Whether one agrees with them or not, both David Chittenden and Mike Pietrik in past comments to this list on similar topics have correctly laid out this issue. Essentially, the blind population is not large enough for large commercial enterprises to really be concerned about them when developing new products. Therefore, as Terri Hedgpeth pointed out in another response, reality is going to differ greatly from what we ideally want.
--
Ted Chittenden
Every story has at least two sides if not more.
---- David Poehlman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Appliances should be accessible I should I have to have a gadget to interact with them
On Jun 13, 2014, at 11:11 AM, Terri Hedgpeth <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
If this device is able to read displays on appliances, that would be way cool and I would buy one. It would be cool to be able to tell how much time is left on a dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, microwave, etc.
-----Original Message-----
From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ana G
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2014 7:51 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VICUG-L] response to Bill
Interestingly, I thought of the optacon too when I read the description of the finger reader. The device doesn't sound as easy and convenient as a camera that takes one or two pictures of the document, but it sounds like this device does two things the Optacon did well: (1) you can read any surface including labels on cans, and (2) you get a sense of formatting, which is sometimes helpful, as when filling out a form.
I have to admit that I'm not as excited about these types of devices as I used to be. I have a KNFB Reader, which cost a lot of money and reads fairly well, and I have Google Goggles, a free app on my Android phone, which does a little less well and cost me nothing. Neither does as well as a flatbed scanner, and though KNFB Reader is a little better, the difference between the two isn't significant enough to justify the amazing difference in price.
The Blaze EZ sounds exciting. based on the description, it sounds like a Victor Stream cum KNFB Reader. The introductory price is over $600.00, which suggests the regular price will be a couple of hundred dollars higher. That's a lot of money for goodish results. I'd pay for something like the EZ, but I'd pay a lot less. In a way, this is the crux of the matter. If I can't afford it or if I feel it's too much money for what I'm getting, then I won't buy it, so for all practical purposes, it doesn't exist.
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