Hi,

Just how significant is this, really?  Regarding what Mr. Edwards says
below, I mean. What was the price of an apple last week?  Now, what will
the price be with this screenreading technology built-in?
If you could buy an Apple for, say, $500 without the screenreading
technology that will soon be available, and it costs $1000 with it, is that
all that significantly different than buying a computer and buying a
screenreader seperately?  So, does anyone know the pricing now and also
what it will likely be?  have their been projections done on this by
Apple?  I have no clue about Apple's pricing.  I'm just curious.   Mr.
Edwards has a good point, about a mainstream system offering a complete
package.  I just want to make sure it might actually be somewhere near as
good as he tries to make it sound, before getting fully behind it.

Thanks,
Everett


>---------- Original Message -----------
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: "Edwards, Paul" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: [leadership] my previous post
>Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 08:38:08 -0400
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>I forwarded to this list a message that I actually sent to folks at my
>college.  It is a message of earthshaking importance to blind people.  Lest
>it was not clear to folks, Apple is going in a direction that will
>fundamentally alter the nature of access.  For the first time, a blind
>person will be able to walk into a dealership and purchase a Mac computer
>that will have the screen reader and the large print and any other
>accessibility features he or she might need built into the operating
>system.  Blind people will not have to pay extra for screen readers or
>magnifying programs.  They will not have to deal with third party producers
>of screen readers and that just relates to individuals.
>
>Cities, counties, states, school systems, colleges, and universities will
>probably find it extremely convenient to adopt a computer system that meets
>all the accessibility requirements out of the box.
>
>With one major decision, Apple has, in my opinion, turned the access
>technology industry
>   into one huge question mark.
>
>This is a very big deal, folks.  It will be up to ACB to assure that the
>new system is truly functional before we support it.  It will also be up to
>us to decide what our expectations ought to be with regard to Windows.  Is
>it time for us to demand that Microsoft follow suit with Apple?  Should we
>support screen reader and magnification software companies in spite of this
>development?  This is a huge issue and we need to start to grapple with it
>now rather than waiting for the chips to fall.  I know President Gray will
>be as concerned as I am over this and I am certain that some significant
>pronouncement will emerge during our convention.  This is a big deal,
>people.  The time for action is now.  Let us be proactive and not wait for
>quiet deals to be struck behind our backs.
>
>Paul
>
>Paul Edwards, Director
>Access Services, North Campus
>Phone: (305) 237-1146
>Fax: (305-237-1831
>TTY: (305) 237-1413
>Email: [log in to unmask]
>home email: [log in to unmask]
>
>--


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