dear Robin, I quite agree. I have been watching the conversations re Jaws 8 on the list and have to ask myself why people would want the up grade? Is there anything in Jaws 8 that will really make a difference? Surely we have to think about what we need our computers to do and not about having the latest upgrade for the sake of it. Personally I have only just got Jaws 7, and anyway for much of my work I still use a doss system with Hal-lite and a doss editor called Qedit. If all i need to do is turn my typing into speech for recording then it is ideal - and never goes wrong! I only turn to windows and Jaws when forced to for internet etc. There is only a market for insignificant upgrades because we create one. Quite honestly, if it aint broke, and does what you want, don't try and fix it. John Beauchamp. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robin Clayden" <r.clayden@xxxxxxxxx> To: <jaws-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 2:26 PM Subject: [jaws-uk] The great jaws 8 debate? I sometimes wonder if we've reached a watershed in jaws and what it achieves in serving our needs. I mean, now we've just been introduced to IE7 and a suitably compatible version of Jaws, if you're O/S is XP, then don't you think you have enough ammunition to sit tight for the next five years and maybe much more without spending any more cash on this product? This I accept will apply more to the domestic user rather than us poor pro's in employment. By the time you reach the point where your system and jfw can't do the job you need, then your computer system might need replacing, an alternative screen reader at a much lower price may be around the market place, and heck, maybe they'll speed up that research and cure us all who suffer from RP! I totally agree that the enhancements in recent times, one could argue, don't justify the upgrade price, and they do tend to bring in these upgrades at frequent intervals when perhaps they could be re scheduled to a longer period encompassing more of the new features in one upgrade instead of two. But these techies at FS are constantly working to keep up with technology and I suppose they've got to earn a living, just a pity it has to be sponsored by us, the drawback of a product that's specialist and has a limited market. I admit it's easy to be kind of casual about the product when I'm fortunate to have mine paid by my employer, but I do sympathise with the domestic users who have to shell out a lot of cash they can't afford and find it difficult to agree they're getting value for their money. All in all it's a fantastic tool for blind and visually impaired people but it's fast becoming a luxury item. J m o, Kind regards, Robin Clayden, Edinburgh College of Art, 74 Lauriston Place, EDINBURGH EH3 9DF. T: +44 0 131 221 6000 E: r.clayden@xxxxxxxxx W: http://www.eca.ac.uk=20 ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:jaws-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** jaws-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:jaws-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** jaws-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.430 / Virus Database: 268.14.11/543 - Release Date: 20/11/2006 21:20 ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:jaws-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** jaws-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:jaws-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** jaws-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq