You make a good point regarding contract costs; I had not considered that. Still, the price seems unreasonably high, when you consider plenty of people teach themselves to develop for iOS, plunk down $100 per year, and sell their apps for a couple bucks, even accessibility-related apps like Digit-Eyes, or audio-only games, are not half as expensive as this basic app, and many are made by companies.
On 9/10/12, Cheree Heppe <che...@dogsc4me.com> wrote: > Cheree Heppe here: > Good name for them -- Big Nerd! > > Regards, > ChereeHeppe > > > Sent from my IPhone 4S > > On 10/09/2012, at 9:45, Chris Blouch <cblo...@aol.com> wrote: > >> Never having used the app I can't speak to its special qualities that >> would make it more useful that just the standards notes app. What I can >> speak to is the cost of iOS development. It's a hot platform so finding >> developers is expensive due to supply and demand. Many charge $100/hour or >> more depending on the type or work. I talked with an iOS developer trainer >> from Big Nerd Ranch about accessibility/voiceover in their training and he >> had no clue. He knew what voiceover was but there was nothing in their >> training and he had no developer/API knowledge. So to find somebody who >> can do that kind of work drops you into the specialized high end of the >> cost curve. Then there is market size. Apps can be $1 of you're going to >> sell a million of them. So say this really was just a month of work. 160 >> hours at $100/hour is sill $16K. So to break even they have to sell 160 of >> these things, which is not guaranteed. With about 35-40K deaf blind in the >> US, how many use Apple phones and how many would pony up the cost? >> >> CB >> >> On 9/8/12 10:33 PM, David Tanner wrote: >>> Well, maybe they only pay $100 to be a developer, but what about all the >>> time spent developing an app. Are programmers suppose to live on air/? If >>> you don't pay a developer for their development time they aren't going to >>> be a developer for long. It does cost money for a developer to live, pay >>> their bills, etc. >>> >>> The Notes app will work for what this does, but not as well for the >>> deaf-blind user as this app does. On the other hand I'm not sure it is >>> really worth $99, but as an assistive technology specialist working with >>> deaf-blind I do realize that it is difficult to find accessible >>> communications tools for the deaf-blind person to use, and when you do >>> they are typically going to be very expensive because the number of >>> deaf-blind people is much smaller than the number of hearing blind folks. >>> Hearing blind people don't need this app unless they want to communicate >>> with a deaf-blind person. >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alex Hall" <mehg...@gmail.com> >>> To: <macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> >>> Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2012 9:25 PM >>> Subject: Re: [Maccessibility] The Humanware Communicator for iOS >>> >>> >>> Let me ask this then: how is this so different from using the notes >>> app? Also, the cost per year for being an apple developer is $100. Do >>> they really plan on selling so few that they have to charge as much as >>> they pay apple for a year for just one app purchase? Yes, I realize >>> they get only 66% of the cost, but still... $100 for a text entry app? >>> I really don't see it. >>> >>> On 9/8/12, David Tanner <david.tanner...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> No, you guys don't understand what is going on with this app. It is >>>> primarily an app that most blind folks wouldn't want. It is so that a >>>> deaf-blind can do face-to-face communications with another person. Yes, >>>> it >>>> >>>> looks pretty simple, but when you look at development costs and realize >>>> that >>>> >>>> you aren't going to sell a whole lot of apps when you are only really >>>> selling to a limited size deaf-blind community then the cost is going to >>>> be >>>> >>>> higher than for an app that blind and sighted people would want to >>>> purchase. >>>> >>>> Again, it is a great app for those who need it, and actually drops the >>>> price >>>> >>>> for communications for a deaf-blind person by thousands of dollars from >>>> the >>>> >>>> $8,000 price of the deaf-Blind Communicator that Humanware has been >>>> selling >>>> >>>> since 2009. So, even if you add the cost of the app, a $2,500 or so >>>> bluetooth Braille display and an iPhone it cuts the price in half or >>>> more. >>>> >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: "Alex Hall" <mehg...@gmail.com> >>>> To: <macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> >>>> Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2012 2:44 PM >>>> Subject: Re: [Maccessibility] The Humanware Communicator for iOS >>>> >>>> >>>> Well, this is humanware after all. For those not in the know, let me >>>> tell you about their latest major keysoft update (which takes one sma >>>> count). It costs $200 for an sma, giving you two upgrades, or $135 for >>>> a single upgrade if you do not have an sma. Keeping that in mind, >>>> here's the long list of features they included in the last paid >>>> update: >>>> * a translator that can convert the text in pdf files to .txt files. >>>> * bug fixes, including a fix for the braille terminal mode on qt units >>>> (to fix something they broke in the previous update) >>>> * a way for the bn to automatically use an active internet connection >>>> without prompting the user to pick one each time (this rarely works as >>>> advertised) >>>> >>>> ...and that's it. One feature, one interface change that doesn't work >>>> right, and a fix for a previous mistake, all for the low price of >>>> $135. Does this explain more about how they can charge $100 for a >>>> simple app? >>>> >>>> On 9/8/12, Kawal Gucukoglu <kawa...@me.com> wrote: >>>>> Perhaps the company are strapped for cash hence the new app so they >>>>> think >>>>> people like us are made of money and if we are all stupid we'll buy >>>>> not >>>>> any >>>>> one is stupid of course. >>>>> On 8 Sep 2012, at 20:09, Alex Hall <mehg...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Um, well, put simply... nothing. True, hooking a display up to an iOS >>>>>> device hides the onscreen keyboard, but in iOS6 I hear they will >>>>>> offer >>>>>> a way to show it. Also, you get a buffer of past messages. Basically, >>>>>> a program any decent coder could put together in, say a few days? >>>>>> Someone correct me if I'm wrong, though I really don't know if we'll >>>>>> find anyone willing to throw away... rather, spend $100 on an app >>>>>> that >>>>>> consists of a text fiel, list of messages, and keyboard. >>>>>> >>>>>> On 9/8/12, Teresa Cochran <vegaspipistre...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>>> This really is an honest question, but what does this app have that >>>>>>> the >>>>>>> IOs >>>>>>> devices don't have natively. What would I be paying $100 to do? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Teresa >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Sep 8, 2012, at 9:53 AM, Maccessibility >>>>>>> <nore...@maccessibility.net> >>>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Maccessibility has posted a new item, 'The Humanware Communicator >>>>>>>> for >>>>>>>> iOS' >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Humanware has released The Humanware Communicator app for iOS, >>>>>>>> priced >>>>>>>> at >>>>>>>> a >>>>>>>> staggering $99.99 US. From the description: >>>>>>>> The HumanWare Communicator application is intended to establish a >>>>>>>> text >>>>>>>> conversation between a deaf-blind person and a sighted person. All >>>>>>>> interaction appears both on the deaf-blind person’s refreshable >>>>>>>> Braille >>>>>>>> display, as well as visually on the [...] >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> You may view the latest post at >>>>>>>> http://maccessibility.net/2012/09/08/the-humanware-communicator-for-ios/ >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>>> Groups >>>>>>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>>>>> To post to this group, send email to >>>>>>>> macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>> Groups >>>>>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>>>> To post to this group, send email to >>>>>>> macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> Have a great day, >>>>>> Alex (msg sent from GMail website) >>>>>> mehg...@gmail.com >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>> Groups >>>>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>> Groups >>>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Have a great day, >>>> Alex (msg sent from GMail website) >>>> mehg...@gmail.com >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups >>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups >>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> >> -- >> ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > > -- Have a great day, Alex (msg sent from GMail website) mehg...@gmail.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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