarise the alternative we are offering >so that we can advise the List in the coming week. >Comments that HumanWare are shifting their emphasis to low vision products >are not true, this is simply a matter of parts obsolescence, which is >hardly surprising seeing that many of the Tieman display are now 5 to 7 >years old. >Regards >Maurice >________________________ >Maurice Sloane >Sales & Support Manager - Blindness >HumanWare >Direct Dial: +64 3 940 2223 >Mobile: +64 21 528 374 >email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Website: www.humanware.com >sammie clay <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >07/12/2007 11:29 a.m. >To >Maurice Sloane <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >cc >Write Humanware <[email protected] >Subject >in case you haven't seen messages on this subject >Hello Mr. Sloane, > I'm forwarding this message to you because you seem to be the >only HumanWare representative who has been replying to our >questions. If it is true, that people can no longer purchase >maintenance contracts for their MPower transplants, then perhaps >someone from HumanWare should address their concerns. It seems >to me that it would be a very small concession for HumanWare to >say something about this subject. If the alligation is not true, >then it's time to reassure MPower transplant users of the >reliability of HumanWare's products and of the company's >allegiance to it's clients. However, if this is true, and MPower >transplant owners will no longer be allowed to purchase >maintenance contracts, then someone should tell us that and >explain the reason for this change in policy. > I had both my BrailleNotes transplanted to an MPower because >HumanWare warned that Keysoft 7.2 would be the last upgrade for >the classic, and that eventually, as parts were no longer >available, the possibility existed that they would no longer be >serviced. That warning propelled me to re-finance my home to >have the transplants done. Suddenly, and without a warning, >HumanWare seems to have made a change in a service policy for >it's transplant. My BrailleNote transplants are in excellent >condition, and I use them daily, but I personally don't want to >envision a time when the MPower won't be upgraded or serviced >because HumanWare has changed it's policy and is busy marketing >some version of a CCTV. > Any reassurance from the new owners of HumanWare that there is >a future for the BrailleNote transplants would be greatly >appreciated. Many of us, who own transplants, are on fixed >incomes and either must go into debt to purchase even the less >costly VoiceNote MPower or must contact a government >rehabilitation agency to procure the funding for the more pricy >products. As we are reluctant to continually go into debt to >purchase products which improve our quality of life, our >government's rehabilitation agencies are even more reluctant and >usually won't provide funding for a new product simply because >the one we own now is obsolete. > a conversation by several list members and Kim at HumanWare >California let me know that with $2,200 and my perfectly good >BrailleNote I can get a new model which is not a transplant. >Reading the list over the past few months, it seems that the >Braille cells on the transplants are much better than those on >the new model, so why would anyone want to spend more than two >thousand dollars for a device which is inferior to what they >already have? Since the company has set up divisions in places >other than Christ Church, new Zealand, which country and which >president will be responsible for the manufacturing and >distributing of the MPower? Will the primary responsibility be >the United States, New Zealand, or Canada? Or has it like many >other things, been moved to China? >Sincerely, >Sammie Clay >---- Original Message ------ >From: Earlene Hughes <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: RE: [Braillenote] What is happening to Humanware? >Date sent: Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:33:47 -0700 >Ann and all, >I don't know where the status of future BraillleNote transplants >stands. I would caution you though, to wait until we can all >find out more about what Humanware's plans are for it's >customers. >I don't think the outlook will be very optomistic. >That is why I have decided to switch to Freedom Scientific. >No vendor is perfect and not every piece of technology is >perfect. But, I do think Freedom Scientific is committed to >their total customer base, not just their low vision product >customer base. >We have been slowly watching the decline of the blindness >products from Humanware. >My observation is that they are going to put more emphasis on >their low vision market, because that is where the biggest market >is going to be in the future. >The fact that customers are not receiving renewal information for >their existing service contracts, only further substantiates my >point. >-- Earlene >-------- Original Message -------- >Subject: [Braillenote] What is happening to Humanware? >From: "Ann K. Parsons" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Thu, December 06, 2007 8:01 am >To: Earlene Hughes <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Morning all, >Let's make sure we understand what's going on here. According to >your >message below, any person who transplants their BrailleNote from >now >on can't get a service contract on the work done? Does this mean >that >if I choose to go for a transplant, since I am still running a >classic, that I couldn't get a service contract, so that any >money I >spent on the project would go for naught? Earlene, I've been >seriously thinking of getting a low cost loan in order to >purchase the >transplant so that I would have an MPower. Is this no longer an >option? >Before I'd plunk down my money for a PacMate, I'd take a good >long >look at the Braille Sense. Don't close off your options. If the >Icon >had a Braille Display, I might go for it, but it doesn't. Before >I'd make a radical decision, I'd want to hear from Humanware >staff on >this one. I'd want to know what the policy really is, who >initiated >it, and most importantly why we, their customers weren't told >about >this. >This is a major change in policy, and humanware had better >understand >that if Earlene Hughes, well known representative of American >Council >of the Blind and its affiliate BITS and a major player in the >blindness field is unhappy, they've made a major mistake here, a >major, political mistake that they should never have made. It >will >cost them. It may cost them dearly! <smiling sardonically> Yeh, >how >to lose friends and influence people, is that the new Humanware >policy? I'd suggest that somebody from the main office get on >this >list PDQ and explain this monumental gaff! >Ann P. >Earlene Hughes writes: >> Hello all, >> I don't often have time to post to this list, and, perhaps this >subject has already been visited here. If so, please accept my >appology. >> I want to share with you, what I found out from a Humanware >Customer Service representative, just in case others do not know >about a recent policy change which applies to BrailleNote Empower >units that were transplanted with the older braille cells. >> Today is the day when my service contract should be renewed for >another year. I called Humanware and was connected to Customer >Service. I confirmed my name, unit's serial number, and address >with the Representative. Then, to my surprise, she said that she >had to put me on hold for a minute. I couldn't imagine why, -- I >knew my credit card would be good, and I had not even given it to >her yet! So, I waited patiently for about 5 minutes until she >returned. What she told me caught me completely by surprise. >She told me that I cannot renew my service contract for the >BrailleNote Empower that I have because under the recently >changed policy, Humanware is no longer making service contracts >available to those customers who have the older braille cells. >Then, she proceeded to tell me that I can get a credit of $2,200 >if I want to purchase a new unit that has the newer braille >cells. >> I responded that I had updated my brailleNote to a transplanted >unit in 2006, and have always kept my service contract up to date >since my original purchase back in 2003. >> To the best of my knowledge, I have not received a letter >telling me that no service contracts for my unit would be issued >in the future. >> Needless to say, I am very disappointed. This certainly is not >the way good customers should be treated. >> What is happening to Humanware? Humanware owes its customers an >explanation. We have invested considerable amounts of money >purchasing and updating our hardware and software. >> I have never had my credit card in hand, only to be told that I >could not complete the transaction that I was expecting to be >able to make. >> The 500 dollars that I would have spent renewing my service >contract, will now be spent on purchasing a new Pacmate. Will I >be making another mistake, I hope not. But in the considerable >amount of time I have been doing business with Freedom >Scientific, formerly Henter Joyce, I have never had a customer >experience like I had this evening. I'm willing to take that >chance. Humanware, you just lost another customer. You can be >sure that I will not be recommending BrailleNote purchases to my >clients, or especially, to my friends. >> To those of you on this list, thank you for listening. >> I have enjoyed reading the many comments that have been posted >here. >> Best Wishes to all, >> -- Earlene Hughes >> ___ >> Replies to this message will go directly to the sender. >> If your reply would be useful to the list, please send a >> copy to the list as well. >> To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >> http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote >-- >Ann K. Parsons >Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >WEB SITE: http://www.portaltutoring.info >Skype: Putertutor >"All that is gold does not glitter. >Not all those who wander are lost." JRRT >___ >Replies to this message will go directly to the sender. >If your reply would be useful to the list, please send a >copy to the list as well. >To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote >___ >Replies to this message will go directly to the sender. >If your reply would be useful to the list, please send a >copy to the list as well. >To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote ___ Replies to this message will go directly to the sender. If your reply would be useful to the list, please send a copy to the list as well. To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
