FreeLists / blindipod / [blindipod] Re: Jaws compatibility with iTunes 7

["Allison Mervis" <allisonfm@xxxxxxxxx>]

Will  Jaws 8.0 be supported once it is released? Thanks!
Allison


-----Original Message-----
From: blindipod-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:blindipod-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Brian Hartgen
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 8:15 AM
To: blindipod@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blindipod] Jaws compatibility with iTunes 7


Hi

Following my announcement on Friday about the new update to the iTunes
scripts, I want to write a few lines about the JAWS version compatibility
with the new upgrade and a further note about iTunes in general.  This and
other information will be posted to my Blog near to the release date of the
scripts.

First, the general note.  We have noticed that the interface for controlling
and managing music on an iPod Nano or Mini is completely different now than
the interface to support the iPod Shuffle.  This makes things quite tricky
from our perspective but manageable.

Now to JAWS.  Most of the last few days has been spent carrying out
exhaustive tests with and without the scripts using different versions of
jaws on different machines.  What we can say as a result is that iTunes 7
and our interface will be compatible with jaws 5.0, 6.0, 6.20 and 7.0, not
5.10, 6.10 and disappointingly 7.10.

When we started this iTunes project, (I think about 18 months ago), we had a
problem with jaws 5.10 in that using the jaws cursor was not reliable enough
within the iTunes application.  Most crucially, routing jaws to PC was not
reliable enough, because jaws thinks that there is additional highlighted
information on the screen other than what is selected and, in addition,
informs you of characters which simply do not exist.

Well the problem is back big time in 7.10.  I have given Freedom Scientific
lots of detailed information about this problem.  But because of the
inaccessibility generally of iTunes (which has considerably worsened in 7.0
especially with the new Nano functionality), we have to use the jaws cursor
to do a lot of the work, and if that's not working reliably then we may as
well stop.  We cannot support something which is not reliable.

All the jaws versions I have listed in this message which we do support are
working in the way we would expect.

In summary, we are not letting this hold up production of the scripts. The
reality is now that if you buy a new iPod, you have to use iTunes 7. I also
understand that Rockbox no longer supports the new range of iPods, and so we
have to have something which works as good as we can get it.  

I think our new internet update facility will help a lot as well, since we
can easily remedy difficulties which may be present on other machines,
assuming we can duplicate them of course.  The idea is that you will go to
the start menu, programs, iTunes Accessible Interface, Check for Updates.
We then go out onto the internet and check for updates and you can download
them.  Just to reiterate, where we correct a problem which exists, that is a
free update.

Brian Hartgen
More information about portable media devices can be obtained from the
Portable Player Portal.  Please visit 
www.hartgen.org 
and choose the Portable Player Portal link.

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More information about portable media devices can be obtained from the Portable 
Player Portal.  Please visit
www.hartgen.org
and choose the Portable Player Portal link.

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To contact the List Owner, Brian Hartgen:

E-MAIL:  brian@xxxxxxxxxxx
MSN:  brian@xxxxxxxxxxx
SKYPE:  brianhartgen
PHONE (UK):  0208-133-7186
PHONE (US):  213-985-3581