[nfbcs] Independence with a Price Tag

Thu Feb 4 18:39:36 UTC 2010

I agree about the price of Jaws.  At least now, there is a free screen reader that is pretty stable.  It's called System Access to Go.  You'll see how it works if you go to http://satogo.com.

On Feb 4, 2010, at 8:59 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:

> I tend to agree.  It seems wrong to me that I can buy a decent computer
> for about a third to a half of what it will cost me to get a screen reader
> for that same machine.  NVDA will do most of what I want, but not all
> (though I may be missing something).
> I haven't updated my version of Jaws in quite a while, because most of the
> updates they've made just don't matter to me all that much.  Now, if I
> want to update from my version to the latest, it will cost me quite a
> chunk of change.
> Why is that?  They don't seem like such vast improvements.
> And $200 just to get a license for Remote Desktop?  What is that about? 
> Is it really that different than the regular version?
> Tracy
> 
>> hi,
>> 
>> other than solving version conflicts and updating scripts, jaws has
>> operated
>> the same for at least 15 years but it is still about 1,200 and 200 every
>> two
>> years to have the priviledge of getting updates.
>> don't use the common defense of low users vs software cost but when you
>> buy
>> the office suite, you are not forced to pay for updates unless you want to
>> upgrade.
>> in the era of being able to buy a talking watch for $25, it's a royal rip
>> to
>> have to pay 1,500 for a cell phone/gps or why prices of devices with
>> refreshable braille won't decrease and the companies won't even allow
>> payment plans because state agencies will say bill me without even
>> blinking.
>> 
>> Bryan Schulz
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "John G. Heim" <jheim at math.wisc.edu>
>> To: "NFBnet NFBCS Mailing List" <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:29 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Independence with a Price Tag
>> 
>> 
>>> I've often wondered about the issues you bring up.  About a year ago I
>>> remember seeing an announcement for a GPS system that was supposedly a
>>> price breakthrough. The price? $850. For just a talking GPS.
>>> 
>>> So I understand your frustration. But how can you be sure the prices for
>>> adaptive equipment are inflated? I think you have to have more than
>>> vague
>>> suspicions before formally making a charge like that. In fact, doing so
>>> might do more harm than good. People might demand that government
>>> agencies
>>> stop buying  adaptive equipment if they suspect that the equipment their
>>> tax dollars are paying for is over priced. Rather than lowering the
>>> price
>>> for adaptive equipment, the result might be that government agencies
>>> just
>>> stop buying it.
>>> 
>>> A new Pac Mate with a 40 cell display costs about $5600. That seems like
>>> an incredible amount of money for a product that doesn't even have built
>>> in wireless, right? But if the Pac Mate is so over priced, why doesn't
>>> one
>>> of Freedom Scientific's competitors come out with a product that blows
>>> it
>>> out of the water for price/performance?
>>> 
>>> Another data point is the KNFB Reader. The NFB itself came out with the
>>> KNFB Reader. But at a base price of $1600, its not exactly a
>>> breakthrough
>>> product in terms of price. I doubt that the NFB is part of a conspiracy
>>> to
>>> keep prices high.
>>> 
>>> We've been over and over the issue of the cost of the Pac Mate on
>>> thepacmateger.com email list. And I have come to the conclusion that it
>>> just costs that much. You can put together the hardware for a lot less
>>> and
>>> install a free screen reader. But if you figure in the cost of jaws vs
>>> nvda and the cost of support (and you have to give Freedom Scientific
>>> credit for providing great support), $5600 doesn't seem far out of line.
>>> Honestly, I am no fan of Freedom Scientific. I think their licensing
>>> policies are draconian and I am fed up with their tendency to sue their
>>> competitors. But when I really think about it, I have to admit that the
>>> Pac Mate isn't that much over priced.
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>>> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> Cc: "'Discussion list for NABS,National Alliance of Blind Students.'"
>>> <nabs at acb.org>; <tabs_students at googlegroups.com>; "'NFBnet NFBCS Mailing
>>> List'" <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 10:45 PM
>>> Subject: [nfbcs] Independence with a Price Tag
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Dear list,
>>>> 
>>>> I'm continuously appalled at the price tags associated with adaptive
>>>> technology.  While you're in college you might receive assistance from
>>>> your
>>>> rehab agency to purchase equipment.  You may get some assistance after
>>>> you
>>>> find a job, but inevitably there comes a point when the expense comes
>>>> directly from your own pocket.  I wonder how many people have had to
>>>> settle
>>>> for outdated technology because they simply cannot afford it.  But,
>>>> that's
>>>> the thing.  I'm only assuming there are tons of people who cannot
>>>> afford
>>>> this technology.  I'd like to lead a campaign to call public attention
>>>> to
>>>> this monopoly, and, I'd like to hear your thoughts on whether or not
>>>> you
>>>> think me crazy.  If my assumption is wrong, I'll keep my views to
>>>> myself.
>>>> If there is a high number of people unable to tap into emerging
>>>> software
>>>> simply because they cannot pay for it, I'd like to hear from you.  I
>>>> understand the technology itself costs a lot of money to develop.  Yet,
>>>> it
>>>> seems more of the price boost is owed to extravagant government
>>>> contracts
>>>> that allow the few players to charge something like $6,200 for a device
>>>> that, despite its best advertisements, does not perform completely on
>>>> par
>>>> with its mainstream counterparts.
>>>> 
>>>> At this time I have only a vague idea for a strategy.  Yet it's
>>>> something
>>>> I'm willing to build up if the need can be clearly identified.
>>>> 
>>>> Looking forward to your input,
>>>> 
>>>> Joe Orozco
>>>> 
>>>> "A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the
>>>> crowd."--Max Lucado
>>>> 
>>>> 
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>>>> 
>>>> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
>>>> 
>>>> http://www.eset.com
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
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>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
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> 
> 
> 
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Ryan Mann
email: rmann0581 at gmail.com
phone:386-383-5175