Category: Cell Phone Talk
Says it all. Just wondering where you get the tactile screen protectors from. I think there are two types, right, one that's a little more detailed than the other? Can you start to learn the phone with the more detailed one, then switch to the less detailed one and eventually remove it without ruining the protector or getting too much gunk on the screen? Stupid questions, I know, but I'm just starting to try to learn about smart phones. Since I'm thinking about it now, is there a website that discusses cell phone options for blind people and explains all the various terminology in basic English for dummies like me? Thanks in advance for any help.
A T Guys
atguys.com
You can remove the protectors as offten as you like and yes there are 2 one has more stuff and the pro less.
I have purchased these for a friend, but I have never used one myself. This is a personal choice.
The phone doesn't get sticky. Smile.
I don't know of any website that list the pros and cons of the different models. Reading the boards here and cellphone talk would help greatly.
First, no, not stupid questions at all. I was asking the same kinds of things when I first got my iPhone.
AT Guys is the reseller, yes, but the company that actually makes the tactile screen protectors is called Speed Dots. They make and sell the protectors, as well as a lot of other accessories for the iPhone at really good prices. Their site is:
http://www.speeddots.com
Yes, you're right about the standard and advanced models of protectors. The Speed Dots site has the details, but if I remember right, the standard model has the entire qwerty keyboard marked, and the advanced model only has the F and the J. They both have other buttons marked, I think the difference lies in how much of the keyboard is.
When you remove the protector from the phone, your screen will be fine. However, the protector may lose it's ability to adhese to the phone as well, so you'd likely need to replace it with a new one if you still wanted a protector. They're not too expensive though, so I'd say get a couple of them when you order, so you have a spare whenever you remove one.
No, I don't know of a site that lists details about phone options for blind people. There are mailing lists for blind people that discuss phones. I don't know the names off the top of my head. I know there's one specifically for those with Verizon, but not sure about what else. Others on here might know?
Hope that helps.
Thank you, forereel and SisterDawn. At least I have a starting point. The phone I have works well for me, but I know that eventually it's going to have to be replaced and I figured I may as well start finding out about them. I get lost sometimes reading through the posts here in the zone because sometimes people have a tendency to go off on tangents and they also write assuming everyone has a basic knowledge of terminology, etc., but I'll admit to being stupid in regards to iPhones and Androids. I think most people tend to go with iPhones, but maybe that's just because Apple users can be loyal to a fault, I'm not sure, but I thought I'd start out trying to learn about the iPhones and hopefully make a decision before the year's out. The new iPhone is supposed to have a different shape, so I guess that might make the current screen protectors obsolete already? (Sigh!)
I think most blind people go with the iPhone because it, to my knowledge, is the only out of the box fully accessible cell phone on the market. All the other phones, even Android ones, you have to buy and/or download and install separate software on. I've also had the most recent version of Android demonstrated to me, and from what I can tell, it's not nearly as accessible as Voice-Over, nor is the speech as good. While many people are loyal to Apple to a fault, many others are like me, and went with the most accessible option out there right now.
No, blind people aren't loyal its just that Apple has done a great job.
The latest and closes to the iPhone is the Galaxy S3. You will find it does have the on board voice, so no downloading needed, but support is lacking as far as accessibility goes.
I personally wouldn't worry to much about the screen protector. The iPhone allows for feeling the screen without one and hearing what is there. If you understand braille, and or printed lines, than you will understand the position on the screen of things.
Next, the iPhone does nothing without tapping it with 2 fingers, meaning, one finger is on the screen, and to open something, or input you touch the screen with another finger when setup in the basic mode for us.
I like what is called the touch mode, but again, this requires you let go os say a letter to make it get on the screen.
So with all this you can really learn the phone by just feeling it.
Apple probides a manual that can be downloaded as a PBX or word file, or simply read online. This allows you to use the phone and read the manual at the same time as you learn.
So if you want to learn about the iPhone before you have it go to Apple.com and get the manual and read it. You'll learn much.