[nabs-l] Isn't it ironic?

[Kirt Manwaring]

Dear List,
  First...I'm breaking my vow of NABS abstainance!  I'm just too
weak-willed.  Anyway...today I'm here to vent about a few things, so
if you don't want to read I understand.
  First...isn't it ironic how the Blio reader was marketed by the NFB
as the biggest thing since sliced bread?  It was supposed to totally
transform reading for blind consumers!  And guess what?  I downloaded
the accessibility version, bought a 16 dollar book that just came out
today (Kingkiller Chronicle, if there are any other fantasy geeks on
here), and hit the "read aloud" button...only to find out the
publisher hadn't authorized text to speech reading.  Then I thought
"no matter, it's a product that the NFB helped develop.  Surely I can
have jaws read the plain text in the book."  Only to find out
that...guess what?  It won't.  I did a little bit of messing around in
the application and couldn't figure it out.  I'm a little
disappointed.
  But I want the book tonight!  So here's to wasting another 16
dollars, downloading the Kindle accessible app, and hoping it works
ok.  Wouldn't it be kind of poetic if Amazon, after being sued, makes
a more accessible product than a company run in part by the NFB?
  Best,
Kirt