It isn't true that no one is using Windows Phones, and it isn't clear
that Apple and Android are the future. Windows Phone sales have been
growing at over 100% for almost two years now. Windows Phones account
for just under 5% of the world wide smart phone sales at the moment.
When Microsoft purchased Nokia's smart phone business, they estimated
that this would increase to 15% in just over two years. Even if this is
a bit optimistic, a 15% market share is far from no one.
It was around half a dozen years or so that people thought blackberry
and Nokia had the smart phone market sowed up. The first Android phones
barely dented the market and Apple had to sign an exclusivity agreement
with AT&T to break into the smart phone market here in the US. Handset
manufacturers like Samsung, HTC and LG, are hedging their bets against
Google and Android and investing in alternatives such as Tizen, Sailfish
and Ubuntu Touch. It isn't clear at all that you won't see another major
player or two in the smart phone market in the next five years, just as
Apple and Android were on the outside looking in just over five years ago.
I also don't think 3rd party screen readers are a ten year old paradyme,
especially in the smart phone market. Ten years ago was about when
VoiceOver came out from Apple and Talks became available for Symbian
phones. It took apple almost another five years before they came out
with voiceOver for the iPhone. Talk Back wasn't a viable alternative on
Android phones until the last few years. It's true that Microsoft
doesn't bundle a screen reader with their OS, but I'm not convinced
that's a bad thing in the PC ecosystem. I know I've been employed for
years using non-Microsoft products on the PC. I am worried about what
happens to the accessibility of those products if Microsoft comes out
with their own screen reader. Using Apple hasn't been an option in the
companies where I've worked and neither has using nothing but Microsoft
applications.
I agree that the code Factory product doesn't go nearly far enough, but
I don't think it's too late. Accessibility has to start somewhere, and
I'm encouraged by the fact that Microsoft highlights Mobile
Accessibility in their own Windows Phone 8 announcements. We can't let
Microsoft off the hook, and we need to send the message that Windows
Phone won't be truly accessible until we have a true screen reader that
gives us access to the operating system features as well as third party
apps. I'm not going to condemn an improvement in accessibility just
because it's not everything it could be.
I'm not sure who will benefit from this Code Factory product. It looks
to me like it gives you feature phone functions on a smart phone. I
believe that blind people need access to feature phones. Sighted cell
phone users can get feature phones for next to nothing and can use them
to make and receive phone calls and text messages and can use their
built in PIM functions without having to sign up for a data plan. Blind
cell phone users should be able to do the same thing. Although Windows
Phones are less expensive than iPhones, they aren't as cheap as feature
phones and I doubt you can get a Windows Phone here in the US without
signing up for a data plan. Just because I can't imagine how a blind
person would benefit from this product doesn't mean there aren't blind
people out there who can't take advantage of it.
Finally, I agree Microsoft needs to break into the mobile space, but I
don't think it's clear that they won't be successful doing this. They're
the only major company out there right now who can produced a converged
device. They also have deep pockets and the desktop space isn't going
away in just a few years, just look at how long it took corporations to
move off of Windows XP. Microsoft will have it's core business to
leverage for quite a while as it works hard to become a player in this
new market for them.
On 10/16/2013 12:29 PM, harry brown wrote:
> Hi Peter and all,
> The problem is, nobody uses Windows phone 8, not even sighted people use
> it.
> Microsoft is trying to chase Apple and Android, and they're failing,
> miserably.
> The way Microsoft is going with not only Windows phone 8, and just with
> windows 8, they won't be around in a few years.
> Apple and Android are the future.
> Harry
>
> -----Original Message----- From: peter altschul
> Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 10:46 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [VICUG-L] [leadership] FW: Code Factory Enhances Blind and
> Visually ImpairedAccessibility for Windows Phone 8
>
> From: Code Factory Marketing [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 3:43 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Code Factory Enhances Blind and Visually Impaired
> Accessibility for Windows Phone 8
>
>
>
>
> Image removed by sender. Logo Code Factory
>
>
> Code Factory Enhances Blind and Visually Impaired
>
>
> (15/10/13) Code Factory Enhances Blind and Visually Impaired
> Accessibility for Windows Phone 8
>
>
> Terrassa, Spain, Microsoft enlists the help of Code Factory for
> mobile accessibility
>
>
> Code Factory, developers of software solutions for the blind and
> the visually impaired, has announced today that their Mobile
> Accessibility suite of apps will support Microsoft?檚 Windows
> Phone 8. Mobile Accessibility for Windows Phone 8 will be
> offered free of charge in the Windows Phone Store. Blind and
> visually impaired users will be able to access and enjoy their
> devices within a suite of accessible apps for the most common
> wireless tasks. Along with basic functionality of calling and
> contacts management, users will have access to emails, web
> browsing and messaging.
>
> Code Factory CEO Eduard S谩nchez explains: ?淲e are very
> excited to see that Microsoft has decided to count on our input
> and knowledge of the field of accessibility for the blind and
> visually impaired, based on 10 years of experience developing
> accessibility services for mobile devices. Combining Code
> Factory?檚 expertise in mobile accessibility with Microsoft?檚
> uniquely personal smartphone to enable Mobile Accessibility for
> Windows Phone 8 has been a very enriching experience.??
>
> ?淚 am extremely excited to have Code Factory as part of our
> rich Windows Phone developer ecosystem. Code Factory has done an
> incredible job of bringing their Mobile Accessibility experience
> to Windows Phone,??said Darren Laybourn, corporate vice
> president, Windows Phone, Microsoft Corp. ?淐ode Factory?檚
> history and expertise of developing products that eliminate
> barriers to accessibility in mobile technology made them the
> obvious first choice for us to work with. We are delighted that
> Mobile Accessibility, with its suite of apps designed to make
> Windows Phone easier to see, hear, and use, is now available for
> Windows Phone 8 to address the needs of our blind and visually
> impaired customers.??
>
> Mobile Accessibility gives access to six simple and intuitive
> apps that will increase user's productivity on everyday tasks:
>
> 路 Phone app to place and answer calls, and manage your
> call log
>
> 路 Contacts Manager app for managing contacts from
> users??Microsoft Account
>
> 路 Messaging app to compose and read SMS messages
>
> 路 An easy-to-configure email app, compatible with IMAP
>
> 路 First-class accessible web browser
>
> 路 Settings Manager to configure the app details and
> notifications to fit each user's needs
>
>
>
> For more information, feel free to contact Code Factory SL.:
>
> Code Factory, S.L., C/ Major 19, 2-3, 08221 Terrassa (Barcelona)
> HelpDesk
> <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=2164096&msgid=253430&a
> ct=YFRT&c=1030778&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.codefactory.cat%2F
> helpdesk%2F> , www.codefactory.es
> <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=2164096&msgid=253430&a
> ct=YFRT&c=1030778&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.codefactory.es
> Code Factory, S.L. - 2013
>
>
>
> _____
>
>
>
>
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> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> Archived on the World Wide Web at
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chaltain at Gmail
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