Gordon, it seems their standard operating procedure is the same no
matter what product you're talking about. I'd bought a used braille
printer (a versapoint bp some or other) and freedom scientific/blazie
had just bought enabling technologies, the original makers of that
particular model printer. When I contacted them about sending it in
for repair, because it didn't work when I received it, I was told
that they would not repair the printer, but would be happy to sell me
a new one.
I uh, said something quite inappropriate for a public forum, and
promptly hung up and took the printer apart. It turns out one of the
circuit boards had come out of it's socket during shipping. I simply
reseated the board, and that printer is still producing braille
materials for me today, and that was close to 8 or 9 years ago if I
recall correctly.
That was my one and only experience with their hardware support, and
I have no desire to repeat it. I now refuse to purchase anything
with an fs logo on it, and even used equipment, I have to think real
hard about before I will drop anything for it, and even then, it'd
better be one heck of a deal, or I'm walking. I can't stand the way
all these adaptive technology companies treat people who honestly
have a need for the products they make, especially if they can't
afford to purchase the latest and greatest copy of whatever it is
they're pushing this week.
I'm currently expanding my knowledge of circuits, diy kits, and hobby
circuit board makers, so that I can (in some way) reduce the reliance
on such companies for all blind/visually impaired folks. I intend to
release kits folks can build themselves (or preassembled if desired)
to take up the slack of everyday items that these so-called adaptive
companies have foisted on their unsuspecting users for years, just
because the poor people don't know there's options, and wouldn't know
where to find them if they did.
Several things are whirling around in my brain, as well as in various
stages of prototyping, and when each project is complete, I plan to
post them for anyone who wants them, the first of which will be a
talking thermostat that cost less than 100 us dollars. An external
speech synthesizer (in the same price range) for those who are tired
of wasting cpu cycles to those horrible software synthes), and all
sorts of other things that may or may not be practical, (won't know
until I give them a shot) but they'll all be built with off-the-shelf
items any electronic hobbiest can lay their hands on, and build
themselves if they so choose to do so.
I honestly believe it's something like this that will be the only
thing to force these rediculous prices back down to something the
average user can afford.
Who knows, likely it won't change a thing, but if it inspires only
one person to build their own solution instead of purchasing an
overpriced adaptive item that cost 3 times the price, and does only
half as much as the comparable commercially available item, then I
figure it's a good days work.
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