Hi Gordon Oh I have a real soap-box with Freedom, and it is this. You can buy two versions of JAWS, Standard and Professional. But if you download it, there is only the one version for either 32 or 64 bit, right? Now, when you install whichever bit version of the software on your computer, then the greed really kicks in. Your version of Windows determines which version you take, Standard or Professional. So while Standard and Professional are one and the same, FS have written it so that your version of the Microsoft OS determines what you install. Window-Eyes is different in that regard, as is Supernova and NVDA. The one copy fits all with those screenreaders, but not for greedy FS's JAWS.
In addition, JAWS takes the locking code from your PC once it is installed, so if you make any hardware changes like adding RAM or another HD, JAWS cops out and you are back to demo mode. You then have to put another key on from your count, or ask FS to reset the number of keys you have back to the designated three. They will only do this for you under certain circumstances, for example, not less than six months. I think this whole gravy train thing is outrageous. They charge you for upgrades that do very little, and only tend to fix things that have been broken in previous versions. You can't do computer maintenance like adding or removing memory without JAWS authorisation being affected, yet the program is one and the same thing whether you have Standard or Pro, yet the price is a lot different. So perhaps you can see why I really dislike their practice, even though I do use JAWS myself, and why my position as an employee of the UK distributor was severely compromised because I felt the blind community were basically being ripped off. Rant over you will be glad to know! (smile). Kind regards, Jackie Brown Twitter: @thebrownsplace Skype: Thejackmate -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Gordon Smith Sent: 08 December 2013 12:50 To: Techno-Chat ... Technology Enthusiasm! Subject: Re: App Evaluation: Seeing Eye GPS: Three Organizations,One Stellar Effort! - AccessWorldR - November 2013 Hi Jackie The current price of Jaws is £745.00 as quoted by Sight and Sound on Friday last. I believe that the US price is $999.00 which would actually work out about equal to the £745.00 which I was quoted. I was also quoted a nice £195.00 for the Jaws SMA which, to be honest, is outrageous. Almost two hundred quid for either 2 version upgrades or however many Freedom sees fit to release in a year. I think thats how it works, but I could be wrong there. I dont know why these things have to be so damned expensive. I just dont buy the argument that they have to meet development costs. All the hundreds of thousands of copies of Jaws which they have sold over the years, they must be making a very tidy profit. Also, I would have thought that they would be more than just a little worried about products like NVDA which, in the case of NVDA in particular, are now attracting so many former users of other products because NVDA is both free and extremely functional these days. I am only looking at Jaws because it is by var and away superior to all other products Ive trie working with in the Duxbury Braille Translator environment. Like Mary, much of my work nowadays is in that software environment as 95% of my work involvers Braille transcription and error correcting of scanned main stream printed educational material. Both my work and the translation itself have to be accurate. Thats not a matter of choice, its a Must. One cannot expect teachers to tolerate inaccuracy in the Braille products which they give to their pupils and Id be pretty soon in trouble were I not to work to a very high standard. Im going to try the Tiger BTS suite shortly to see how well that works. I know it isnt as functional as Duxbury in some respects, but I have a ViewPlus EmBraille embosser so I get a free license. Nothing to lose. Kind regards <--- Gordon Smith ---> <[email protected]> Information Technology Accessibility Consultant; Providing Help & Support To Young People LivingWith Visual Impairment, plus Braille Transcription services. Telephone: United Kingdom: Free Phone: 0800 8620538 Mobile: +44 7907 823971 Europe and other non-specified: +44 1642 688095 Or: +44 1642 941776 United States Of America And Canada: +1 646 9151493 Or: +1 209 436 9443 Australasia: +61 38 8205930 Or: +61 39 0284505 Fax: +44 1642 365123 Follow Us On Twitter: <http://twitter.com/maciosaccess> Skype: <skype:mac-access-dot-net?call> ------------------------------ On 6 Dec 2013, at 16:58, Jackie Brown <[email protected]> wrote: And have a nice 40% mark-up too when you buy JAWS from the UK dealer. I get fed up with it as well Gordon! Kind regards, Jackie Brown Twitter: @thebrownsplace Skype: Thejackmate -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Gordon Smith Sent: 06 December 2013 13:40 To: Techno-Chat ... Technology Enthusiasm! Subject: RE: App Evaluation: Seeing Eye GPS: Three Organizations,One Stellar Effort! - AccessWorldR - November 2013 Hi Jackie, Dane and all Here here! This is one of those issues which really gets up my nose! I see absolutely no reason why some companies and entities in the US and Canada seem to believe that those of us who reside overseas are second class citizens, and they refuse to make products and services available to us. I can think of several examples of this immediately. Freedom Scientific and GW Micro will not allow us to buy and receive products on line. We have to waste time going through the old boy network, and buy from dealers who for the most part also only ship products via snale-mail. Another shining example of this in the main stream is Avid. I have tried several times to buy ProTools on line. I can buy it, yes. But not the download edition. I have to wait for boxed products, and pay the additional delivery costs. Sorry for the rant, but as I say, this is one issue which really gets me annoyed. Kind Regards Gordon Smith Information Technology Accessibility consultant Providing Support For Young People Living With Sight Loss: Advice On Accessible Information Technologies And Braille Transcription Services. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie Brown" <[email protected] To: "'Techno-Chat ... Technology Enthusiasm!'" <[email protected] Date sent: Fri, 6 Dec 2013 09:11:12 -0000 Subject: RE: App Evaluation: Seeing Eye GPS: Three Organizations, One Stellar Effort! 3No, it isn't available in the UK either to my knowledge. Come on guys, let's have it! (smile). Unfortunately this App doesn't appear to be available in Australia, has anyone on list tried this and if so what do they think? 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