Re: Preview of JAWS 12
- From: "Bill White" <billwhite92701@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2010 10:16:52 -0700
Hi, Gerald. Do you know if JAWS 12 will still support Windows XP? They were
talking about removing Windows XP support from future updates to JAWS, and I
still use XP, and do not want support for XP to be removed in the next release
of JAWS.
Bill White billwhite92701@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
----- Original Message -----
From: Gerald Levy
To: JFW list
Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2010 4:50 AM
Subject: Preview of JAWS 12
Here's a brief preview of JAWS 12 I just came across:
by Curtis Chong
In early July, I attended a three-hour session conducted by Freedom
Scientific during which the company provided a sneak preview of JAWS for
Windows Version
12. Freedom Scientific has been working on this newest release of JAWS for
more than a year, and it is hoped that JAWS 12 will be released before the end
of 2010.
Long-time JAWS users will be interested to know that in JAWS 12, Freedom
Scientific proposes to replace the familiar JAWS Configuration Manager with
something
called the Settings Center. In the Settings Center, you can search for the
setting that you want to change and then simply make the change. It is no longer
necessary to explore a variety of menus to track down where, for example, you
can change the level of punctuation that JAWS speaks or increase the speaking
rate of JAWS. Also, in the Settings Center, your last 25 changes will be
displayed at the bottom of the tree view, making it easier for you to fix a
setting
that might have been adjusted incorrectly or adjust settings that you change
frequently.
Another feature included in JAWS 12 is the ability to operate your computer
from the Braille keyboard of any connected refreshable Braille display. Using
the Braille keys, you can enter any character that would be entered through a
standard QWERTY keyboard, and this includes all JAWS commands as well.
Also, a proficient Grade II Braille user will be able to enter text in
contracted Braille and have the result reverse-translated on the fly. I do not
see
much value in this feature for me, personally, but I hesitate to criticize
the investment in time and effort that has been made by Freedom Scientific;
I simply do not know how many Braille users out there have been longing to
operate their computer from a Braille keyboard.
The final noteworthy feature in JAWS 12 is the ability to use a Virtual
Ribbon in Microsoft Office. Some blind computer users have expressed frustration
with the ribbon that has been incorporated into Microsoft Office 2007 and now
into Office 2010. What Freedom Scientific is proposing for JAWS 12 is to
give the Office user the choice of whether to use the ribbon as is or to use
the Virtual Ribbon provided by JAWS. This Virtual Ribbon provides a user
experience
that feels more like the traditional menus with which a lot of people are
familiar. Time will tell whether this feature is worth the investment. As for
me, since I feel quite comfortable with the Office ribbon as it is, I will
probably choose not to use the JAWS Virtual Ribbon that comes with JAWS 12.
In all, JAWS 12 seems like a bit of an improvement over JAWS 11. Certainly,
Freedom Scientific has incorporated some new features which some people will
like. As for me, I would wish for features in JAWS which make it easier for
blind people to compete in the workplace-something which Freedom Scientific
seems to have lost sight of over the years.
Gerald
__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 5335 (20100802) __________
The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
http://www.eset.com
__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 5335 (20100802) __________
The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
http://www.eset.com
Other related posts:
