Greetings,
I will discuss a second issue which should prove to be real
interesting. But the first issue is JAWS-related and thus I put it first.
Believing as i do in empowerment, the second issue is interesting.
But to the first issue. i use Money 98 and love it. The tech support is
for life. the people there picked up a lot more charm than the average
person in that field. They know the program"cold".
Because I write checks for an umber of people and am always in a real
hurry, I have adapted Money 98 to leave out a few steps. It takes me 6 steps
to do a check.
To save money, in using the JAWs-friendly program, I bought my checks
directly from Deluxe Check and saved a bundle. There are various page
sizes--some much smaller than others and some having multiple checks.
I hear Money 99 is almost the same program so it would tend to be also
JAWs-friendly.
The second issue.
Many people go out and buy computers via UPS; they call in an order long
distance and wait for their computer to arrive at their door.
Well, perhaps I should have done that.
I had my computer built locally--and I am going to share my experience
so that others may learn from it. If you disagree with my ideas here, just
thank God, what happened to me never happens to you. And that is why i am
sharing this.
I did one thing right. I had a good friend stay on the telephone with
me as I ordered each part to go into the computer.
My friend told the salesman to make sure the most recent bios were
downloaded.
Well, you can guess it. the local company kind of forgot that part and
configured the bios as if they were in some kind of dream. So I had problems
from the"get go".
What I resented so much were the comments made by some people who were
blind that I was stupid. But i kept trying to fix the computer, read books
on software and spent a small fortune working with Microsoft--who even gave
me a price break--over time.
The company refused to honor my warranty since i had blind software on
it--enlarging software. So if I wanted my computer fixed,I had to buy a
second hard drive and pay for bench time "in warranty". Of course that was
unfair. but there were few local options--at the time.
But thanks to the friend who sat on the phone with me at the time of
ordering the computer, I found another option.
Now I am fighting the company before the BBB; and I know i will lose at
arbitration. But I have taken them to the second level. their letter
regarding my situation damned me for being blind.
But that marvelous letter--and I say "marvelous" letter is what will
discredit them.
I have the following suggestions to make.
Do not rely on BBB reports alone. Go out and interview clients for whom
the local company built their computer.
Find a blind friend and go together to check out local computer
buildres.
If the options regarding hardware are limited, that is a red flag. Take
notes.
And do not buy unless you have another company in mind who can back you
up if the first company tries to wedge out of warranty obligations.
I have heard situations where even major companies have tried to wiggle
out of warranties. that iswhy i am sharing my experience.
Thanks to the second company, my issues are fixed and I have regained
all that lost time when the computer barely functioned.
This 16 months of fighting and mostly losing has sharpened my consumer
instincts. I like the idea of buying a computer where modular parts can be
swapped out. And adversity has taught me tons of information that I would
never have learned.
If you live near area code and want to know the name of a reputable
computer builder, write.
Believe me, I have been "kind" and left out the phrasing of the famous
letter that should have embarassed the sender. Building a local computer
will save one a ton of money and get one good repair options. but buyer
beware.765
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Visit the jfw ml web page: http://jfw.cjb.net
