Daveed.Mandell@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Daveed Mandell) (10/13/90)
Index Number: 11092 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] Willie: I understand next week's Closing the Gap conference in Minneapolis is where the actions's supposed to be -- where lots of new technology products will get their debuts! Will you be their to give us all a first-hand report? If not, can someone else please get all the inside info and post it here? I hear the competition in speech is predicted to be especially fierce! --Daveed-- -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89.0!Daveed.Mandell Internet: Daveed.Mandell@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org
Daveed.Mandell@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Daveed Mandell) (10/17/90)
Index Number: 11150 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] Simple! It couldn't care less about technology for the blind! No way, no how! Too bad, eh? Called Syntha-Voice last week, by the way, and Dave swears he's coming out with a whole slew of new products, and a screen reader that'll beat all others --- all this at Closing the Gap! Gosh, he promises a lot. Where are the results? --Daveed-- -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89.0!Daveed.Mandell Internet: Daveed.Mandell@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org
Doug.Geoffray@f8.n369.z1.fidonet.org (Doug Geoffray) (11/06/90)
Index Number: 11596 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] LI> Hi, Doug! Hope you had fun and learned a lot at Closing the LI> Gap. When I lived in Minnesota, I always wanted to attend one LI> conference, but never got there. I hope you can tell us LI> something about the conference. I know you probably won't be LI> objective on screen readers--understandable, of course--but, LI> did you see any other types of products that might be of LI> interest to us? Linda, Yes I had a great time at Closing the Gap. This was the first time I had ever gone to this conference. It is amazing to me how computer literate everyone there is. It was amazing when I looked into some of the conference rooms. There were close to 75 or so IBM in one room and as many Apples in another. Just unbelievable! IBM and Apples booths had so many computers. I thought I had it tough carrying around one desktop and two laptop systems. (grin) Also, it was a good feeling because people were making it a point to see our booth. When we first started people did not even know who we were. They thought Vocal-Eyes was just another attempt at a screen reader. Now people are seeing Vocal-Eyes for what it is. Also, it was nice to see that Arkenstone was using Vocal-Eyes to demonstrate their product. Because of the volume, I did not have as much time as I would have liked to look around. Mainly what I did look at was either a product which directly competed with ours or could possibly enhance our products. I did look at the two main large print programs, PC-DOS and ZOOMTEXT. PC-DOS did not have a booth but Dan stopped by. I would like to make Vocal-Eyes as interactive with these types of programs as possible. I am sure this will happen. As for what is new in the field, actually very little. As David Andrews wrote, Humanware was showing their mastertouch. This is a revolutionary idea but in my option thats where it stopped. The screen reader was what I would call average. It certainly was not bad but lacked some of the newer features found in other screen readers. Also, the price seemed a bit high. But never-the-less an interesting idea. Something to think about. Many vendors were talking about new versions which will be available shortly. But these have already been talked about here. We were directly accross from the Reader Project. I guess they first introduced themselves at the A E R conference. I did not see them there though. It sounded like a pretty neet program. There were also two speech recognition devices by us. Dragon Dictate and Voice Connection. Both had pretty good demos but I still believe speech recongnition has a ways to go. Sorry I could not be of more help Linda. It's kind of tough to be impartial with these things. (smile) Regards, Doug -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!369!8!Doug.Geoffray Internet: Doug.Geoffray@f8.n369.z1.fidonet.org
Doug.Geoffray@f8.n369.z1.fidonet.org (Doug Geoffray) (11/20/90)
Index Number: 11864 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] LI> Well, Doug, for someone who claims to be totally biased I LI> thought your message was interesting and fair. I don't blame LI> you. Were I in your position I'd check out competitors and pay LI> close attention to what they were doing right and sort of gloat LI> when my way, at least in my opinion, was a little better. As a LI> user, I'm glad to see more choices. I think the good products LI> will improve and the others will fall by the wayside. Linda, I wish it were that simple. However many times a state agency will purchase a product stricly because of a companies size. For example, TSI has a strong hold on many states and government agencies. Is this because they have the best product on the market? I really don't think so. Local and federal agencies like to work with large companies. Artic is another example. It is extreemly difficult to convince these agencies that your product is just as good and maybe even better. Ask Henter-Joyce or Omnicron. This is why we need your support. If enough people stand up for the smaller companies they will eventually stand tall. For example, Computer Aids did not fall by the wayside because they had defective products. They went out of business because the sales did not meet the expenses. Believe it or not Linda there is a moral to all this babbling. If you believe in a product stand up for it. If you like JAWS compaired to all the others than let people know that. If you like Vocal-Eyes over the others than let people know that too. Please Linda don't take this meaning we at GW Micro are having problems. Actually our sales are improving. It is just that I have seen several messages about weeding out the competition. I have seen Computer Aids Corporation go out of business. I have seen Grass Roots Computing go out of business and it was not because they were weeded out. I guess you could consider companies like ours as the under-dog. It just makes it all that more of a challenge. I plan to keeping Vocal-Eyes on top as well as all our products. Even if JAWS and ARTIC are coming out with an upgrade "soon". I guess it is time for an upgrade to Vocal-Eyes even thought it is less than 8 months old. Stay tuned! Regards, Doug -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!369!8!Doug.Geoffray Internet: Doug.Geoffray@f8.n369.z1.fidonet.org
Scott.Howell@f521.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Scott Howell) (11/20/90)
Index Number: 11883 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] >To: Doug Geoffray > > I wish it were that simple. However many times a state agency will >purchase a product stricly because of a companies size. For example, >TSI has a strong hold on many states and government agencies. Is this >because they have the best product on the market? I really don't think >so. Local and federal agencies like to work with large companies. Artic >is another example. It is extreemly difficult to convince these agencies >that your product is just as good and maybe even better. Ask Henter-Joyce >or Omnicron. This is why we need your support. If enough people stand >up for the smaller companies they will eventually stand tall. Well, actually NASA is pretty good about allowing you to make a choice as to what company the equiptment is purchased from. Doug I will be giving you a call soon because I have a few ideas for Vocaleyes and a few questions. Also Doug a tip you no doubt already know. A company who is willing to take advice, opinions on their products such as enhancements a user may find very helpful and not just saying "yea sounds neat" and then letting it go out the other ear, open minded, while keeping the business part in mind keeping the customer's interest in mind, and most of all again being responsive to suggestions and ideas. You wouldn't believe the ideas I have given to some who just don't want to listen and so that is why they are where they are still. Scott Ay Doug keep up the good hard work and good luck. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!109!521!Scott.Howell Internet: Scott.Howell@f521.n109.z1.fidonet.org
Grant.Downey@p0.f9.n381.z1.fidonet.org (Grant Downey) (12/05/90)
Index Number: 12241 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] Dog you really couldn't have said it better but there are a couple of things I'd like to elaberate on. As technology becomes more and more important inthe work place, home, and in a blind person's life, I believe that the smaller companies will prevail because of their ability to provide personal service. I have been dealing with the "large" comanies" but have gotten much better response from the smaller companies when it came to obtaining information aboutproducts, prices and so fourth. That sort of service stands out in the buyers mind when it comes time to spend the GRANT money once it comes. Sometimes you can't make an instant sale as so many people out there want to do but by keeping friendly and interested when the sale can be made then it will be that company that will be remembered. I think there are many organizations like the one I work for that run on shewstring budgets that go from GRANT to GRANT and I don'tknow if there are others out there who feel the same way but the high presure from the larger companies just flat turns me off and makes me want to put a black mark by their name. Doug, keep up the good work, the friendly and helpful approach works in the long run. You and the many other small companies out there are going to be the ones who willmeet the needs of the blind and visually empaired of this country. People like calling a comany and not being met with a busy signal over and over again or getting a rude answer for technal support. People don't like getting the run around on technacal support. and blind people just like the sighted like to feel like they are an important customer andyour company in particular and some of the others really try to keep that philosophy. Thank goodness. Grant -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!381!9.0!Grant.Downey Internet: Grant.Downey@p0.f9.n381.z1.fidonet.org