A press release from a Canadian distributor for Olympus came across our screen earlier today which included a lot of hype but perhaps even more false information about the upcoming release of the DM-4. This makes us question the integrity of the distributor and any other statements they may make. So we would like to ask our readers if overblown or partially false press releases will cause you to not buy from a particular distributor, or if this is just an accepted part of the game. After the jump, we first reprint the original press release and then our comments and corrections. Let us know what you think in the comments.
Hi Folks, You've heard the rumours, and seen the promos about it, well now you can own the best thing in mainstream digital recorders on the market, manufactured by a name you know and trust. Olympus, the first electronics company to incorporate voice guidance into it's mainstream digital recorders has outdone itself yet again, with the introduction of the DM4, one of the most accessible digital recorders in it's line up. The DM4 boasts an 8 gigabyte flash memory drive, with an added SD card slot for added storage capacity, up to 16 gigabytes, allowing for recording times of over 2000 and over 4000 hours, respectively. A 2.2 inch colour LCD allows for persons with low vision to see items on the screen,and DAISY software adds the capacity to read text to speech on TXT files so you can read that long book you've been putting off because you have no time, and, when used as a music player, allows the user the capacity to view album covers and artist's names. Just like it's predecessor, the DM-520, the DM-4 can record in MP3, PCM-WAV and WMA formats, and play back in MP3, PCM-WAV, WMA and Audible formats, but the one thing the DM-4 has the DM520 does not, the added feature of DAISY playback of TXT files, a feature that most blind and visually impaired users had to shell out thousands of dollars for from specialty manufacturers. Another plus for the DM-4 is the upgrade from a NiMH rechargeable battery in it's predecessor, to a longer lasting Lithium Ion rechargeable battery offering the user upwards of 29 hours of operation. And when you need to charge the battery, you can just connect it to any USB 2.0 port, or use the AC adapter, which is included with the unit, and while you're editing or transferring files, you will not only be transferring at a high speed, but you'll be charging the unit just as quickly. The DM-4 also offers the user of voice activation and voice recognition, allowing for hands free operation, and, with the external speaker, you can operate the unit without moving a finger. Another added perk to the blind and visually impaired community is the ability to set the time and date with voice guidance and voice recognition, something our community has not been able to do with previous incarnations of Olympus recorders. Add that to the new calendar function of the DM-4 and you've got a well rounded and very usable product. Just to offer a comparison, at present, the only possible competition to the Olympus DM-4 is the Victor Stream, however, there are a few things that differentiate the DM-4 from the Victor Stream, they are as follows: * The Stream currently has 1 gigabyte of on-board flash memory, whereas the DM-4 has 8 gigabytes of on-board flash memory, with the added ability to increase the storage capacity by up to 16 gigabytes. * The Stream's max playing time on a full charge is 15 hours, whereas the DM-4 boasts a playing time of 20 to 29 hours with it's Lithium-Ion battery, which, by the way, can be purchased from any retail outlet such as Wal-Mart, or anywhere else that sells Lithium-Ion batteries, so no more having to go back to Humanware to use proprietary batteries. *The DM-4 records in several modes, including HQ Stereo with it's stereo microphone, unlike the Stream that only records in Mono with it's single Omni-directional microphone. Remember, the Stream is branded as a music/audio/DAISY player, not a recorder, whereas the DM-4 is classed as a music player and recorder. * The DM-4 is able to be used as a secondary sound card, so you can literally use it as an external synthesizer and microphone input for your PC. You can Have your screen reader coming out of the recorder or PC speakers, while all other computer sounds come through the other. Note that player must be configured to do this in the settings, along with your screen reader's settings, however, all of this comes at no extra charge. * Unlike the Stream which requires a separate power supply, the DM-4 gives you connectivity and chargeability all in one cable, using the included USB connection cable. The DM-4 also comes with a conversion cable, in case you want to connect an auxiliary device from which to record from. * Lastly, the DM-4 is manufactured by a mainstream manufacturer, as opposed to the Stream, which is manufactured by a specialty manufacturer, and it is in these mainstream manufactures who take the blind and visually impaired community into account, while not over charging us for that extra feature. Without these extra considerations, we would still be paying upwards of thousands of dollars for devices that sighted individuals pay only pennies for. At present, the unit will be available for shipping in June, this summer, however, we have gotten advanced pricing on these recorders, and are able to offer advanced sales discounts to our clients who wish to own one of these units to better enhance their lives. With all orders of the DM-4, you get the following accessories in the box: * Lithium-Ion Battery. * AC Adapter. * Earbuds. * USB Cable. * Conversion Cable. * magnetic Carrying Case. * Wrist Strap. * Seniority Software. * Instruction manual. * Warranty Card. At this time, we are offering specialty pricing for the DM-4. You have three options. Those are: 1. North American residents can take advantage of free shipping and handling at our regular price of $325.00 Canadian Funds, or $309.00 US Funds. Unfortunately, this offer is available to North American residents only, however, see below for international pricing you may be interested in. 2. Pay only $299.99 plus shipping and handling Canadian Funds, or 284.99 plus shipping and handling US Funds. That's a savings of $10 off the current Manufacturer's suggested Retail price, and the price you'll find at most dealers. Regular price is $329.99 Canadian and $299.99 American. The current price of 299.99 is also available to international residents outside of North America, so you get the discounted price, and all you have to do is pay the extra shipping and handling to your particular country. 3. Purchase 4 recorders or more, and get free shipping and handling, in addition to the $299.99 Canadian and $284.99 American special. So, you'll not only be saving $30 Dollars Canadian and $15 dollars American, but you'll also be saving on shipping and handling as well. All of this is only available to the next two weeks, until June 1st. Purchases made after June 1st will be charged $325 Canadian funds, plus shipping and handling, or $309 US Funds, plus shipping and handling. We accept Cheque, Money Orders and PayPal methods of payment and will ship your purchase upon clearance of funds. Feel free to forward this message onto anyone you feel could benefit from this great pricing, and you can contact me at the following addresses: Victor Gouveia Virtually Independent Products & Technologies (VIP Tech) Cell: (416) 931-7114 e-mail: viptech@rogers.com All orders are backed by a one year manufacturer's warranty and shipped new and sealed in it's original box and with it's original accessories as included by the manufacturer. VIP Tech, limiting disabilities with limitless possibilities.
That's a lot to take in, so let's address some of the points made in the release:
1. "the DM-4 has the DM520 does not, the added feature of DAISY playback of TXT files, a feature that most blind and visually impaired users had to shell out thousands of dollars for from specialty manufacturers."
The victor stream, which you mention later in your press-release only costs $349. Where do you get thousands of dollars from? Also, the ability to play back text files has been present in practically every accessible digital recorder since the dawn of time. Even the Road Runner read .TXT files.
2. "Another plus for the DM-4 is the upgrade from a NiMH rechargeable battery in it's predecessor, to a longer lasting Lithium Ion rechargeable battery offering the user upwards of 29 hours of operation."
The DM520 featured over 51 hours of battery life. Last time I checked, 51 hours was longer than 29.
3. "Just to offer a comparison, at present, the only possible competition to the Olympus DM-4 is the Victor Stream, however, there are a few things that differentiate the DM-4 from the Victor Stream, they are as follows:""
There is plenty of competition, the BookSense, BookPort plus and Plextalk pocket,
which can all be purchased for much less than thousands of dollars.
4. "* The Stream currently has 1 gigabyte of on-board flash memory,"
The stream does not contain any onboard flash memory, so advantage Olympus, I guess. This correction would actually help the press release.
We are impressed with Olympus and their commitment toward creating products which are accessible, and they should be commended for their efferts. However, we find it despicable that one of their distributors posts false information and press-releases with inaccuracies and exxagerations. What do the rest of you think? If you find any more inaccuracies, please post them as well.
Matt McCubbin contributed to this report.
Category: ArticlesI am very happy to see that someone pointed out the number of inaccuracies in this press release. I think Olympus might have something to say about one of their dealers sending a press release that is full of inaccurate details. I for one would definitly not purchase from a dealer who sends out releases they can't back up. It brings up questions about their integraty and how they do business. Can you trust someone who prints false releases?
roosterloop Friday, 14-May-2010 4:42 PM ET:
wow... that's truly sad...
darknexus Friday, 14-May-2010 6:14 PM ET:
If I find falsehoods in a press release, I do not purchase from that company or distributor. Simple as that.
kd213 Saturday, 15-May-2010 7:20 PM ET:
They are either very uninformed or very shady. Either way, I don't think I'd want them handling my info.
Kelly Monday, 17-May-2010 10:37 AM ET:
J.J. and Matt, Who is this distributor? Please name names. Yes, I won’t do business with a distributor that makes false claims. On the other hand, I am using a screen reader from a Kuwaiti-owned company that aggressively sues other screen reader producers to weaken and possibly destroy them. Without spending hundreds of dollars on another screen reader, I’m stuck with these guys who produce a technology I actually like. As I learn more about the new Olympus recorders, the Bookport Plus for $300 looks better and better. It can record good quality audio and play all the major file types, including all the specialized formats the blind use. More benefit, greater value for the same or less money.
aliar4 Monday, 17-May-2010 11:28 AM ET:
I have run across this person who signed their name to this press release on email lists before. I wouldn't trust a thing he says, nor buy from him.
fastfinge Monday, 17-May-2010 11:37 AM ET:
This isn't knew in the field of canadian AT shops. Even the well known dealers seem crooked in one way or other. I recall one particular adventure where a well known dealer (though not the one discussed in this post) charged and invoiced for an extended protection plan for a new laptop. When the laptop did have a problem, they wanted me to send it to them, rather than the manufacturer of the laptop. After doing so, and listening to many delays and excuses about why it wasn't getting fixed and returned, it eventually turned out that the dealer had not, in fact, purchased the protection plan they had charged for. My girlfriend had similar problems with the same dealer, when they tried to claim that plugging in her iPod that she uses to record lectures violated the warranty on the entire desktop. Even though they knew, at the time of purchase, that she had an iPod and would need to connect it to the machine. Ask any techy blind Canadian, and you'll probably hear similar horror stories. Others I've heard second hand include selling one jaws license three times because it had three activations, charging for Windows and then installing a cracked copy, getting a computer with installed software registered under another customer's name, and them getting your license, and taking forever to sort out, selling used items as knew, trying to sell used items that were damaged and didn't work at all, and worse. Unfortunately, at least in Ontario, this doesn't look likely to change any time soon. Most AT is covered via government funding programs, and those programs require you to make all purchases through certified Canadian dealers. So most of the time buying direct from the manufacturer or an international dealer isn't an option. And most Canadian dealers charge as much as they can for as little work as they can get away with because, hey, it's just government money anyway. Thankfully, we do have two okay, largely honest dealers, and both of them can and will sell nationally. I suspect things are better in the states, as I just don't hear stories like this from my American friends. Or maybe they're just as bad, and I'm just not hearing about it? Note: I have avoided mentioning dealers names in the comments above, as I don't feel like spending time in court, and some of these folks would surely take it that far. I can prove both of my stories as I have all the paperwork on file, but it would take a lot of time and money I haven't got, and both situations were eventually resolved anyway, after months of stupidity.
jcast Monday, 17-May-2010 5:04 PM ET:
Obviously, we all know better than what this person is telling. I'd ignore and buy elsewhere.
Steve W Wednesday, 16-Jun-2010 12:14 PM ET:
Yeah, there are some pretty crappy Canadian dealers out there. I remember one in particular that my girlfriend had fixing some issues she was having with her computer. They broke it further, then told her they wouldn't be able to fix it (we eventually sorted it more or less on our own), then tried to sell her a completely new version of JAWS for $1200 when all she would have had to pay was $250. this was especially ridiculous given that the only reason she needed new JAWS in the first place was because of some unauthorized upgrades that they performed. These same people also lifted $50 off of her desk when they came to pick up the machine. I also once had these same people out to help me fix some trouble with my machine, before all of this other stuff happened, of course. They had no idea what they were doing. I had to walk them through the entire process (thankfully the fix was simpler than I had thought when I called them), even explaining to them what a firewall was. when it was finished, the woman was nice enough to remind me that training was available through her if I'd like it. Thanks, I think I'll pass. I also never dealt with them again and warn anybody I can away from them because they're completely incompetent, not to mention scam artists. Thankfully there's a good dealer in the same area that I really like. He may be the one honest dealer around here.
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J.J. Meddaugh is an experienced technology writer and computer enthusiast. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a major in telecommunications management and a minor in business. When not writing for Blind Bargains, he enjoys travel, playing the keyboard, and meeting new people.
