Seniors make the call

From
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...22-662,00.html



FINALLY, someone is listening. If you have tried to use one of the new,
you-beaut mobile phones lately, you'll know how hard it is to make a simple
call let alone tap out a text message.

Not any more. A new mobile phone developed in Australia for Australians sets
a benchmark in user-friendliness, and seniors are rejoicing.

The Aussie handset has large finger-friendly buttons and it displays text in
nice, big letters.

What's also getting mature-age users such as John and Rosemary Barr excited
is they don't have to wear reading glasses to dial a number.

The phone reads out the phone number you're dialling as you key each numeral
into the big keyboard.

"I can hear which numbers I'm dialling but I can also see them displayed in
a big, bright font on the phone's LCD screen. It really is the easiest to
use mobile phone I've ever had," says Ms Barr.

Telstra, which gets more brickbats than bouquets these days, took 10 months
to develop its EasyTouch Discovery phone.

During the process the big telco actually listened to people who comprise
the Telstra Connected Seniors, which is a program tailored to inform older
Australians about technology.

Members of the Telstra Disability Forum were also asked one simple question:
what kind of phone best helped them stay connected to their family and loved
ones?

The answers included oversized buttons, simple menu, large fonts, very
bright, clear screen that didn't bleach out in daylight, a loudspeaker phone
and ultra-simple access to more advanced features.

The result is the EasyTouch Discovery Next G phone, which is simple to use
but still carries a bundle of features.

They include a three-megapixel camera, FM radio and a DVD that shows you how
to use all the phone's features.

The Telstra EasyTouch Discovery has a recommended price of $439 or is
available on a $20 plan over 24 months.

---

› See More: Seniors make the call

"Alan Parkington" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> From
> http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...22-662,00.html
>
>
>
> FINALLY, someone is listening. If you have tried to use one of the new,
> you-beaut mobile phones lately, you'll know how hard it is to make a
> simple call let alone tap out a text message.
>
> Not any more. A new mobile phone developed in Australia for Australians
> sets a benchmark in user-friendliness, and seniors are rejoicing.
>
> The Aussie handset has large finger-friendly buttons and it displays text
> in nice, big letters.
>
> What's also getting mature-age users such as John and Rosemary Barr
> excited is they don't have to wear reading glasses to dial a number.
>
> The phone reads out the phone number you're dialling as you key each
> numeral into the big keyboard.
>
> "I can hear which numbers I'm dialling but I can also see them displayed
> in a big, bright font on the phone's LCD screen. It really is the easiest
> to use mobile phone I've ever had," says Ms Barr.
>
> Telstra, which gets more brickbats than bouquets these days, took 10
> months to develop its EasyTouch Discovery phone.
>
> During the process the big telco actually listened to people who comprise
> the Telstra Connected Seniors, which is a program tailored to inform older
> Australians about technology.
>
> Members of the Telstra Disability Forum were also asked one simple
> question: what kind of phone best helped them stay connected to their
> family and loved ones?
>
> The answers included oversized buttons, simple menu, large fonts, very
> bright, clear screen that didn't bleach out in daylight, a loudspeaker
> phone and ultra-simple access to more advanced features.
>
> The result is the EasyTouch Discovery Next G phone, which is simple to use
> but still carries a bundle of features.
>
> They include a three-megapixel camera, FM radio and a DVD that shows you
> how to use all the phone's features.
>
> The Telstra EasyTouch Discovery has a recommended price of $439 or is
> available on a $20 plan over 24 months.
>
You/Telstra are kidding, aren't you?
How the hell does this even remotely qualify as being senior friendly with
the long list of extra features listed for it on the Telstra web site. It's
precisely those type of features that scare away many elderly. You can't
have a "simple menu" if you have all those items on it and the bonus of a
DVD is worthless when many elderly either don't have a computer or can't
work their DVD video player in the first place.

By the way, even a quick look at the Telstra web site shows that they have
it priced at $379 outright (no plan).

I've been looking for a SIMPLE mobile for some elderly relatives and came
across the Nokia 1209 from places such as Dick Smith for just under $70 (no
camera, no DVD, no radio, no Bluetooth, no expansion memory, not clamshell
etc etc). Seems far simpler to me.

By the way, it's rather stretching the truth to claim that the phone was
"developed in Australia for Australians" when it's just a ZTE product anyway
and the design and manufacturing was done where ever they do it.

PhilD

On Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:38:05 +0000, PhilD wrote:

> "Alan Parkington" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> From
>> http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...22-662,00.html
>>
>>
>>
>> FINALLY, someone is listening. If you have tried to use one of the new,
>> you-beaut mobile phones lately, you'll know how hard it is to make a
>> simple call let alone tap out a text message.
>>
>> Not any more. A new mobile phone developed in Australia for Australians
>> sets a benchmark in user-friendliness, and seniors are rejoicing.
>>
>> The Aussie handset has large finger-friendly buttons and it displays
>> text in nice, big letters.
>>
>> What's also getting mature-age users such as John and Rosemary Barr
>> excited is they don't have to wear reading glasses to dial a number.
>>
>> The phone reads out the phone number you're dialling as you key each
>> numeral into the big keyboard.
>>
>> "I can hear which numbers I'm dialling but I can also see them
>> displayed in a big, bright font on the phone's LCD screen. It really is
>> the easiest to use mobile phone I've ever had," says Ms Barr.
>>
>> Telstra, which gets more brickbats than bouquets these days, took 10
>> months to develop its EasyTouch Discovery phone.
>>
>> During the process the big telco actually listened to people who
>> comprise the Telstra Connected Seniors, which is a program tailored to
>> inform older Australians about technology.
>>
>> Members of the Telstra Disability Forum were also asked one simple
>> question: what kind of phone best helped them stay connected to their
>> family and loved ones?
>>
>> The answers included oversized buttons, simple menu, large fonts, very
>> bright, clear screen that didn't bleach out in daylight, a loudspeaker
>> phone and ultra-simple access to more advanced features.
>>
>> The result is the EasyTouch Discovery Next G phone, which is simple to
>> use but still carries a bundle of features.
>>
>> They include a three-megapixel camera, FM radio and a DVD that shows
>> you how to use all the phone's features.
>>
>> The Telstra EasyTouch Discovery has a recommended price of $439 or is
>> available on a $20 plan over 24 months.
>>
> You/Telstra are kidding, aren't you?
> How the hell does this even remotely qualify as being senior friendly
> with the long list of extra features listed for it on the Telstra web
> site. It's precisely those type of features that scare away many
> elderly. You can't have a "simple menu" if you have all those items on
> it and the bonus of a DVD is worthless when many elderly either don't
> have a computer or can't work their DVD video player in the first place.
>
> By the way, even a quick look at the Telstra web site shows that they
> have it priced at $379 outright (no plan).
>
> I've been looking for a SIMPLE mobile for some elderly relatives and
> came across the Nokia 1209 from places such as Dick Smith for just under
> $70 (no camera, no DVD, no radio, no Bluetooth, no expansion memory, not
> clamshell etc etc). Seems far simpler to me.

Telstra designed it for "seniors" (commonly defined as those aged 60+) --
not for arthritic geriatrics.

Most seniors are quite capable of operating FM radios, DVD players, and
cameras. And they're certainly not "scared" of them.

Its primary market seems to be people suffering from age-related eyesight
deterioration who have trouble seeing the buttons and reading the screen
without glasses.


> By the way, it's rather stretching the truth to claim that the phone was
> "developed in Australia for Australians" when it's just a ZTE product
> anyway and the design and manufacturing was done where ever they do it.

ZTE manufactured it (in China) to Telstra's design. No truth-stretching
involved.

Alan Parkington wrote...

> Not any more. A new mobile phone developed in Australia for Australians sets
> a benchmark in user-friendliness, and seniors are rejoicing.

Which is rather offensive to seniors, implying that they are generally simple.

But then, I s'pose in Speed's case, it's understandable.

Marts wrote
> Alan Parkington wrote

>> Not any more. A new mobile phone developed in Australia for Australians
>> sets a benchmark in user-friendliness, and seniors are rejoicing.

> Which is rather offensive to seniors, implying that they are generally simple.

> But then, I s'pose in Speed's case, it's understandable.

Odd that its me that can get everything working and you that always ****s it up completely, every single time.

"Rod Speed" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Marts wrote
>> Alan Parkington wrote
>
>>> Not any more. A new mobile phone developed in Australia for Australians
>>> sets a benchmark in user-friendliness, and seniors are rejoicing.
>
>> Which is rather offensive to seniors, implying that they are generally
>> simple.
>
>> But then, I s'pose in Speed's case, it's understandable.
>
> Odd that its me that can get everything working and you that always ****s
> it up completely, every single time.


Heh. I was thinking exactly the same thing.......

--
Kwyj.

Rod Speed wrote...

> > But then, I s'pose in Speed's case, it's understandable.
>
> Odd that its me that can get everything working and you that always ****s it up completely, every single time.

Easy enough to claim, hellava lot harder to substantiate.

On Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:51:43 +1100, Marts wrote:

> Rod Speed wrote...
>
>> > But then, I s'pose in Speed's case, it's understandable.
>>
>> Odd that its me that can get everything working and you that always
>> ****s it up completely, every single time.
>
> Easy enough to claim, hellava lot harder to substantiate.

Not really. It's all archived at Google Groups.

Marts wrote
> Rod Speed wrote

>>> But then, I s'pose in Speed's case, it's understandable.

>> Odd that its me that can get everything working and
>> you that always ****s it up completely, every single time.

> Easy enough to claim, hellava lot harder to substantiate.

Completely trivial to substantiate, using groups.google

You proved it in spades with a post of your own within the hour.

"Rod Speed" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Marts wrote
>> Rod Speed wrote
>
>>>> But then, I s'pose in Speed's case, it's understandable.
>
>>> Odd that its me that can get everything working and
>>> you that always ****s it up completely, every single time.
>
>> Easy enough to claim, hellava lot harder to substantiate.
>
> Completely trivial to substantiate, using groups.google
>
> You proved it in spades with a post of your own within the hour.
>

Too easy with you, 'Speedy'. Hook, Line and Sinker every time.

Some gutless ****wit desperately cowering behind the entirely appropriate
Alan Poxington desperately attempted to bull**** and lie its way out of its
predicament and fooled absolutely no one at all, as always.

No surprise that it got the bums rush, right out the door on its lard arse.

Kwyjibo wrote...

> Heh. I was thinking exactly the same thing.......

No evidence that you can actually "think"...

"Marts" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Kwyjibo wrote...
>
>> Heh. I was thinking exactly the same thing.......
>
> No evidence that you can actually "think"...

Says the one who can't even work out the simplest piece of technology.......
Keep trying, dumb****.

--
Kwyj.