Yes, and with the budget cuts going on now, it's possible that it will become harder for people to get assistive technologies through government agencies.
> ----- Original Message ----- >From: "Gary Drennan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: "Braillenote List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 08:46:01 -0600 >Subject: [Braillenote] I understand . . . BUT >Hi Jonathan, >thanks for taking the time to answer this post. I guess that there was a >serious communication difficulty in the marketing claims about the >Braillenote when it first came out. I am aware of the differences between >Windows CE and Pocket PC. While Keysoft IS an excellent application suite (I >wish it were available for DOS and XP) the frustrating point is that there >are NO other applications. Nor is there any way to make applications without >a software developers kit. I appreciate your explanation as to the addition >of staff on that issue, but the lag time between the announcement when the >BN came out and the keeping of the promise is a bit long. >One other thing needs to be addressed. I have a classic BN. In order to get >what a new purchaser receives for only a little more than I paid for my >unit, I have to spend close to two thousand dollars more than a current >purchaser. (For a motherboard upgrade, Keysoft upgrades, and memory, etc) >All that just to have Internet access on the BN!!! A third of the original >cost!!! >I understand that BN had to enter the market at some point with a product to >gain a market share, but the upgrade is way too expensive. The early BN >purchasers financed the development of the new and improved model on two >levels, first by their original purchase and second by the excessive cost of >the upgrade. Can't there be some break for classic users whose dollars and >pounds made it possible for Pulsedata to develop? >Originally, this was about other programs for the BN, so I know that I >digressed. I also know that costs get passed on to the consumer, but there >needs to be an effort to make those costs reasonable. Not all of our pockets >are filled by government agencies. >Again, thanks for your reply. >Gary >----- Original Message ----- >From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: "Braillenote List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Monday, February 09, 2004 10:18 PM >Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Bible programs for BN??? >> Hi Gary, in this case I haven't answered the posts because there is >> nothing new to say since I answered them on previous occasions. >> I appreciate however that people do come and go on the lists. So just to >> recap, there is a common misunderstanding out there between Pocket PC and >> Windows CE. Pocket PC is a Windows look-and-feel environment that runs on >> Windows CE. We have never claimed to support Pocket PC. The whole >> philosophy of the BrailleNote is that we give you a powerful suite of >> applications that are designed for the blind and are not graphical in >> nature. >> That said, I'm very keen for us to offer a software development kit and >> some of the other functionality some have mentioned. We're actively >> working on improving the BrailleNote all the time, and I'm very pleased to >> say will be expanding our development team significantly this year because >> of the phenomenal success of the BrailleNote. While it would be nice to >> click one's fingers to make wireless access, USB, Bluetooth etc >> materialize out of thin air, sadly that isn't possible. It is important to >> emphasize however that we prefer to focus on the ends and not the means. >> In other words, you can still access the Internet wirelessly with the >> BrailleNote today, and many of us do so with great reliability daily. That >> doesn't in any way detract from the fact that there are practical benefits >> in offering Bluetooth and 802.11B. What counts for most users is the >> extent to which you can be productive and efficient with daily tasks. And >> it's those fundamentals that keep the BrailleNote in its market leading >> position. We intend to stay there by responding to new technologies, and >> we intend to do it in a way that doesn't require you to buy entirely new >> pieces of hardware every six months as this is not realistic for blind >> people. All the best. >> Jonathan Mosen >> BrailleNote Product Marketing Manager >> Pulse Data International Ltd >> DDI: +64-3-373-6192 >> Fax: +64-3-384 4933 >> Mobile: +64-21 466 736 >> Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Internet: www.pulsedata.com >> ___ >> To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >> http://list.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote >___ >To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >http://list.pulsedata.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
