[access-uk] Re: [access-uk]Eureka memories

  • From: "Jackie Cairns" <cairnsplace@xxxxxxx>
  • To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:43:03 -0000

Hi Ari
Eureka was a Braille organiser that was developed in the 1980s. She had a really quirky Australian accent which many people absolutely hated. But Eureka was a very special lady. She had so much at her disposal that she frankly makes modern note-takers look like toys. She boasted a word processor, separate note-taker, database, telephone directory, diary, calendar, stopwatch, music composer, and a whole host of other things that people wrote for her. The games were all text-based, my personal favourites being Anagrams and Hangman.
At that time, I worked as a Personal Assistant, and I needed a note-taker for taking minutes at child protection case conferences. I tried out Braille 'N' Speak, but I couldn't get to grips with the voice. It just didn't do it for me at all. So when I met George at an exhibition once, and he showed me Eureka, there was no going back. I fell in love with her, and Ian and I adopted her like another member of the house. Wherever we went, she went with us, and we had many many happy years as a family. Even my mum, who was never a techie person by any stretch of the imagination, loved Eureka too. I don't think there could ever be a piece of kit quite like her, she was outstanding for her time in the access technology world, and we pushed her to the very limit.
But Eureka was pre-DOS, so you had to eventually start running a conversion program. I think our lady just lost the will to live some time in the late 90s, purely through constant use and much hilarity. 

Anyway I'll shut up about her now.

Jackie
----- Original Message ----- From: "ari" <aridamoulakis@xxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:21 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: [access-uk]Eureka memories
I heard once of this Eureka thing, was this then like an early braille notetaker or something? What did the voice sound like? A cricket game, how did that work, was it text based? 
Ari
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie Cairns" <cairnsplace@xxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 10:19 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: [access-uk]Eureka memories
Yusuf, Eureka's only big drawback, and it was always the one problem with her, was the membrane. I wish the keyboard had not been rubberised and more like the keys of say BrailleNote or the Braille 'N' Speak. Had they been like that, she would have been even more robust to work with.
To me, there was nothing quite like her for fun. I loved the usergroup that Geoff Clark used to run. We always looked forward to receiving the disk with games and other stuff people contributed. Like you, I played games at college when I was meant to be doing something else. But there were also lots of other uses Eureka had, for example, the colour detector, timer and direct dialling facility.
As you say, happy happy days, and the support for her was second to none as well. Send her down to Kevin on a Monday and get her back on a Thursday the same week. Unbeatable!! 

Jackie
----- Original Message ----- From: "Yusuf" <yusufaosman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 8:06 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: [access-uk]Eureka memories
I too fondly remember using the Eureka particularly playing the cricket game during sociology lessons when I was supposed to be taking notes.
It was pritty rugged too as I found when I dropped it in a load of water because I'd forgotten to do up my bag. 

Ahh happy days. And that alien game was fantastic.
Yusuf
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie Cairns" <cairnsplace@xxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 8:03 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Apple Vs Microsoft
Eureka was a pleasure. She brought Ian and I a lot of fun. We used her for so many functions, and she hardly ever gave up the ghost. The upgrades were worth waiting for when they came too. Lots of people hated her voice, but it kind of added to her character, especially when she sadly said: "no dial tone" or "command cancelled". Good old girl!! 

Jackie
----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Hallsworth" <christopherhallsworth71@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 4:45 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Apple Vs Microsoft
Oh, the Eureka! Those were the days! I loved using those. Shame they're not produced anymore, mind you technology's moved on so much now such that Eureka's probably couldn't cope with it. Just my two pence worth. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie Cairns" <cairnsplace@xxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 2:17 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Apple Vs Microsoft



Hi Dave
People say that computers are only as reliable as the operators, but I'm afraid I can't subscribe to that theory. For me, the most reliable and friendly beast had to be good old Eureka. My access technology journey began with the BBC in the 80s. Even it had its problems. I used to go to work and crash it when I put too much information into Wordwise Plus, and it filled up. I couldn't get out of it by deleting characters. It just crashed and I lost all the stuff I put in after spending a morning's work typing it all. After that I used Eureka for a long time, and thought she was just brilliant. There was great support in Techno-Vision, a well run usergroup, and lots of hilarity with games and little programs people invented for her. After that, for me, it was DOS and Wordperfect, before the Windows arena ... need I say more? (lol).
But whether we love them or hate the sight of them, I bet none of us would go back now. I call Sky everything when it's down and I can't get onto the Internet or receive Email, and often say I'd be better off without. But fact is I wouldn't, and that's the catch isn't it? 

Hope you get sorted.

Jackie
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ankers, Dave (UK)" <Dave.Ankers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 1:52 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Apple Vs Microsoft




Hi all,
Following on from a previous thread, comparing products from Apple and 
Microsoft.  Apple products while being more expensive and not as
popular, seem to win favour with its customers because they are easy to 
use and work.
Microsoft's products are cheaper initially, not particularly easy to
use, and break down constantly. When shutting down a windows system, you can never rely on it to restart properly, I find it very unstable, especially when JAWS, J-SAY and Dragon naturally speaking are running. As for ease of use, Windows word is infuriating to use, even by sighted 
users.
As I said Microsoft products are cheaper initially, only initially
because if you add on all the time spent and when its company time its damn expensive, fixing bugs, viruses and software incompatibility, which 
is no wonder considering how much Microsoft charge software
manufacturers for testing, which is why most don't bother.
Personally I've had it with Microsoft, and I'm waiting for Apple to
produce a system equipped with screen reading and voice recognition.
The software used could come from Freedom scientific, T&T, Nuance or
anyone, I don't care as long as it is fully incorporated and works. Why fully incorporated? simple, because then when an update is released, it 
will hopefully have been fully tested.
Currently when say JAWS releases an update, we have to wait for J-SAY and Dragon to catch up. and then there are problems. Problems I don't need, and from Apples reputation for quality, reliability and ease of use, that's what I'm looking for. When it finally arrives, Bill Gates 
can take his products and shove them, well you know where!

Dave

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