Re: Scripting with Window-Eyes and Homer Layout

With the common arrow keys, Using a single hand it is much easier and logicly to start reading continuously a document, to skip forward or rewind, to read the text from the start of the line to the cursor and from the cursor to the end of the line, to stop the reading...
If I need to start reading continuously then stopping with the control key, I need to move the right hand, or to use the left hand for pressing the control. If I use the standard arrow keys, I can also press the control key without moving the hand too much.
It is much easier to move the hand up or down from the 6-key block to the common arrow keys than to move the hand to the left or to the right, because in the second case I need more time to find the position of the keys I am searching for. And the common arrow keys and the 6-keys bloc have large spaces around, which makes them more easy to locate.
Another advantage is that if I lay the hand over those keys, that hand is very near to the control/shift/enter/backspace keys, and I can reach them much faster. 

Octavian
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jamal Mazrui" <empower@xxxxxxxxx> 
To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 9:29 PM
Subject: Re: Scripting with Window-Eyes and Homer Layout



Here is some evidence for my statement about the Numpad with JAWS.
Below is an excerpt from a tutorial distributed with the product.

Jamal

Reading Screens and Documents

Many speech functions in JAWS are accessed by using the numeric keypad
(NUM
PAD) located on the far right side of your keyboard. Usually this NUM
PAD is
used to type numbers so you must turn off the number lock function. Do
this by
pressing the NUM LOCK key in the upper left corner of the NUM PAD.

JAWS uses the INSERT key at the bottom left of the NUM PAD in
combination with
the other keys on this keypad to control what JAWS will speak.

To start JAWS reading the screen, press the key combination INSERT+DOWN
ARROW.
This is the Say All command. While using the Say All command, you can
press
the LEFT or RIGHT ARROW keys to rewind or fast forward through the text.
You
can also press PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN to increase or decrease the speech
rate.
To halt speech, press the CTRL key.

Tip: JAWS can automatically switch to a more natural-sounding voice when
reading with the Say All command. To choose which speech synthesizer you
want
to use, open the Utilities menu and choose Configuration Manager. Next,
open
the Set Options menu and choose Say All Options. For more information,
see Say
All Options Dialog.

Here are the rest of the keystroke combinations using this keypad and
the name
of the command.

NUM PAD 5Say Character
INSERT+NUM PAD 5Say Word
INSERT+NUM PAD 5 twice Spell Word
INSERT+LEFT ARROWSay Prior Word
INSERT+RIGHT ARROWSay Next Word
INSERT+UP ARROWSay Line
INSERT+HOME (7)Say To Cursor
INSERT+PAGE UP (9)Say From Cursor
INSERT+PAGE DOWN (3)Say Bottom Line Of Window
INSERT+END (1)Say Top Line Of Window
CTRL+INSERT+DOWN ARROW Start Skim Reading

On
Fri,
25 Jul 2008, Octavian Rasnita wrote:


Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:02:16 +0300
From: Octavian Rasnita <orasnita@xxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Scripting with Window-Eyes and Homer Layout
Jaws offers the possibility of using only the arrow keys, with absolutely no 
need of using the num pad keys which is not the case of Window Eyes.

I don't know who made the relevant poll and take the conclusion that the
Jaws users like the num pad, but I would like to see its results if they are 
available.

Anyway, the important thing is that Window Eyes doesn't offer the
possibility of using only the arrow keys, like Jaws does.

This is the most important reason I don't use Window Eyes.
I don't even know if there are other reasons, because this is very enough. 


Octavian

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jamal Mazrui" <empower@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 5:58 PM
Subject: Re: Scripting with Window-Eyes and Homer Layout


> Sorry it doesn't work for you, Octavian.  I think most JAWS users like
> the Numpad keys, and this is part of the distinguishing aspect of the
> JAWS interface.
>
> Jamal
> On Fri, 25 Jul 2008, Octavian Rasnita wrote:
>
>> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:16:56 +0300
>> From: Octavian Rasnita <orasnita@xxxxxxxxx>
>> Reply-To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: Re: Scripting with Window-Eyes and Homer Layout
>>
>> Sorry, but the biggest issue of Window Eyes is still not solved by >> this 
>> script.
>> It still requires to use the num pad.
>>
>> The other things doesn't matter if this is not solved, because it >> doesn't 
>> allow using the same keys as with Jaws.
>>
>> Octavian
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jamal Mazrui" <empower@xxxxxxxxx>
>> To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <program-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 4:20 PM
>> Subject: Scripting with Window-Eyes and Homer Layout
>>
>>
>> > To anyone who is a JAWS user yet open to trying the scripting >> > language 
>> > of
>> > another screen reader, Homer Layout may ease the transition. It is >> > a 
>> > Window-Eyes script that emulates the JAWS keyboard interface, while
>> > also
>> > incorporating functionality unique to Window-Eyes. In my opinion, >> > its 
>> > scripting engine is the most powerful that has ever been part of a
>> > screen
>> > reader, regardless of platform.
>> >
>> > More information about Homer Layout is at
>> > http://gwmicro.com/scripts/Homer_Layout
>> >
>> > To try it, you would first need to install Window-Eyes 6.1, licensed >> > or 
>> > demo version, and then the 7.0 public beta available at
>> > http://gwmicro.com
>> > This script is in late beta (I hope!), so I appreciate feedback to
>> > resolve
>> > remaining issues.
>> >
>> > For the record, I have no financial relationship with GW Micro. I >> > have 
>> > participated in the beta testing process of the latest version.
>> >
>> > Regards,
>> > Jamal
>> >
>> >
>> > __________
>> > View the list's information and change your settings at
>> > http://www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind
>> >
>>
>> __________
>> View the list's information and change your settings at
>> http://www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind
>>
> __________
> View the list's information and change your settings at
> http://www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind
>

__________
View the list's information and change your settings at
http://www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind


__________
View the list's information and change your settings at
http://www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind




__________
View the list's information and change your settings at http://www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind

Other related posts: