I didn't know we only get one language. I was lead to believe that all the
languages were in there and we could choose whatever language we wanted to
install. Pam.
-----Original Message-----
From: David via Talk
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2017 3:29 PM
To: Vaughan Dodd ; Window-Eyes Discussion List ; 'Don Smith'
Subject: WinEyes and licensing
Vaughn,
I just wanted to hook on to one point you made. And that is the one
about the free Office Offer of WinEyes, in comparison with the paid-for
versions.
You said:
"
Part of my complaint is that the Window-Eyes for Office programme, which is
free to those who use it, get permanent access to the full install, but
paying customers do not."
(End Of Quote).
See, if you happen to own one of the required versions of Office, you
can download WinEyes in English, German, french or Norwegian, or any of
the other supported languages. Do you fork out enough money to pay for
your screen reader, you all the sudden are forced, bound and locked to
ONLY one language; even if you are in want of a change down the road. In
addition, you are told that now, since you paid for the product, you no
longer can install it on how many computers you want. Oh no, now you
have a limit to your installations - at least in parts of the world. The
reason, that is given from GWMicro and up, is that if they let you
install an English copy of WinEyes on a computer located in Scandinavia,
that would lead to people making pirate copies. Huh? sorry, but how come
the Free Offer does not lead to piracy? Since they can give it away in
all languages, why can't they give the paid-for customers free choice of
languages? In fact, why not simply release ONE version of WinEyes,
holding a setting that determines which language would be the active
one, at any given time. Other manufacturers can, so why has such never
been an alternative with this screen reader, or with Jaws?
To me, and I guess a few other International users, the whole thing
becomes even more illogical, all the time the free offer can be
downloaded and installed in whatever language you might want.
Now that most customer service seem to be gone, at least for the moment,
I start to wonder what would make people pay for the product. If the
free offer does give you better functionality and higher choices, and
the paid-for version no longer receive all that much individual support,
I really am reluctant to what benefit the 50, 100, or 175 dollar
upgrades do give us any longer. And the day people stop paying? Is that
the day they are awaiting, before the plug could be pulled, now fully
supported by the fact that money stopped coming in?
Sure, some users might feel it is worth to pay, simply due to them
thereby supporting the further development. But for many users, economy
is an issue, and when they already have paid who knows how many
thousands through the years, and now no longer receive much benefit of
keep paying, where would that take them? My guess is, if they want to
see the big multitude continue to pay, there might be a need for some
revision on the whole licensing and offering of the product line. As a
matter of fact, since you have paid for your product, why give you a
download window at all? Why not simply give you some kind of a log-in
credencial, and then let your copy of the product be made available for
downloading, anytime you might need it in the future? Fact is, they
already do that with your free upgrades, like the recent one. I haven't
seen any notice come up, that told me the upgrade would need to be
downloaded within a given time scope. If you don't upgrade for two
weeks, the upgrade will be ready for you still. But if you want your
original, paid-for instalation copy, then you all the sudden are under
loads of restrictions.
Perhaps I am missing something. But to me this simply does not make
logic sense. If you are under no real restriction long as you go free,
why then is it that you are loaded with restrictions any time you pay?
Shouldn't it be, and isn't it with many other products, the opposite way
- Freeware with restrictions, and pay to have all your benefits?
Let's just hope, whatever comes next in the way of WinEyes, Jaws, or a
combined product, that they come up with better licensing terms, which
to a much higher extent reflects the fact that a great number of users
now aday are multi-lingual. And let's hope they make it low-cost and
beneficial, or simply just go free altogether. When NVDA manage to offer
people greater flexibility, and as time goes by becomes more
full-fledged, it does pose a stress on the expenses tied to either of
the mainstream screen readers.
I still feel that a good product deserve its reasonable pricing. As
such, NVDA has not yet reached the level of becoming a real alternative
for the more advanced group of users. But WinEyes, Jaws and the rest of
the mainstream readers, might have to undergo some kind of revision if
they want to advocate their high pricing. When one and same product can
be had with better advantages for free, than the paid-for copies, I am
afraid that is a slow pull of the plug.
OK then, we do not know if something is on its way. Maybe the licensing
already is being revised. But as things stand today, it makes you wonder
why not spend your next fifty dollars on an upgrade of your computer
hardware, and then go for the free Office-version of WinEyes. A couple
of paid-for upgrades, or one SMA, and I guess you almost could get hold
of a full version of one of the supported Office versions.
On 2/2/2017 8:23 PM, Vaughan Dodd via Talk wrote:
Hi Don.
Glad that at least one paying customer is getting a level of support that
should be expected.
My experience is frustrating.
I no longer request the DVD, as the last one took more than six weeks to
arrive. I like the option of requesting a personalised downloadable
edition of the full release.
My grumpiness with this is that I recently asked for an extension of the
period before my serialised link expired. I've been given 36 hours from
two different sources. IN other words - two personalised links, each
available to me separately for 36 hours.
I have laid a complaint with the AI Squared sales people.
The Window-Eyes specific technical support has gone. The second link I
received which expired (as did the first one) before I opened the email
came from VFO technical support. The physical address is in St
Petersburg. Surely: it would have made sense to rationalise sales ahead
of technical support, and emails from all over the place direct me to GW
Micro.com - what a lovely place that once was!
Part of my complaint is that the Window-Eyes for Office programme, which
is free to those who use it, get permanent access to the full install, but
paying customers do not.
Don: agree with you that VFO is a funnyt name. Why is it not VFOA, so
that AI Squared is acknowledged.
In polite company: VFO stands for "very frustrating organisation" and in
less genteel gatherings, substitute frustrating for another adjective.
Vaughan.
-----Original Message-----
From: Talk
[mailto:talk-bounces+vaughan.dodd001=msd.govt...@lists.window-eyes.com] On
Behalf Of Don Smith via Talk
Sent: Thursday, 2 February 2017 5:26 p.m.
To: 'Window-Eyes Discussion List'
Subject: Just in passing
Hi Folks:
First, I think fo is the strangest name for a company that I have ever
heard.
However, I called the other day to purchase a cd with win eyes on it and
although, it seemed they were a little muddled at first, but, then put me
on to another person.
They were busy and I left a message re my request thinking would they take
care of it.
Well got a call today and all is ok, the cd is being sent and that is to
Canada
Don
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