[access-uk] window-eyes beta
- From: "Graham Page" <gpage@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 23:04:15 +0100
Hi all.
Don't want to get into an argument about different screenreaders here, but I
have been following the way Window-eyes has been released and either I am doing
something truely silly or window-eyes seems to have mist a trick or 2 and I
wondered if other window-eyes users could help.
Firstly, what GW Micro scores on technical support, it loses on marketing and
hype. I know they have to make a big noise or have done in the past to sell
their products, particularly Window-eyes but in this version there are enough
selling points including a very interesting method of providing high quality
support for Microsoft Office Calendar which I believe uses Microsoft Active X
to bring up useful information in a calendar dialog box. There is also
enhanced access for Excel and a few extra things in word. They produced a few
rather patronising radio show-like programs, one a day, running up to the
release. it's more like marketing a beatles album in the 1960s than selling a
modern screenreader that people normally want for business, work or home
computer access and this seems strange but I suppose GW Micro must know their
audience.
Anyway, no where in all this lot does it say I need Window-eyes version 5
installed, but when I tried to download the program I was asked for a user name
and password by my download manager but the program downloaded anyway. This
may be a fault of Download express, my download manager. The download was only
6 MB in length and when I ran it it said that version 5.5 was not installed so
I went and downloaded version 5.5 and all went quite well with the installation.
The info says there is a JAWS keyboard layout you can use if you are not
familiar with window-eyes keys. I thought this was available in the
window-eyes menu under Keyboard but couldn't find it. Also, with Window-eyes
installed, I couldn't shut down the PC properly. the process just stopped mid
way through so I uninstalled window-eyes and all worked again.
what I am really saying here is there is far too much hype and not enough real
information to allow people to make a propper evaluation of the Beta version.
GW have probably even outstripped Freedom Scientific this time for marketing
rubbish and hot air and that takes some doing!
Regards
Graham
Graham Page
Home Phone: 0207 265 9493
Mobile: 07753 607980
Fax: 0870 706 2773
Email: gpage@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
MSN: gabriel_mcbird@xxxxxxxxxxx
Skype: gabriel_mcbird
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