Though I respect your objections to Mr. Chong's ten issues, to call his
issues silly or irresponsible journalism is unwarranted. I am a techie, I
love tech, and , for one, have no interest in the touch screen devices.
Sometimes it's a personal matter of choice, and those of us who do not
like the touch screen and voice controls have every right to express our
preference for physical buttons. Sure, you can attach a blue tooth
keyboard, but that is a complication unnecessary for those using a flip
phone. And, yes, the standard flip phone is smaller and easier to use as a
phone then any of the smart phones I've handled.  I notice that the
adopters of the iPhone have become almost rabid in prostilizing for the
device, and very very defensive to any of us who just aren't interested in
that particular product.  I think the iPhone is a great device, and it has
really opened up some new access avenues for those who have chosen to use
it, but that doesn't mean all of us have to use it, nor agree with those
who do use it. Mr. Chong's points are well founded for many of us and just
because we agree with him doesn't mean we are luddites or abandoning
progress. There are many converging technologies providing us with
different types of access. It is up to each one of us to fashion our
solutions to match our needs and tastes. It is a matter of preference and
Mr. Chong has as much right to express his views on the topic as you do in
your blog or any articles you publish. Then, those of us consumers who
care can read, and decide for ourselves if either one of you is correct,
for us.

BTW: I'm not a member of the NFB.

Bill Pasco

-----Original Message-----
From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Goldfield
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2014 10:40 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VICUG-L] From My Blog/My response to the braille Monitor Article
About the iPhone

	My comments on the Braille Monitor Article concerning the iPhone

the June 2014 edition of the Braille Monitor contained an article by
Curtis Chong titled Knowing what Is Good about the iPhone and What is Not.
I was intrigued by the title. I have to admit that I've become quite the
Apple fanboy of late and I would have a very difficult time in coming up
with a list of ten objections or things which are "not good"
about the iPhone. In fact, I'm having a very difficult time in coming up
with a list of one or two things which are "not good" about the iPhone.
However, no product is perfect and I can handle objectively written
product evaluations. Unfortunately, this article was not one of them.
I'm going to reprint each of the objections stated by Mr. Chong in their
entirety, with my comments below each objection.
What Is Not Good About The iPhone
1. If you don't want to pay for a data plan, the iPhone has no option for
that. A data plan will cost you about twenty dollars a month. You need a
data plan for the iPhone to be able to communicate over the Internet.
Response: you need to pay for a monthly plan to get anything on the
Internet. If a consumer already has an Internet connection in his home, he
can buy an iPod Touch or an iPad. These devices run iOS and don't require
an additional monthly data plan. The fact is that any computer or device
that accesses the Internet is usually going to require you to pay for some
sort of access plan.
2. It is very inefficient to make a simple phone call with the iPhone,
particularly if you don't have a person in your contacts list. You can
dial a phone number that you know much more quickly with a keypad that has
real, physical buttons.
Response: not at all. You can simply press the home button and command
siri to call any number, such as saying "call 302 555-1212." That's hardly
what I'd call inefficient. Also, a consumer can order screen protectors
from Speeddots containing tactile keyboard overlays.
Finally, the rivo keyboard, while insanely expensive, gives you a keypad
allowing for quick telephone entry and it also provides keyboard commands
which let you control many other functions of the iPhone.
3. On the iPhone touch typing for texting and email is very slow as
compared to a regular keyboard; this has been somewhat mitigated by
Braille apps, of which there are now two. However, you should know that
research has shown that, on average, a blind person entering data using
the touch-screen QWERTY keyboard is writing at about three words per
minute. By contrast, users of the built-in Braille apps have been clocked
at around 23 words per minute.
response: you can use any number of Bluetooth keyboards if you want to
compose a lengthy email or text message. For short text messages,
composing one is as quick as dictating the text to Siri, just as you can
use your voice to place a call.
4. The iPhone is very much a technology requiring good hand-ear
coordination. People who want real buttons that they can operate silently
by touch will be very disappointed in the iPhone.
As I stated in a previous response, you can purchase affordable tactile
overlays from Speeddots. Besides, in the section in the article covering
the iPhone's strengths, it is stated correctly that the iPhone
demonstrates, with a properly designed user interface, that blind people
can successfully operate a touchscreen.
5. Battery life for the iPhone is still an issue. You have to charge it at
least once a day-a lot more if you use GPS.
Response: yes, I long for the days when products like the Braille 'n Speak
could give us 30 hours of battery life from one charge. However, this is a
non-issue. During the day, I connect my iPhone to my computer's USB port
and when I get home I connect it to my computer for a few hours before
going to bed. Turning off Bluetooth, if you're not using that service, and
turning your screen brightness down to zero percent will do a lot to save
battery life. Besides, it's not exactly a major inconvenience to plug the
thing into a computer or a wall outlet every night.
6. The iPhone is not small. It is bigger than a lot of flip phones.
response: are you serious? Really, are you kidding me? My wife's Motorola
Droid Ultra has a wider form factor. The iPhone fits very comfortably in
one hand. I mean, we're not talking about a device like an iPad or a
Kindle 8.9 HDX.
7. For a lot of people the iPhone is a lot more technology than they want.
It is not for someone who just wants a phone to make and receive calls.
response: true, but once blind people discover that the iPhone can act as
their digital book player, restaurant menu reader, Web browser, email
client, money identifier, barcode scanner, radio tuner, game player and
object recognizer they might just want to use it for more than just making
and receiving phone calls.
8. The iPhone is not cheap. Even with a two-year contract, the basic unit
can cost $200. The full retail price of the iPhone is approximately $650.
I received my iPhone 5C, 32 GB version, for free if I agreed to sign a
two-year contract with Verizon, which I was more than happy to do.
Admittedly, that particular deal expired on March 31 of this year but I
have heard that at least one other carrier was offering a similar deal.
It is likely that consumers who do a bit of searching will be able to
acquire an iPhone for a fraction of the actual cost if they are willing to
sign a contract with the carrier.
9. First-time users of the iPhone have reported initial frustration with
this powerful technology. It is not uncommon for these people to feel as
if they want to throw the phone away during the first month. Answering
calls and hanging up calls seem to be two particularly difficult problems
for beginning iPhone users.
Response: does this mean we shouldn't recommend JAWS or NVDA to some
consumers who are new to Windows because we can find a percentage of users
who experienced frustration with their screen reader during the first few
weeks or months of use. It is common for people to find a new piece of
hardware or software frustrating or difficult to use when they're first
learning how to use the product. Yes, using a product with a touchscreen
is a very different way of interacting with a device and frustration can
occur. This is true, by the way, with sighted consumers as well as blind
consumers so this really is a very silly objection.
10. The iPhone requires a fair amount of dexterity and the ability to tap
quickly. People who have motor issues or poor dexterity will likely not
benefit from this technology.
Response: I don't believe this is correct. I'm no expert on this but I
remember reading about how the iPhone can be adapted for consumers with
difficulties with hand movement.
I acknowledge that Mr. Chong also compiled a list of many advantages of
owning an iPhone; I was amused that he listed that one of them was that
NFB Newsline was available as an app. However, I found this list of things
which were "not good" to be misleading and an example of irresponsible
journalism. Mr. Chong is entitled to his opinions.
However, the NFB is a very influential organization and many of its
members as well as readers of the Braille Monitor take these articles very
seriously because they are being published by a well-known and
well-respected organization which claims to represent the visually
impaired. I am concerned that this article could convince many blind
people, as well as friends and family members who support them, that the
iPhone will not be a good product for them. This is tragic, as it could
potentially be responsible for deterring blind consumers from enjoying a
device whose functionality is unmatched by any competitor. It is my
sincere hope that Mr. Chong would examine the validity or lack thereof of
the objections which he states in his article and that he would consider
writing a follow-up piece to correct these statements.
--
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


    VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
Archived on the World Wide Web at
    http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
    Signoff: [log in to unmask]
    Subscribe: [log in to unmask]


    VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
Archived on the World Wide Web at
    http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
    Signoff: [log in to unmask]
    Subscribe: [log in to unmask]