Category: accessible Devices
Hey all. I am thinking of getting a mobile phone soon. I have the Omni, but during my last trip wireless connectivity was very rare. So,
I need a phone. I am considering either Mobile Speak on a Windows Mobile phone, or the new iPhone. The new iPhone is good, but I have concerns about its
efficiency for dialing numbers and typing, seeing that there is not a button to be found. so, what are your experiences with either of these solutions?
Worth getting? Other things I should be considering? Pros and cons? Any info would be most appreciated. Thanks.
What carrier are you planning on going with. Personally I share your concerns with an iPhone hence why i am not rushing out to get one, (among other reasons). Personally Though I would opt for an Symbian S60 (usually mostly Nokia) phones over the windows mobile. From everything i have read and seen myself the S60 is a better user experience than windows mobile. The Downside is you don't have alot of Nokia phones to choose from at US Carriers and will end up having to pay more for an unlocked phone to have real choices. However if you already have service with a GSM Carrier like ATT or Tmobile if you do buy an unlocked phone you can put your sin card in it and never have to worry about signing another 2 year contract .
from what i heard of the iphone and have used it, it's not good, in that it's first gen tec regarding speach, you cannot, for example use the phone for private calls where you need to enter confidential numbers such as account numbers, for it switches off speach and tapping when the phone is at your ear. other than that, without the use of bluetooth or a headset, you cna't make private calls and use the speach. so I think anyway.
I think it depends what you wish to do.
I've been a user of CF products for the past 4 years, and would tell you flat out they are a great sweet of products. However, my biggest problems has always been how limiting they are and how they really have not made any progress in scripting the mobile speak products to work mwith more third party applications. That being said the iPhone out of the box does work with every application included on it's OS, and many third party apps that can be purchased from the app store. The internet experience on the iPhone is unlike anything you'll ever experience with either windows mobile or symbian. I can't believe how beautifully fast and accessible it really is. Absolutely there is a learning curve for the touch screen but there will most definitly be learning to do as far as keystrokes and keyboard commands go as well.
I personally haven't bought an iPhone yet, though I have spent hours with a very good friends device and I am fairly sure I'm going to make the jump over.
Yeah the iPhone does seem to have a faster browser experience, Being on the same network as the iphone currently i am assuming this has something to do with nokia not using as fast a processor/as much ram as apple does int the iPhone on the nokia handsets i have tried. On the other hand i do like the fact that i can keep multiple apps open at once and switch between them much like i can on a PC. Another thing i have noticed about the iPhone is that their features list seems to be driven more by waht their CEO wants than what features people would like to see on the phone, Here in the states they have yet to fully implement a few features that most every other cellphone has . But if you can get use to a touch screen and like fast browsing and a phone that all its built in sstuff is accessable out of the box then the iPhone is for you. Unfortunately not all built in features on all nokia phones are accessable with Talks or mobile speak. Another phone to keep an eye on though if you want built in text to speach like th e iPhone is the Google G1 or Android handsets. While they do have built in text to speech at the moment it should be much improved and on th elevel with the iPhone as far as all apps phone wide being supported with the release of Android 2.0 software, which is pending.
Ahh! I new google was working on this but didn't realize they were nearing a fully accessible phone. That would be nice. The advantage of having all this built in to the operating system is whatever phone it's installed on it will work. LIke the mac experience any mac desktop, laptop, or mac minnie works just fine.
Yeah the good thing about the Google/Android Phone OS is that we in the near future will atleast have our choice of phones to choose from. And with it being open source some problems will be able to be fixed by the community without necessarily waiting for an android update.
I have the nokia e71 and i love it. its so fast as far as brouzing the net and omg it has keys what a novel concept. If you have time to figure out how to use a touch screen you really have no life. I myself am a busy young woman with a fulltime job which means I'm to busy to sit down for hours at to figure out how to use something with no buttons. If anyone that is blind and has went out and bought the iphone and is having problems um it serves you right and if you don't take the phone back before the 30 days is up well your stuck with it for 2 years.
Well between the lack of a real keyboard and the inability to multi taks the iPhone didn't really appeal to me And what others usually don't consider is that while the App store for the iPhone may have 50,000 apps, if all the apps you care about using are avialable on other platforms and are accessable then it doena't make a difference that theire are 49,990 or so apps that you won't use on the iPhone. Yeah i should of also mentioned .. That it really depends on your area and waht the 3G network is like where you live, cuz as fast as the new iPhone is if you live in an area with a slow 3G network it wont matter if you are using an iPhone, a Nokia or windows mobile phone. And to the person that originally posted this topic you may want to check the Geeks are us boards as well where there are a few other threads discussing the pros and cons of the iPhone to help with your decision making if you haven't found those already. Oh and considering the fact that its an iPhone, I am sure they can find someone willing to buy it off them on the "black market" if its past the 30 days. Personally i am considering and nokia E75 (since it has a seperate number pad and qwerty keyboard) or holding out a bit longer to see what the Google Android yields.
Hi there. Thanks everyone for your input. I am in Canada, so it will probably be a Motorola Q or the iPhone from what I can gather (Bell or Rogers). I am concerned about the touch screen. I have heard the demos and realize how well it works, but I still think it could be quite inconvenient at times. Can someone compare the Mobile Speak Web experience to that of the iPhone? Anything comparable on either to the JAWS say-all for reading a newspaper article, for example? Thanks.
Kelly,
I understand that an IPhone is not for everyone and it is a matter of preference and what you are looking for. But, making the statement that you have too much time if you have an IPhone. I have an IPhone and also have a full time job. I don't get to play with my IPhone most of the time and I have very little difficulty in navigating around. There is no right nor wrong in this case. It is simply what a person is comfortable with. If the IPhone isn't for you, that is great but don't act as though it can't be figured out in a quick time frame for others.
Further,
It's crazy to pretend like there arn't learning curves with any device that a person chooses. If I pick a brand new HTC touch for example, then I need to take the time to learn all the MSP key strokes and screen taps built in to MSP to understand the device and use all of the features the device offers.
If I pick up an E 71, then guess what, again I need to learn the proper keystrokes to operate the device. I have to chuckled when people knock the iPhone for not being a business device, when it's never been marketed as such.
While i do agree that there is a learning curve with all devices, you have to admit if you are going from one nokia to another the curve isn't as much as it would be if switching to a completly different device. And yes it all depends how badly you want to use a device whether or not you will want to spend the time to get use to typing on a touch screen keyboard depending on how much sight you have. However the business part of things... well this is the one market sector apple hasnt dominated in yet and they are trying to push their way in, why else would they be touting exchange support, why else are they trying to push the iPhone as a always on speedy internet browsing device with push notification for email, and things of that nature. What they don't tell you is taht .. well as fast as the iPhone is atleast here in the states its on a network thats crap for the most part as far as the data network goes. Like alot of happy iPhone users has said the worst part of it is the fact taht you are forced to use ATT. As for the motorola Q I have heard some not so good things about it.. search this boards for more on that phone and you will see what i mean. I would also try to find out how the dat anetworks in canada compare to each other. And go to a rogers communication store and play with the iPhone and see how you like it, but i would strongly suggest comparing it to either another windows mobile phone or a nokia phone instead of the motorolla Q.
I remember buying my first HP device 4 years ago for use with MSP, and being completely overwhelmed at the keystrokes and screen taps necessary to run a windows mobile device.
Truthfully it literally took me my full 30 days of using the product before I chose to buy the software.
Since then I've run MSP MSS and MS on no less than a dozen devices. Including the Moto q palm trio and a nokia e61, which actually was one of my most favorite devices. I got tired of the instability of windows mobile, windows smart phone was too limiting to me, and at the time I was sick of T-mobile and switched to VZW, which of course made it impossible for me to any longer run my E 61, because of the whole GSM deal.
SO, I switched to a palm 750w, and just lived with it, even though I wasn't really happy with the device or the amount of third party aps that the CF products could really work with out of the box. I've said it over and over again, I feel like CF is constantly focusing on developing specialized blindness products which limits their availability regarding the work of off the shelf offerings. I'm glad to see that orator will give folks the opportunity to use the BB if they choose, but this package will cost with phone and software nearly 700 bucks which IMHO makes it cost prohibitive. Moreover, the fact that it's almost release time, and they're not sure if the Browser media center and Messaging apps will be supported initially. Get real!
if I had to guess because it's being promoted by HW orator will only last a year or two. This is why I applaud apple for making steps toward accessibility in their products, and at least every app on the phone is accessible to the user which is more than we can say for a $700 BB package.
in a few months there is a possibility the the Ipod Touch will run VO which is another CE product that you can go in to a store just like anyone else and pick up and walk away without spending $449 for an aditional component which may or may not give you fundamental access to a phones major features. Hey it's not going to be for everyone, and I fully get that, but it's another offering that certainly is a huge step above some of the token jstures that LG and Samsung and even nokia have put in their devices.
yeah i agree with you on apple stepping up and all the apps native to the phone working .. but when the hardware the OS and the screen reader are from the same place well we shouldn't expect any l less either right? And don't get me started on the LG/Samsung what i call "driver accessability" since the text to speech features of those phones seem more to be about a driver being able to use the phone while driving and not taking their eyes off the road than true accessability for the blind and visually impaired. Though many users of this site find them sufficient, so the old saying of to each their own applies here i guess. As i said i can't wait to see waht the Google Android does in this area as well. Personally from every thing i have seen and read in my limited use of windows mobile i dicided against it myself (factor that in with the fact that accessable GPS is $850 or so vs $300 or free on symbian). And to the poster above if you are looking for a nokia device to consider for vzw the new e75 is a gsm/wcdma handset , which may work on verizon, (don't remember for sure what cdma frequency vzw is on so and i didn't get a chance to verify for sure). But in my opinion as someone who switched from verizon to ATT earlier this year .. its not worth it all.
I think I will wait a few more years to get the iphone this is a start and a big step in the right direction I just don't have to much time to learn the touch screen. I mean look at what they did with the ipod nano so I think they are trying I'm just not willing to try it just yet I will wait a while i no this won't be the last iphone. I'm not a bb fan because this is going to sound crazy but the sd card slot is behind the battery and one of my friends that works for vzw said if you have to take the battery out and restart the phone it takes like 7 minutes. I do agree about the windows moble phones they are slow and so now I'm happy with my nokia
I'd love to get my hands on a Nokia n82, because it works with kNfB reader mobile, and if you want talks, you can get that for the phone later on. You do no't need talks to use the KNfB Reader software.
there is few thing to consider, what sort of phone you want in terms of its funtions. for me, a phone is something to ring someone during emergency and to text, but for some, its more than that. you need to ask yourselves what sort of funtion you looking for in a phone.
then, what phone, a normal keypat, or a full keyboard phone, or a touch screen, what kind, and what you want to do with those.
personally i'm a talks user, and its excelent screen reader software for phone. not too sure about mobile speak, as i've no experience with it at all.
personal reckomendation, nokia n79, n82, n85, e75, e71, e63, or a more basic phone, nokia 6120C or something that range.
have no history with motorola phones before, and IPhone, is good, only if you willing to spend some time to learn and get use to all of the features.
good luck.
i have the q, and i'm happy with it. it's all in your personal preference. a lot of people bash it and haven't even tried it out. lol. shea
I tried it and the only thing I didn't like was that mobilespeak didn't work while you were on a call so I found that to be annoying
not being able to use the screen reader while in a call and and the form factor turned me off from the Q, that and everyone i know that has one complains about crashing. But i guess that comes with the territory when you try to cram a desktop OS on a phone
The Q does crash a lot. Or at least mine does. I guess it's possible that it's a Windows Mobile thing. I'm not crazy about the size of the Q. The fact that Mobile Speak doesn't work during a call is also annoying.
Monkeypusher, what do you mean by the "form factor" with the Q? Thanks.
the n82 is avalable for £250 from www.mobilefun.co.uk.
form factor, the size of the unit and how its laid out. as brooke said above as well. i its just too big in my opinion, doesn't seem like it would or could fit in a pocket comfortably. I am using an nokia E71x at the moment and while its the same basic form factor, that its its a bar phone with a screen at the top and the full qwerty keyboard under neath, its alot thinner and not as wide if memory serves correctly.
The E71X is definitely not as wide as the Q. I can just barely fit the Q into my pocket, but the E71X fit fine.
i've had a lot of q's andthey all ended up giving me the same results... they suck! in my oppinion! they were slow they didnt workin a call and i forgot what els sence i have switched to t-mobile. I've used the dash which freeeses an is not that great. i then hadthe shadow with wm 6.1 andnow have thedash 3g which the net doesnt work with mss and now hopeflly gon get th touch pro 2 when it comes out. anyone have that phone and use mss? i so how does it wok? gud? any problems?
great choice moon beams on the e71 I love it so much I'd never thought I'd say that about a phone. I thought o they are all the same but um I was wrong
I would like to get a phone with talks or mobile speak, but the thing is, I'm with verizon, which has great reception everywhere I go, but I am not sure what phone to get. Of course, my contract is renewable January, so I have a while to wait but still. Any ideas?
I bought a 6800 off ebay in great condition, and with an extra battery and car charger for $73. A great deal considering VZW sold this phone for $500 a year ago. What I really like about the device is unlike many of the new smart phone devices it still has built in wireless with an on off switch. I noticed a week or two ago that HW had MSP on their site for $200 so for $273 you could have a nicely accessible device with no contract with VZW which is the way I've done it for the past couple of years.
What about the XV 6850 or the Ozone? I've heard the Ozone works well with mobile speak although it's not listed on the CF website yet. I'll have to look more into that one I guess.
I've seen folks complaining about the ozone and because it's not officially supported, there really is not much assistance CF can provide. The 6850 HTC touch is a very nice phone but I don't think it has a qwerty keyboard at all. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. I looked at it when I picked up the 6800 but it was still considerably more than the 70 bucks I paid on ebay so I went with the 6800. I must say I've been using CF products for nearly 4 years now, and the web browsing experience on the 6800 via the WiFi and the VZW network is the fastest I've ever experienced, which is saying something as I've used no less than 8 different devices during this time.
Ah, OK. I'll take a look at them both. I've heard good things about the ozone from the MSS list. I don't know. I'll look at it too and see.
BigDogDaddy, as you've used lots of different phones, do you recommend Mobile Speak? I am basically trying to figure out if I will go for Mobile Speak with whatever phone my carrier here in eastern Canada will support, or the iPhone. Thanks for any input.
I'm a very big fan of MSS and MSP, CF is very fair and update the software fairly often. My only concern is the lack of third party support for other app's besides the built-in apps on the mobile phone. I think what empresses me about the iPHone is the third party apps that are accessible out of the box with VO. I've used the iPHones for a couple of weeks, and I must admit I enjoyed using it. Only thing that kept me from buying one was the switch from VZW to AT&t.
I would say definately put in some time with the iPhone at a store before making a final decision. I did spend upwards of a half hour with one at the apple store and i don't think i would even begin to consider that phone thill there is some kind of a keyboard for it. I have used Mobile speak and talks for symbian and i personally perfer talks but if i had to could use mobile speak without a problem.
The learning curbe for any mobile device is certainly a few days, so I'd imagine half an hour isn't extremely fair.
Nod. it is honestly a learning curve, and the IPhone is not a device for everyone. I personally, love it and find it very easy to use. There are things that need to be improved upon, mostly battery life, but I do like using it. I have become quite comfortable with typing as well. It is becoming instinct in knowing where to press for the keys. But as I said, it is a personal choice and you have to find the phone that works for you. I think it is great that there are so many choices availible now. It wasn't long ago, where there was but one phone and one type of accessible software.
The first device I ever owned was the original 9290 communicator with Talks back in 2003 This thing was like the size of a netbook, ok slight exageration. It literally had a huge qwerty keyboard, and initially supported few of the apps on the phone besides The phone mobile word and email and texting.
We've come a long long way. That device by itself was nearly 799 bucks new and talks was $495.
i know there is a days learning curve with any device but given my choices and the fact that i have experiences with other touch screen devices i don't think i would want to get used to using the iPhone when there are other choices that do the same thing .. its a matter of how much you are willing to pay for what functionality I would much rather an interface that activates when i pull my finnnger off of it as opposed to double tapping on it as i kept missing the mark . i am sure this improves over time but i still feel more comfortable with a real keyboard.
again it is all a matter of preference. but I will say, you don't need to double tap on the icon with the IPhone. I never do. I do what is called a split finger tap. I keep one finger on the icon, and can tap anywhere else on the screen and voila it is selected. There are a number of ways actually. You can double tap anywhere on screen and still select the desired thing. But I just wrote that to clarify but again it is definitely not a phone for everyone. smiles
I love my Nokia e71x
Yeah i like the nokia e71 as well its actually alot easier to type on thatn you would think when you first hold it in your hand. And I'll try it that way the next time i am in an apple or Att store. pebbles.
I've personally used talks on S60 phones, and loved it for responsiveness, ease of use, and the fact that it runs eloquence, but found the platform a touch lacking for third party apps. Granted this was a couple of years ago, and I was running a nokia e61.
I just sold an epix running mobile speak pocket, and found that MSP let me access more aspects of the phone. This was running WM6.1, and was an overall positive experience for me. When considering windows mobile phones, make sure you buy a phone with a fast processor and a goodly amount of ram, and you shouldn't have many issues running mobile speak. Also, there is the smartphone version of that, which, to my understanding only means the absense of a touch-screen, whereas mobile speak pocket devices have said hardware.
I can't speak to the accuracy of the iPhone of yet, because I've not officially purchased, but by all accounts, it seems to be a positive experience for those folks I know who own and use it on a daily basis. I'll keep you posted however, unless of course you make your choice beforehand.
Good luck with your dilemma, and I hope this helped some.
Looking over the list of accessible apps for the iPhone makes me a bit envious!
Check it out
http://www.lioncourt.com/voiceover-compatible-iphone-applications/
Wow, I hope the Ozone is officially supported soon. It gets great reviews on phonescoop.
I feel frustrated that there doesn't seem to be as many fully accessible devices on vzw as there is on T-Mobile or AT&T. Most of my choices seem to be discontinued and they get such bad reviews! *lol!*
A while back, I was really tempted by the pantic pn820. I think that's what it was. But sheesh, that is such an old device now! Things move so fast.
The reason verizon doesn't haven't have as many accessible phones as At&T and T-Mobile, is that your are pretty much limited to windows mobile as opposed to the other two where you have the choice of symbian or windows mobile.