Brad wrote:
> Now, nearly every hearing aid company has a full digital aid about
> ready for release. Hearing aids have entered the Personal Computer
> market problem, the next great aid is always just announced, but
> not available for several months. The marketing hype makes the older
> product (i.e. Senso and DigiFocus) look obsolete, and what
> consumer wants to pay Senso's price for an obsolete aid?
Brad,
What marketing hype are you refering to? A FEW companies have announced
PLANS to release digital hearing aids in the near FUTURE but I have seen
very little marketing from them and I would have to VERY STRONGLY
DISAGREE with your statement of "nearly every company". You stated that
you had to call the manufacturer directly and even then they where not
completely forthcoming about the upcoming product. This does not sound
like marketing hype to me.
The hearing aid world is also vastly different then the world of
computers as MOST hearing aid manufacturers do not announce new hearing
aids directly to consumers but rather they describe and explain them to
audiologists and dispensers. These people are more qualified then the
average consumer to judge the true merits of the hearing aid instead of
the hype and decide if it would be a worthwile product to offer to their
patients.
As far as the current digital aids being obsolete, they are not anywhere
near it. Hearing aids do not become obsolete just because another
manufacturer ANNOUNCES they PLAN to release a SIMILAR product. Just
because a company can make a digital hearing aid does not mean that it
will be any good. There frequently are modifications and improvements
AFTER the initial release (how much software do you use that is version
1.0). Newer does not always mean better and this is especially true
when dealing with individual consumers that have vastly different needs
and preferences.
Your posts to this newsgroup have often been informative and helpful and
I hope that you will continue to post. However, the continued negative
attitude towards the Widex hearing aid is wearing thin. The Widex
hearing aid is BY FAR the most popular digital hearing aid in the
world. While it may not be perfect, more consumers have chosen it then
any other digitial hearing aid and the reports that I have received from
patients have been quite positive. No hearing aid will be perfect, and
continued expression of the faults without mention of the vast
improvements will not help anyone.
Just my opinion.
Glen
----
Glen R. Meier, M.S., CCC-A, FAAA
gtniowa at netins.net
