I'm not so sure that companies from 20, 10 or even 5 years ago that were making custom devices for the blind were charging the prices they were just to "stick it to the blind". The world was quite a bit different. You didn't have off the shelf devices that had the computing power to run a full blown OS, a built in screen reader, a software speech synthesizer, a GPS and so on. Of course those devices cost more than an app for the iPhone would cost today. I'm not saying that companies making products for the blind, didn't over charge for their products, I'm sure some of them did, just like companies may try to get more for their products in every free market than some people think is fair.
I think it's great today that we have so many off the shelf options, and I know I tend to favour an off the shelf option myself when it meets my needs. I still wouldn't hesitate to buy a device or an app made with the blind in mind though, if it meets my needs and helps me compete with my sighted peers. I'm not a fan of the term blind ghetto though, and I think it does a disservice to all of those products and people who gave the blind the opportunity to be successful in various careers before we could piggy back on top of devices like the iPhone. I also think that companies making products for the blind can smell the coffee. As mentioned below, the Trekker is no longer made, and how many products like it do you see out there anymore? Access technology companies aren't stupid, and they see what's happening with access technology and the developments they can take advantage of, if they so choose to. On 16/02/13 21:35, M. Taylor wrote: > Hi, > > I was one of those who paid 2000 plus dollars for the original Trekker > Maestro device. It changed my life in so many ways. > > Never before had I experienced such navigational independence. > > I have been lobbying HumanWare for a Trekker iOS app ever since it became > clear that Code Factory was not going to port it's Mobile Geo to iOS. > > Mark > > > > > > From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf > Of Alan Paganelli > Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2013 6:38 AM > To: viphone@googlegroups.com > Subject: Re: Trekker GPS App > > Maestro Trekker was back in 2005 and went belly up in 2007 when the Apple > iPhone changed the world. I think companies wanting to remain in business > selling products and services to the Blind need to wake up and smell the > coffee. The days of sticking it to the blind because they can are gone. > Blind people today understand that they vote with their dollars. No way > could they charge 2 grand for a Trekker app. They probably could get 20 > dollars for it if it had all the features of the Trekker. > > At this point in time, there aren't enough people asking Humanware for a > Trekker app. They do listen though. A good example is the survey that was > done about features people wanted on a book reader. As a result of what > blind people wanted, the Victor Reader Stream is out with wireless > connectivity and lets you directly download NLS books, Bookshare.org content > and much more. But it happened because enough people contacted them and > asked for it. Humanware is awhere of the fact that there is some interest > by Trekker users in a Trekker app for iPhone but so far, not enough blind > people have made enough requests for even a survey to be put together for > usage and features. That's why I gave the contact info. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Sieghard Weitzel > To: viphone@googlegroups.com > Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 9:24 PM > Subject: RE: Trekker GPS App > > Hi Alan, > > I am not sure if Humanware would be the right company to talk to. Their > Trekker product utilizes Sendero’s technology and as far as I know Sendero > is and has been working on a more complete GPS app geared towards the blind > for some time. I believe they are funded by Seeing Eye which of course is a > good thing because Seeing Eye has the money to back such a project. > > I used to own a Trekker Maestro about 5 years ago and while I am sure there > are people who had good experiences with Humanware, their products and > customer service, I was never very impressed and I have a feeling if > Humanware was to come up with a GPS app they would try and charge through > the nose for it. > Remember Orator or whatever it was called? It was the screenreader they > developed for Blackberry and even though it only worked on a few devices > they were charging $450 which is more than half of the most expensive 64 Gig > iPhone without contract. I bet those very likely few people who did buy it > probably regretted the decision. > It’s really too bad Blackberry didn’t integrate accessibility into the > Blackberry 10 platform because the Z10 and Q10 really do sound like very > nice phones and the initial feedback I heard has been rather positive. > > Anyhow, I don’t want to stray into another discussion of accessibility of > other platforms and so on, but maybe somebody on the list has heard > something new about Sendero’s GPS project for the iPhone and will share it. > It would really be nice if they came up with a really comprehensive GPS app > this year; if it had similar features to a Trekker or MobilGeo combined with > the stability of the iOS platform it would really be worth something. > > > Regards, > Sieghard > -- Christopher (CJ) chaltain at Gmail -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. 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