Petition to make JAWS for Windows screen reader lease-to-own

[Diamond]

Hello everyone,
The JAWS for Windows screen reading software product made by Freedom Scientific Inc.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/products/fs/jaws-product-page.asp
is one of the most popular of it's type among blind and visually impaired computer users.  Unfortunately, it is also one of the most expensive.  Many of us simply do not have the necessary financial income to purchase such costly software.  Therefore, a petition has been written to encourage the company to change their policy, making the JAWS software  more affordable, by making it possible to lease-to-own.  If this petition is accepted by Freedom Scientific, many of us will be able to purchase JAWS by paying periodically in smaller amounts, instead of one giant lump sum at once.  This will be very convenient, and many more people will be encouraged to buy the product.  If you agree that this is indeed what Freedom Scientific should do, please sign the petition by following the link below and clicking on the sign petition button.  I'm sure many of us will greatly appreciate it.  Thank you all for your cooperation and your time.
http://www.petitiononline.com/FSl2o/

[psishock]

If the company arent dropping their prices, that means the business model is working greatly and people are massively buying their products. Why would they drop prizes because of some poor people who cant afford it? If one needs credits to buy stuffs, banks are the corporations who can help. They will chase you if you wont be able to pay the rest of the sum of money, after the first few rate, or you refuse to pay the rest on time. I can understand that random companies simply dont want to get headache about these stuffs.

How would you like if some group of people would like to tell you, how to sell and price your own products and development time?

If you dont like the pricing simply dont buy it and look for other alternatives. If many people would do the same, that would mean to them that there is something wrong with the business and they will reacts. But as long they are the "best" on market, and the founds are skyrocketing, they would be stupid to change it, because of some random online petitions.
Diamond, its the simple supply/demand analogy. One of the basics of the modern capitalism.

Actually this is free marketing that you guys do for them, making their business even more successful, by teaching to people that this company exist, and their products are more than great.

[Diamond]

In general I might agree with some of your statements, but this is not one of those situations where things are quite so cut and dry.  Screen reading software is a very specialized and limited market so I understand why they charge the outrageous prices that they do.  They wouldn't make enough money to justify the costs of development otherwise.  However, the fact still remains that the rate of unemployment amongst blind/visually impaired people is quite high in the United States which makes it difficult for many of them to purchase $1200 software conveniently.  This high rate of unemployment is partially due to the limited selection of job types which are available to someone who is visually disabled.  You should also pay attention before going on a rant about dropping prices and poor people.  No one is asking them to drop their prices.  We're simply requesting that they implement a policy that would allow someone to make payments over a period of time to buy the software instead of having to pay one huge lump sum upfront.  This is not an uncommon or unreasonable practice with other products and is an available option from some of Freedom Scientifics' competition.  I understand the concept of supply and demand quite well thank you very much, but part of a good business model also involves providing reasonable purchase options for your target audience.  Also, keep in mind that this is not a matter of just wanting a piece of software because it's useful or nice to have.  Without some type of screen reading software, computers are simply not usable by the blind or visually impaired.  Having a computer and access to the Internet opens up a whole world of possibilities for anyone in general, but this becomes even more important for someone who is disabled.  Especially when those possibilities might involve potential employment.  So in conclusion, everyone is entitled to an opinion no matter how uninformed and close minded it might be.

[Diamond]

And as for your observation about "free marketing", it doesn't even apply in this particular case.  If you're blind and you've ever needed to use a computer, I can almost guarantee that you've either already most likely used or at least heard of JAWS for Windows.  If you're sighted, then you probably have no need to purchase the software weather you've heard of it or not so where's the "free marketing"?

[Sam_Zen]

It should be part of the human rights that screenreaders should be freely available.

[Louigi Verona]

Why would they drop prizes because of some poor people who cant afford it?

Because we are all living people with compassion who are more than business animals who care only for money. We might not live in a perfect world, that does not mean we should not strive for perfection with all we've got.

I do not think that capitalism or any other economical reasoning excuses unethical behaviour. A lot of modern medicine is also about money - does it mean we should just excuse doctors who prescribe expensive medicine to people who do not even need it in the first place?

[psishock]

Because we are all living people with compassion who are more than business animals who care only for money.

We might not be, corporations are certainly are. Actually their core purpose is to accumulate as much money as possible. If we are facing with a given problem, we cannot only view it from our perspective, but we need to do it from other ones too. Corporations dont care about you, or how well are you, or how happy are you, but only that you buy their product or not. You are a consumer robot. If you consume their product, everything is fine, if you dont, then they will check what is wrong with the model, possible will bomb you with advertising and similar tricks that may lead you to consume, or will try to rework their marketing, make their product better. If they will still not success, the company will die out.

You cannot win over capitalism with brute force or "kind hearted" attacks, they are already way too powerful. The biggest corporations (like Shell example) can buy any politicians if they want, they can eat you with their little finger, you need to play your cards smart and try "outsmart" the whole system, or play by their card and do your business on a way, that applies to the given rules.

It should be part of the human rights that screenreaders should be freely available.

That sounds like a great initiative, i would gladly support handicapped people with my tax, therefore developers will get paid too (will have inspiration to make good products), and people who really need these programs would get it for free (or very low prices). They should rather try to introduce a bill, with this subject to the congress.

We're simply requesting that they implement a policy that would allow someone to make payments over a period of time to buy the software instead of having to pay one huge lump sum upfront.

Problem already solved: Go to your favorite bank, ask for a loan, pay it back over a period of time.
They have a great infrastructure for these stuffs, will chase you down if you're not willing to pay the rest of the sum, etc. There is no need to bug private corporations with it (most likely, they would ask you to do the periodic payment models with your bank anyway)

so where's the "free marketing"?

Well as i've said it, if i would need a similar program any time in future, or if i anyone would need my advice in this field, i would suggest this company, thanks to your post. That is free marketing for them for sure. Handicapped people may even don't know that there is this possibility for them to use the computers, so informing them that they may have a solution and suggesting this product to them, also applies.

[Diamond]

Problem already solved: Go to your favorite bank, ask for a loan, pay it back over a period of time.

LOL talk about being unrealistic.  How easy do you think it is for someone who is either unemployed or in a low income bracket to get a loan?  And again, I don't see what's so unreasonable about our request.  There're lots of examples in the business market of manufacturers who will allow you to purchase a product by paying for it over an extended period of time without having to get a loan.  You're arguing just for the sake of trying to force your extremist point of view down everyone's throat.  I understand the points you have made and I even agree with some of them, but there are other factors involved which I have already explained and which you are choosing to ignore.  You've already proven that you weren't even paying attention to the initial post since you were ranting and raving about asking them to lower their prices when that is not what we are asking for at all.  Some of what you have stated is certainly valid.  While it is definitely true that on a corporate scale most companies don't care about the individual, any good business model will and should take the consumer's needs into consideration.  TO do otherwise is counter productive since without your customers you have no business at all.

Well as i've said it, if i would need a similar program any time in future, or if i anyone would need my advice in this field, i would suggest this company, thanks to your post. That is free marketing for them for sure.

And as I previously stated, the chances are that almost anyone who would require an application like JAWS has most likely already either used it or at least heard of it.  Sorry but I seriously doubt that the few rare visually impaired exceptions who may not have heard of this software and who might learn of it's existence because of this post would really impact the companies profits significantly enough to call it "free marketing".  I also suspect that those few exceptions would probably be among those in the worst position to take advantage of your suggestion since anyone who is disabled and financially secure would be much more likely to have prior knowledge of this product anyway.  The fact that you actually believe this shows that you really have no understanding of how small of a market we're dealing with in this particular case.

[psishock]

While it is definitely true that on a corporate scale most companies don't care about the individual, any good business model will and should take the consumers needs into consideration. TO do otherwise is counter productive since without your customers you have no business at all.

That is one way to do it, or they can choose to force you to their products, by monopoly or blinding advertisements. Both are working models, but the second is more popular. It's easier to do your own stuffs and tell people what and how should they use it, because its so good for them.
The more easier when you have monopoly. If people would get angry with you, they will still be forced to use your products, because you gave them only worthwhile option. If they wont buy it, then they wont be able to do works and be successful. Windows is perfect example for this.

The fact that you actually believe this shows that you really have no understanding of how small of a market we're dealing with in this particular case.

O i do perfectly understand that this market is very small, dont need to get me wrong. But when did the market size mattered on the question: what can we consider free advertising, and what not?

LOL talk about being unrealistic. How easy do you think it is for someone who is either unemployed or in a low income bracket to get a loan?

That's fair. How would you expect a company to sell you their products, in advance, if you most probably wont be able to pay for it at all?

You're arguing just for the sake of trying to force your extremist point of view down everyone's throat.

I wish you guys best luck and success with the initiative. You'll see how will it go anyway over time. My entire point wasn't "forcing my extremist point of views down everyone's throat" at all.
Normally, people are seeing these corporations as they would like to help to these handicapped people. That is nowhere true, corporations are aware that this field of the market is untapped, so they are extended their products to this area too, and are trying to harvest the best income from it. Dont actually care about the handicapped at all. They are putting good features on product, because this way more people will buy them, not because they dont have anything better to do in their time.
You said yourself that other (most likely cheaper or free) product are nowhere this good as this one. That explains perfectly that their model works greatly.

[uncloned]

the right way to do this I would think is to petition MS to include a screen reader in their accessibility section of the OS - they will simply buy JAWS to avoid actually writing the code for the task.

and yes I am serious.

[Diamond]

That's fair. How would you expect a company to sell you their products, in advance, if you most probably wont be able to pay for it at all?

The whole point of this petition is to make it more likely that someone of low income will be able to pay for the product.
I find it interesting that you emphasize how little corporations care for the individual consumer, but yet the theoretical headaches which we (the consumers) might cause some corporate managers with a perfectly reasonable petition seem to offend you.  And yes, I believe that as consumers it is our right to complain and petition when a product or service being provided is not satisfactory because in the end whether or not corporations behave accordingly, they are nothing without us.  Sorry, but I refuse to accept this defeatist attitude which you seem to promote.  The idea that we shouldn't try simply because we might not succeed is ridiculous.  We will never succeed if we don't try at all.  I'm not blind to the reality of corporate indifference, but even if there's not a good chance that this petition will cause them to institute a new policy, it'll certainly be worth the effort to quite a few people if it somehow miraculously does.

[Diamond]

the right way to do this I would think is to petition MS to include a screen reader in their accessibility section of the OS - they will simply buy JAWS to avoid actually writing the code for the task.

Freedom Scientific already works closely with Microsoft to make their product as compatible with Windows as possible.  I suspect that if something like this were going to happen, it probably would have a long time ago.  Besides, considering that JAWS costs more than any version of Windows, I'm not quite sure how they would handle payment.  It certainly would never just be included with Windows as a free add-on.  Windows already includes a screen reader called Narrator, but it is very basic which makes it only really useful for emergencies and simple tasks.

[uncloned]

you didn't fully read what I wrote.

there is a history of MS buying program to include in Windows.

[Saga Musix]

you didn't fully read what I wrote.

there is a history of MS buying program to include in Windows.

I'm pretty sure that MS never included any market-leading products which are more expensive than your standard Windows license.

[Diamond]

you didn't fully read what I wrote.

there is a history of MS buying program to include in Windows.

I hear what you're saying, but the JAWS product line has been around since the early 90s.  I just think that if something of this nature was going to happen, then it already would have.