Until I purchased a Windows Pocket PC SmartPhone, I was only able to use a mobile phone to make phone calls. I couldn't send, or read, text messages. Yes, it was not fair, and being blind is not fair. And, even worse, considering that legal blindness is 0.5% of the population, any feature phone made for blind people will be more expensive than the top-of-the-line SmartPhone, the iPhone. The fact is, sighted people do not want phones that constantly jabber away. They find it to be extremely irritating. Blind people are such a tiny market that we cannot depend upon economies of scale to bring down costs. All the complaining in the world will not change these simple facts of life. As for the proof of my very irritating statements, I can think of four basic feature phones which have been sold at various times since 2009. None of those phones lasted on the market for more than six months. And, the phone which was made specifically for blind people retailed for more than the most expensive iPhone on contract. Because its market was so small, no carrier was willing to subsidise the cost.
Oh, the current attempt is a dumbed down Android phone. Its retail cost is the same as the iPhone subsidised on contract, and again, it is not being subsidised by any carrier. That said, it does exist, though I tend to wonder about how much longer it will be available. Again, life is not fair. David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA Email: dchitten...@gmail.com Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 Sent from my iPhone > On 5 Jun 2014, at 20:40, Christopher J Chaltain <chalt...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I assume David isn't talking about me specifically, but if so, this totally > misrepresents the opinion I've stated and stated fairly recently. > > The fact of the matter is that a sighted person can buy a feature phone > without a data plan. They can still make calls, send text messages, keep > track of personal information (like reminders, appointments, contacts and so > on). I'm not sure a blind person has this option any more, and if they do, > it's getting harder and harder to find. What are a blind person's option if > they just want a feature phone and don't want a smart phone? > > I'm not saying there aren't blind people who want something for nothing, but > why should blind people be any different than the general population. This > isn't what I and others are asking for though. I've never said a blind person > should be able to use all of the features of a smart phone and not have to > purchase a data plan. I do think it's a valid point though the blind people > do not have the feature phone option and the ability to use a cell phone > without a data plan that sighted people do. > >> On 6/5/2014 2:51 AM, David Chittenden wrote: >> The point about a data plan is a point some in the blind community have been >> complaining about ever since the accessible iPhone 3GS was released. Some >> people do not wish to have a data plan, but still want an iPhone for >> everything it can do. AT&T would not sell an iPhone on contract without a >> data plan, and the unsubsidised price of the iPhone is quite high. >> >> Personally, I have not heard this complaint for a couple years now, so >> forgot about it. SmartPhones require data plans in order to fully function. >> Oh, and the same people, when they could get the carriers to remove the data >> plan, tended to complain because many of those desired features were then >> crippled. >> >> David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA >> Email: dchitten...@gmail.com >> Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> On 5 Jun 2014, at 17:31, don bishop <donb...@emissives.com> wrote: >>> >>> The first thing that jumped right out at me was his statement that apple >>> does not offer a data plan and you need one to get on the internet. >>> Doesn't he know that dataplans are controled by your phone carrier? Also >>> has he ever heard of wifi? >>> >>> Simply shocking from someone who should know better. >>> Yes, he's been around for a very long time and was head of the nfb >>> technology user's group. Don't know if still is or not. >>> Din >>> >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: Neal Ewers <neal.ew...@ravenswood.org> >>> To: viphone@googlegroups.com >>> Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2014 10:13 pm >>> Subject: RE: NFB June Braille Monitor/Article on the iPhone >>> >>>> >>>> Curtis Chong the author of this article has been around for some time. It >>>> would have been interesting if the article had been written by someone >>>> younger. >>>> >>>> Neal >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf >>>> Of Teresa Cochran >>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2014 11:19 PM >>>> To: viphone@googlegroups.com >>>> Subject: Re: NFB June Braille Monitor/Article on the iPhone >>>> >>>> Um. Where to start? Well, if you don't want a smart phone, don't get one. >>>> If >>>> you don't want to pay for a data plan, get an iPod Touch, or an iPad >>>> without >>>> a data plan. What are those, you say? Hmmm. As for the virtual keyboards >>>> they're not as fast for anyone as a regular keyboard. How fast was the old >>>> method of using the teeny keys on a "real" phone keyboard or even the >>>> numpad >>>> keys for typing letters? Not very. And why not use Siri to call a number? >>>> What is Siri? Hmmm. >>>> >>>> I will say that I have come across folks at my local blind center who >>>> receive iPhones and haven't the slightest idea how to operate them. A >>>> well-meaning person might have given it as a gift, but they ask me why they >>>> can't do things more simply. Maybe for some, a bit more one-on-one >>>> attention >>>> would have been a good idea. >>>> >>>> having said this, I think this article is more than a tad condescending, if >>>> addressed to most blind folks out there. >>>> >>>> Teresa >>>> >>>> "The golden age of science fiction is twelve."--Pete graham >>>> >>>> On Jun 4, 2014, at 8:52 PM, 'David Goldfield' via VIPhone >>>> <viphone@googlegroups.com> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Has anyone read the June Braille Monitor? there is an article covering >>>> the supposed pros and cons of the iPhone. I have to admit that it would be >>>> very difficult for me to come up with a list of ten things which are "not >>>> good" about the iPhone but this article supposedly did just that. I plan >>>> to >>>> write a detailed blog post in the coming week with my responses to the ten >>>> objections but I'll just say that it's one of the most irresponsible pieces >>>> of journalism I've ever read from that magazine. Please, understand that >>>> this is not meant as a bash about the NFB vs any other organization or even >>>> a criticism of the Monitor. However, the piece infuriated me because the >>>> NFB is a highly influential organization and many of its members and >>>> readers >>>> of the Monitor will take the article seriously just because it comes from a >>>> nationally recognized blindness organization. My fear is that many people >>>> may read this article and will be convinced to not buy an iPhone due to >>>> things which the article claims are "not good" about the device. >>>>> -- >>>>> Feel free to visit my new Web site http://www.DavidGoldfield.info Feel >>>> free to visit my LinkedIn profile >>>> http://www.linkedin.com/pub/david-goldfield/12/929/573 Visit my blog >>>> http://davidgoldfield.wordpress.com Follow me on Twitter >>>> http://www.twitter.com/davidgoldfield David Goldfield, Founder and Peer >>>> Coordinator Philadelphia Computer Users' Group for the Blind and Visually >>>> Impaired >>>>> -- >>>>> The following information is important for all members of the viphone >>>> list. All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you >>>> have >>>> any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel >>>> that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or >>>> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. 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The archives for this list >>>> can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. >>>> --- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "VIPhone" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>>> email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>> To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. >>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> The following information is important for all members of the viphone >>>> list. All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you >>>> have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you >>>> feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or >>>> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives >>>> for this list can be searched at >>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. >>>> --- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "VIPhone" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>>> email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>> To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. >>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> -- >>> The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. >>> All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any >>> questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a >>> member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators >>> directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list >>> can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "VIPhone" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > -- > Christopher (CJ) > Chaltain at Gmail > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. > All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any > questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a > member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators > directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list > can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. > --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VIPhone" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. 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