Why on earth would anyone buy such a device when the macs themselves
are accessible right out of the box? I'd, just like Jacob, rather,
much rather buy a macbook of some kind and get the same functionality
and more. Making specialised products "for the blind" usually means
making things as simple and feature poor as possible. I'll probably
get flamed for saying the next thing but... I hae the feeling that of
late, manufacturers and dealers of blindness related products seem to
think that blind people are stupid and not capable of chewing
bubblegum and walking at the same time, so give 'em something that's
the least complicated and lacks a good implementation of even the most
basic features, and while we're at it, let's reinvent the wheel yet
again only much much simpler.
Ok off my soap box now...
/Krister
18 nov 2008 kl. 04.53 skrev Alex Jurgensen:
Hi,
Keep the questions flowing.
Thanks for listening,
Alex,
On 17-Nov-08, at 7:44 PM, Jacob Schmude wrote:
More questions. First, I take it this will be Apple-branded
hardware then, as that is the only way to currently satisfy their
licensing conditions? Second, how are you planning to keep it under
$500 with a built-in braille display? Currently there's not a way
to buy even a regular braille display for $500. If you know where
to get one at such a price do tell, please. Who, or what, are you
referring to when you say the driving force behind this?
Yep, I've got loads of questions :).
On Nov 17, 2008, at 22:35, Alex Jurgensen wrote:
Hi,
Jacob,
Just to let you know, the driveing force is completely compliant
with Apple's Licence, so I would be allowed to sell the product
legally. The main feature is the size, which make it fit inside a
pocket quite easily. Another advantage is the built-in Braille
display. Yes, we plan for a mini Querty Keyborad once the Braille
input is out on the main stream.
Thanks for listening,
aelx,
Thanks for listening,
Alex,
On 17-Nov-08, at 7:29 PM, Jacob Schmude wrote:
Depends. You going to offer a qwerty version? I absolutely hate
braille input.
Getting more serious though, this would be considered a Mac
clone, and would need to be authorized by Apple. Yes, you can get
OS X running on your own PCs. But you are not allowed to sell
such a thing, at least not according to Apple's licensing. This
is being questioned as I write this in the United States Courts,
but don't expect an answer any time soon--this will be one long
court battle between Apple and another company called Psystar at
least assuming they don't settle out of court. I wouldn't get my
hopes up, the company with the most and best lawyers usually wins
these battles here.
Would I buy it? Unless there were significant advantages in doing
so I would not, but would buy a Mac laptop instead. Such
advantages might be a much longer battery life, for example which
would certainly be possible due to the lack of a screen. To be
honest though I'm a bit biased, in all cases I refuse to buy
blindness products when a mainstream product is available that
will accomplish the same functions. Since I don't care for
braille input I would probably go straight for a laptop unless,
as I said, there were compelling advantages to such a device.
I don't think you would be able to keep that name for it, however.
On Nov 17, 2008, at 22:15, Alex Jurgensen wrote:
Hi,
Would you buy this?
EyeMac -- The next generation of sleek notetakers
The EyeMac features aluminum housing, weighing in at under a
pound. This sleek and shiny notetaker is based on the state of
the art technology, featuring wireless and bluetooth. The six-
key input provides Braille users the ability to legally access
the world's most user friendly and advanced operating system.
Built on the foundation of Mac OS X, the EyeMac is the bleeding
edge in affordable portable computing technology. Costing around
$500 us, the EyeMac is an easy pick for the user with a tight
budget. Its portability make it ideal for not only end users but
the professional who needs a lightweight, portable solution. The
EyeMac measures less than 20 CM long by seven CM wide, and
about 3 cm high. Durable, powerful! Take full advantage of the
world wide web. The EyeMac Pro has wireless anywhere capability.
Need a Braille display? EyeMac Plus models feature built-in
Braille displays that make reading Braille text messages and
documents a breeze. The EyeMac is built on a actively developed
Operating System, that features a well documented programming
guide that will ensure your EyeMac can be customized with the
applications that best suit your needs. Designed for ease of
use, this revolutionary device will change your portability
experience.
Project status: Planning
Thanks for listening,
Alex,
