[access-uk] Re: Sirecogniser dealer
- From: "Andy Collins" <andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2008 09:08:52 -0000
Ray - How do noise cancelling headphones work? I've never tried a pair; what
noise are they cancelling? -
Andy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 11:48 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sirecogniser dealer
| Jackie, though my situation isn't that similar to yours, I share the
| not having holidays - well not for near five years now - and as for
| drinking, ar less than I used to, and I'v never smoked.
|
| When it comes to gadgets I'm less of a play being than I used to be,
| and now view them rather more in the light of their usefulness to me
| than their sex appeal! That's why I'm not overtly fashion concious
| when it comes to techy stuff, and far more into how easy it is to use
| and whether it will play a substantial part in my dailly life, rather
| than it gathering dust after the buzz.
|
| The one device I've bought recently that does these things for me is
| the Victor Stream which I wouldn't be without now. In fact it has
| replaced my RNIB supplied DAISY player which blew up recently anyway.
| To me the Stream is rare in providing (in access tech terms) pretty
| good value for money, though maybe it should have been released after
| they'd worked on the firmware a bit more, but they've got that right
| in a short time. It is a device I use dailly and the notetaking
| facility is really good too.
|
| Has to be added though that I bought the Stream at the special offer
| price, and it does go for a higher price now I believe, which is
| unfortunate, because ten or twenty quid knocked off the near £200.00
| price tag could mean a worthwhile saving to many without it seems to
| me, HumanWare chort changing itself.
|
| Maybe the other thing that's made a difference to listening on the
| move is noise cancelling headphones which really do increase
| enjoyment. Not so high up in the value for money stakes, but again
| something I have never thought was a mistake in buying.
|
| I could indeed benefit to some exstent from something like the KNFB
| reader which has text enlargement amongst its abilities. Still, it
| has to come down to the level of an up-market screen reader - say
| five - six hundred quid - before I would consider it is maybe money
| well spent. Let's face it, as it turns out its the image correction
| and porcessingprocessing that's the more inovative stuff, not the
| actual OCR that is now pretty 'old technology'.
|
| By the way, didn't someone - seems yonks back now - mention a tech
| subsidy scheme operating in Canada? Seems to me that possibly a lump
| sum payable every five years or so wouldn't be a bad idea. Given the
| present setup though, that would only go to help sustain these silly
| margins being earned by distributers. As if they needed any
| encouragement! Could end up subbing what, after all, are probably
| rather inefficient outfits.
|
| All this said, I do hope that, at whatever price, this new software
| does turn out to be much more than a plaything, and I look forward to
| hearing of the positive advantages of having it by those who do decide
| they can afford it.
|
| Cheers,
|
|
|
| From Ray
| I can be contacted off-list at:
| mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx
|
|
| -----Original Message-----
| Of Jackie Cairns
| Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sirecogniser dealer
|
|
| Hi Ray
|
| Everybody knows what they can and can't afford (hopefully), and must
| make a
| decision based on their own circumstances. When there is something
| out
| there that really enthuses Ian and I, we discuss whether it's
| worthwhile
| saving hard for it, or whether it isn't that important, or even
| whether to
| wait to see what develops. In some ways, we can say that both of us
| will
| benefit from a piece of access kit as we are in the same boat. Also,
| holidays aren't a priority for us because we find it difficult to go
| to
| strange places without relying on sighted input anyway. And we are
| both of
| the mind that the access tech will give us more pleasure long term
| (most of
| the time) than a few holiday memories. We don't drink or smoke, which
| are
| our choices, but we do spend a lot of time fiddling about with our
| bits and
| pieces.
|
| That doesn't justify the cost of access kit, of course, but it helps
| us to
| work out what we need, what is important to help us live
| independently, and
| whether the financial outlay is worthwhile.
|
| There are times when both of us would sacrifice robotic gadgetry for
| human
| voices and sighted assistance at every turn, but that isn't likely to
| happen, so we just do our best with what we have. If we can afford
| something, we buy. If not, we just say: "Oh well another day" and
| move on.
|
| That sums it up for me on this one.
|
| Jackie
| Email: cairnsplace@xxxxxxx
| Skype Name: Cairnsplace
| ----- Original Message -----
| From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
| To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
| Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 10:40 PM
| Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sirecogniser dealer
|
|
| > Jackie, you do raise a very pertinent question here as to how you
| > arrive at deciding whether the present portable recognition software
| > etc is worth it.
| >
| > I'll own up and say that I'm very fortunate as of now in not really
| > needing it, but I do hate the injustice of the pricing and the
| > bleeding dry of people who do need it. Still what is 'need'? is it
| > that difficult when out and about to get things like menus read?
| Are
| > their other situations where you'd see yourself time and time again
| > using this sort of aid? Maybe you want to know where the loo is,
| but
| > could you wave one of these things around for it to find it for you?
| > How many instances do you find where no one's about to help?
| >
| > How about living at home? What would this sort of portable device
| > offer over and above a scanner with OCR software? Sure a few might
| > chip in and spell this out. My reason for asking is that surely how
| > much and when you'd use it must decide whether its a good or
| rational
| > use of money that maybe could be used for other things.
| >
| > I'd say simply sit back and ask yourself these questions and ask
| > yourself, is it worth it to me now, at this price level? The only
| way
| > suppliers are going to get the message about over pricing is if you
| > decline to throw so much money their way and refuse to be a milch
| cow.
| > That indeed is a choice some will end up making.
| >
| > Raises interesting questions about the nature of independence too
| and
| > whether that means doing everything unaided by human intervvention.
| > Personally I'd value good human assistance in many instances while
| out
| > doing things, and this simply isn't offered me.
| >
| > Cheers,
| > Ray.
| >
| > From Ray
| > I can be contacted off-list at:
| > mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx
| >
| >
| > -----Original Message-----
| > Jackie Cairns
| > Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sirecogniser dealer
| >
| >
| > Hi Andy
| >
| > That is the difficulty with buying anything that is going to bleed
| you
| > dry.
| > You either jump in and then think: "shit I should have waited," or
| aim
| > to
| > buy later, only to be confronted with something bigger, better and
| > even more
| > costly.
| >
| > It's a very tricky one, a subject that will rage forever with no
| > definitive
| > answer to be had I'm afraid.
| >
| > If you don't have access to work, it's a case of either doing the
| > charity
| > rounds, living like a recluse until you can afford something - by
| > which time
| > the next best thing is out there - or maybe do the Lottery or
| > something
| > (smile).
| >
| > Jackie
| >
| > Email: cairnsplace@xxxxxxx
| > Skype Name: Cairnsplace
| > ----- Original Message -----
| > From: "Andy Collins" <andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
| > To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
| > Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 5:51 PM
| > Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sirecogniser dealer
| >
| >
| >> Ah! Jackie, I'm not surprised Steve omited to answer this in his
| > replies
| >> about this gadget <smile> not his fault no doubt, but too expensive
| > to
| >> justify, and the thing is, with lots of this tech stuff, it never
| > really
| >> gives value for money, as it will be superseeded in a couple of
| > years.
| >> It's
| >> tricky as I have always said, to work out when to buy expensive
| kit,
| > and
| >> how
| >> long to hold out for something better, being inconvenienced in the
| > mean
| >> time!
| >>
| >> For many, with all this stuff being so expensive, they will only be
| > able
| >> to
| >> aford to buy once, if at all, so I understand the tendency to hold
| > off
| >> buying in favour of an upgraded or superior device later down the
| > line -
| >>
| >> Andy
| >> ----- Original Message -----
| >> From: "Jackie Cairns" <cairnsplace@xxxxxxx>
| >> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
| >> Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 5:36 PM
| >> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sirecogniser dealer
| >>
| >>
| >> |I believe Andy that it is £2,700 with training, which is
| > recommended.
| >> But
| >> | if you insist on going it alone, it is £2,500.
| >> |
| >> | Jackie
| >> |
| >> | Email: cairnsplace@xxxxxxx
| >> | Skype Name: Cairnsplace
| >> | ----- Original Message -----
| >> | From: "Andy Collins" <andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
| >> | To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
| >> | Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 4:57 PM
| >> | Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sirecogniser dealer
| >> |
| >> |
| >> | > Mark - can you post that link please?
| >> | >
| >> | > Also, has anybody yet gained an idea of the cost of this
| > device -
| >> Steve
| >> | > hasn't come back on this one! -
| >> | >
| >> | > Andy
| >> | > ----- Original Message -----
| >> | > From: "Mark Threadgold" <m.j.threadgold@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
| >> | > To: "accessuk list" <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
| >> | > Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 4:23 PM
| >> | > Subject: [access-uk] Sirecogniser dealer
| >> | >
| >> | >
| >> | > |i all.
| >> | > |
| >> | > | I found a review of the sirecogniser by Brian Hartgen done at
| > sight
| >> | > village.
| >> | > |
| >> | > |
| >> | > | It states the uk distributors are Micro Link PC.
| >> | > |
| >> | > | This is incorrect. I contacted Micro Link PC and they never
| > got
| >> further
| >> | > | than the initial talks with the manufacturers at sight
| > village.
| >> | > |
| >> | > | Don't know who is the distributer, bight help someone else
| > avoid
| >> | > contacting
| >> | > | the wrong people.
| >> | > |
| >> | > | Mark Threadgold
|
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