From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from int-mx1.corp.redhat.com (int-mx1.corp.redhat.com [172.16.44.254]) by listman.redhat.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id CE7443EA0E for ; Tue, 13 Nov 2001 18:52:38 -0500 (EST) Received: from mail.redhat.com (mail.redhat.com [199.183.24.239]) by int-mx1.corp.redhat.com (8.11.6/8.11.6) with SMTP id fADNqcp15734 for ; Tue, 13 Nov 2001 18:52:38 -0500 Received: (from mail@localhost) by mail.redhat.com (8.11.0/8.8.7) id fADNqcY15389 for blinux-list@listman.redhat.com; Tue, 13 Nov 2001 18:52:38 -0500 Received: from seralph10.essex.ac.uk (seralph10.essex.ac.uk [155.245.240.160]) by mail.redhat.com (8.11.0/8.8.7) with ESMTP id fADNqcw15385 for ; Tue, 13 Nov 2001 18:52:38 -0500 Received: from so-15906-x0.essex.ac.uk ([155.245.126.127] helo=greatgreen) by seralph10.essex.ac.uk with smtp (Exim 3.13 #1) id 163nM0-0004cA-00 for blinux-list@redhat.com; Tue, 13 Nov 2001 23:52:32 +0000 Message-ID: <002b01c16c9e$203d37c0$7f7ef59b@essex.ac.uk> From: "Saqib Shaikh" To: References: <20011113163615.R60583-100000@server1.shellworld.net> Subject: Re: the Papenmeir device that was supposed to be coming out Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 23:51:31 -0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 X-Loop: blinux-list@redhat.com Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by mail.redhat.com id fADNqcY15389 Sender: blinux-list-admin@redhat.com Errors-To: blinux-list-admin@redhat.com X-BeenThere: blinux-list@redhat.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.1 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: blinux-list@redhat.com List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: Linux for blind general discussion List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Hi, I'm talking here as a very poor student who has had to fight for all the equipment he has got. However, the whole argument that other Linux scree= n readers should be free because Speakup is, and that Papenmeier should cut prices is all a bit silly. I would *love* to have one of these products. But at the same time GNU themselves say that Free software means free in terms of freedom, not money. So Papenmeier are perfectly within the term= s of the GPL in charging for their product. Sure, it'd be a nice thing to = see a speech-only version, but maybe in Germany there isn't the demand. I ag= ree that some products, particularly software products, are way over priced, = but in this case when you consider the high price of braille, plus the licens= ing fees for the software synthesiser which I think is made form Elan, the hardware is quite pricy. Now, I'm making these numbers up, but lets say they sold a few hundred un= its and made a few hundred profit on each (unlikely) and then have paid for t= he overheads, how much money is going to be left for the poor employees who must pretty good at computing to come up with the best note taker for the blind ever! So in summary, there are certain companies who make software products tha= t haven't been updated for three or four years, but still retail at =A3300,= and this is silly since no money has been put into maintainance in that time. However while as a student I really really really want this new note take= r, one day I also want to work for a company and support a family. So you all have the right to your opinions, but I thought it was time I expressed mine. Thanks, Saqib Shaikh