[nfbcs] Fwd: Serotek Blog: Why is it that Apple always seems to get to the future first?

[Ryan Mann]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Dean Hudson <rdhudson66 at gmail.com>
> Date: June 12, 2009 1:36:18 AM EDT
> To: macvisionaries at googlegroups.com
> Subject: Serotek Blog: Why is it that Apple always seems to get to  
> the future first?
> Reply-To: macvisionaries at googlegroups.com
>
>
>
> Thought I'd forward this along to the group.
>
>
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>
> WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2009
> Why is it that Apple always seems to get to the future first?
> I just purchased an iPhone. I paid the same price as any other  
> person -- $299 for the 32 gigabyte version plus tax. Like anyone  
> else I had to subscribe to AT&T’s network – at least for a couple  
> of months. We can see about changing phone networks later.
> VoiceOver, the screen reader which has shipped free in every Apple  
> computer since 2005, is built right into the iPhone 3G S. There’s  
> nothing extra to purchase or install.
> All I need is the iPhone 3G S, iTunes 8.2 or later, and a Mac or PC.  
> I can activate my iPhone and enable VoiceOver without sighted  
> assistance using iTunes with a compatible screen reader like System  
> Access to Go free on a PC or VoiceOver included on the Mac. When I  
> activate iPhone using iTunes, I can enable VoiceOver on the iPhone  
> to start using it right away.
> In other words, this is a high-demand consumer product developed by  
> a mainstream company that is accessible out of the box.
> Where is everyone else?
> This phone not only speaks; it speaks 21 different languages  
> including three dialects of Chinese, two flavors of Portuguese, two  
> flavors of Spanish, Russian, Norwegian, Japanese, Korean, German,  
> Dutch, Italian, Polish, Swedish, two flavors of French, Finish and  
> both the Queen’s English plus good old American English. It has  
> voice recognition for dialing, selecting music from your tunes list,  
> and otherwise controlling the iPhone. It understands 21 different  
> languages. The iphone is globally accessible.
> Where is everyone else?
> I don’t want to detail all the features, functions and benefits.  
> I’m not trying to sell iPhones, though I think every blind person  
> in the world should celebrate having the choice to own one.
> I just want to point out that this is the future. An everyday, super- 
> fun product that is accessible out of the box.
> Why is Apple there first?
> In my opinion Apple is here, not because they are altruistic and not  
> because they are afraid of being sued. They are here because they  
> understand consumers. They know people want functions and fun.  
> People don’t really care about how something works. They just want  
> it to work and to be easy. Accessibility is easy. It is easier than  
> being not accessible. This is something Steve Jobs has always  
> understood and he has created a culture at Apple that lives it.
> Apple could easily have dismissed the idea that blind people would  
> be interested in using a device with a touch-screen interface which  
> is inherently visual. The company could have continued to develop  
> its products without a thought for accessibility and left it to AT  
> manufacturers to make them accessible after the fact.
> Instead, Apple has given consumers, blind and sighted alike, the  
> ability to use their devices in whatever manner they choose –  
> voice, touch, sight. Apple has embraced the idea of universal  
> design. Apple understands that accessibility should be about far  
> more than developing custom solutions which pay lip service to the  
> idea of accessibility but detract from the out-of-box experience  
> enjoyed by everyone else. For Apple, accessibility is not about  
> catering to a particular subsection of the market. Rather, it is  
> about ensuring that products are usable by a diverse group of people  
> in a diverse variety of situations.
> This approach to accessibility benefits everyone. It benefits the  
> sighted person who wants to browse his Itunes library for some great  
> content without taking his eyes off the road. It benefits the person  
> who has his hands too full to dial, but can still make a phone call  
> by using his voice, regardless of which language he speaks. And it  
> benefits the blind person who wants to enjoy all of the incredible  
> productivity and digital lifestyle features that have made the  
> iPhone so popular to begin with. So, while I wait to get my hands on  
> a device which is sleek, stylish, feature-packed, relatively  
> inexpensive, and just so happens to be fully accessible right out of  
> the box, I will continue to ask the question: where is everyone - 
> +else?
> POSTED BY MIKE CALVO AT 10:02 AM  FACEBOOK  ADD TO DEL.ICIO.US
> LABELS: ACCESSIBLE DIGITAL LIFESTYLE, APPLE, MAC, UNIVERSAL DESIGN,  
> VOICEOVER
> 6 COMMENTS:
>
> Anonymous said...
> Mike, What you wrote is so refreshing to read compaired to the NFB  
> article that is circulating the lists. Both your writings in my  
> opinion offer two verry different perspectives. You are on the edge,  
> recognizing a companys achievements and realizeing why they did it.  
> Products that include EVERYONE is what Apple seaks. NFB however  
> without even totally researching how the Mac works wrote an article  
> that concludes this product is not recommended for the blind user or  
> something silly like that I don't remember. As a Mac user I was  
> amazed to read the part that said group navigation is not accessible  
> to the blind. I have to wonder if there will be two classes of Blind  
> and visually impaired people. One group forward thinking ready  
> willing and able to enjoy the wonders that technology such as an  
> acdcessible IPhone bring. The other strongly routed in those  
> thrilling days of yesteryear when people had to spend and keep  
> spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy adaptive tech and  
> keep it up to date. This group will be left behind wondering why  
> they can't afford that which they need so desperately to continue  
> contributing to society.
> JUNE 10, 2009 1:49 PM
> sarah said...
> I do agree. I have ben a computer user for about 8 years and I am  
> not against freedom or any company like that as I use the mostly  
> like there products, but you are right in saying apple seems to  
> really understand accessibility. Sure the products are expencive but  
> think about if we hadthe same amount of accessibility on a pc, I  
> think it would run in to the 10s of thousands not the thousand or  
> maybe a bit more it causts to buy a mac with not only accessibility  
> but software you can use right out of the box. I am seriesly  
> thinking of using mustly apple products in the near future and using  
> windows for when I have to. Thanks for this wonderful write up and  
> good luck with the IPhone.
> JUNE 10, 2009 9:01 PM
> Michael Lauf said...
> I, Michael Lauf, ask why are those who I thought I respected, so  
> negative about technology
> that puts us on a level playing field with our sighted counterparts.  
> Is it the fear
> that their jobs will be eliminated when there is no longer a need  
> for overpriced
> proprietary and substandard “access” technology?” Perhaps they  
> prefer to live in
> the dark ages, and never use touch screens. Well open your eyes,  
> pund intended, touch
> screens are here and aren’t going away. Even if this device is not  
> for you, why criticize
> Apple, who is innovating and trying to improve the quality of life  
> for blind and
> other disabled individuals, while saving us 70 percent or more off  
> the cost of
> inferior products. And speaking of 70 percent, has anyone considered  
> that maybe
> at least part of the reason their is 70 percent unemployment among  
> blind working-age
> adults, is because 70 percent of people can’t afford this so-called  
> access technology,
> to learn how to use it, before they can even begin to be employable.
> I have a dream, a dream that one day we can have equal access to  
> technology without
> paying one cent more, or one cent less, than everyone else!
> Will the iPhone 3GS be perfect, no!
> Will Apple provide upgrades, yes!
> Will Software Maintenance Agreements be required, what’s that?
> Will we pay more for screen access than sighted persons, hell no!
> So continue to live in the dark ages if you must; i Michael Lauf,  
> plan to live in
> the present, with an eye on the future!
> JUNE 10, 2009 11:34 PM
> jeremy said...
> To the last poster: why do you argue that those who have concerns  
> about the usefulness of apple's touchscreen interface, or who would  
> prefer to not deal with said interface "living in the dark ages  
> because of a personal preference"? Couldn't someone be concerned  
> about the potential ramifications of apple's move while still  
> applauding apple, at least in the short term, for what they've done?  
> Are people (visually impaired or otherwise) who elect not to pay the  
> exorbitant fees involved in the functioning of a smart-phone living  
> in the "dark ages" as well?
> JUNE 11, 2009 2:38 AM
> Alena said...
> I really appreciate the post and all the comments. I am already a  
> Mac user, and soon I might be an IPhone user. My husband sure loves  
> his. The reason why Apple is alone at this point is because everyone  
> else has their heads in the sand. Like Michael said, maybe they're  
> worried they'll lose their jobs, but how about they just offer other  
> companies like Apple the chance to work with people who know how to  
> build accessible products? The IPhone will be the least expensive  
> accessible cell phone on the market. I hope the blind community gets  
> on board and shows the assistive technology world that we're not  
> willing to spend our life savings to have devices that put us on the  
> same level as our non-disabled peers.
> JUNE 11, 2009 6:36 AM
> Anonymous said...
> I think that the new apple phone is a great step for accessibility.  
> Does it make the N82 obsolete? No, while the new eye phone has voice  
> over and a 3.2 megapixel camera, the N82 has a 5-megapixel camera.  
> It also can run the KNFB mobile reader. Of course, there are  
> thousands of aps available for the eye phone. Nokia has just started  
> there apt store. The eye phone comes with a built in screen reader  
> that’s true , how ever is it as good as the stand alone screen  
> readers, or does it just give basic functionality? I don’t think  
> that people with accessible phones are going to in mass drop the  
> nokia phone that they have and go by an apple eye phone. For one  
> thing, unless they have change it with an update apple eye phone  
> cannot get files from other users. SO if I had a ring tome and I  
> wanted to share it with an eye phone user I can’t because there  
> blue tooth will reject the transfer. There for if you wanted any  
> thing new you have to buy it from the apple store or not at all. Yes  
> there is a nice 32 gig mottle coming out witch is double of the  
> memory of the N82, but if I had to buy every thing from apple to  
> fill it up it would cost me a small forchon to get my 32 gigs filled  
> up. I don’t have any apple music so I would have to start from  
> scratch. Also it would be great if either apple or some third party  
> could develop an apt that uses some sort of OCr to mimic the  
> functionality of the KNFB reader mobile. The N82 is also about 3 or  
> 4 years old and when it came out it had and still does have the 5- 
> megapixel camera. Why couldn’t apple get better hard ware for the  
> phones instead of off the shelve older technology. It would not cost  
> them allot of money to upgrade the camera to ether a 5-megapixel or  
> better. They are buying or manufacturing in bulk so cost should not  
> play a big part in parts. The N82 is older and slower and does cost  
> more money to get every thing how ever you cant read a computer  
> screen with the new eye phone yet.
> JUNE 11, 2009 8:03 AM
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