[accesscomp] Fw: A Review of Freeware and Shareware Screen Magnification, dan's tip for april 16 2013
- From: "Bob Acosta" <boacosta@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "tektalk discussion" <tektalkdiscussion@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:29:51 -0700
----- Original Message -----
From: dan
To: dan
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 5:31 AM
Subject: A Review of Freeware and Shareware Screen Magnification, dan's tip for
april 16 2013
A Review of Freeware and Shareware Screen Magnification
Software for Windows
Ike Presley
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People with low vision who use screen magnification software to access
computers running the Windows operating system are often shocked by the cost of
these programs. Full-featured screen magnifiers cost $500 to $700; moderately
priced programs are in the $300 to $400 range; lower-cost programs are around
$100. People often ask if there are more affordable alternatives, and the
answer is yes. Freeware and shareware programs don't offer the variety of
features available in commercial screen magnification programs, but they may be
adequate for some users who are on a tight budget.
The Windows and Mac operating systems include screen magnifiers as part of
their accessibility options. The Microsoft Magnifier was significantly improved
in Windows 7 but appears to have had no major upgrades for Windows 8. The Apple
screen magnifier, Zoom, is included with Mac computers, iPhones, and iPads. For
a comprehensive review of these two programs, see the AccessWorld article "The
Bigger Picture: A Comparative Review of Magnifier for Windows 7 and Zoom for
Mac OS." Found at the link below.
http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw130303
Freeware programs are free, but shareware programs allow the user to "try
before you buy." If a shareware program meets your needs and you wish to
continue to use it, you are asked to register the program and pay approximately
$50 or less. This will fee entitles you to a licensed/registered version of the
program, and the developer will notify you when updates or fixes are made to
the program.
The following search strings were used to locate software for this review:
a.. "Free screen magnifier software."
b.. "Free screen magnifier software download."
c.. "Best free screen magnifier software download."
d.. "Free screen magnification software."
The results of the searches provided links to an overwhelming number of
matches. One of the notable matches of interest is the Screen Magnifiers Home,
http://www.magnifiers.org/index.php
which lists articles about screen magnifiers and other topics of interest to
people with low vision. The "Download" link on the homepage leads to a page
where the visitor can download over 30 different Windows-based freeware and
shareware screen magnifiers.
I evaluated twelve of these programs using an HP Pavilion zd8000 Pentium 4, 3.0
GHz notebook computer with 1 gigabyte of RAM running the Windows XP
Professional operating system. The programs were downloaded from various
websites. Before downloading these programs and trying them out, I suggest that
you create a new user account profile on your computer and use it while
previewing these programs. You can switch back to your regular user account to
fix any problems that may occur. I also created a new folder for each program
and experienced no problems when I chose to save the downloaded files into the
folder. I opened the folder and ran the .ZIP file. I have not had any problems
with my computer after downloading, installing, and running these programs.
When launching many of these programs, a security warning will appear stating
that Windows could not recognize the publisher. You will need to click "Run" or
press the "Enter" key to proceed. A checkbox near the bottom left corner of
this window states: "Always ask before opening this file." Uncheck this box to
launch straight into the program in the future.
Some of these programs were very simple, providing the equivalent of a
hand-held magnifier that you might use by holding it up to the screen for
viewing. These types of programs may be useful for spot reading or viewing
small details found in graphical information on a webpage. They may be adequate
for entering small amounts of text, but they do not perform well with text
editors, word processors, or e-mail programs. Many of the freeware programs
fall into this category and are addressed as a group rather than individual
programs.
Freeware Programs
a.. DesktopZoom 3.5
http://magnifiers.org/news.php?action=fullnews&id=221
a.. Dragnifier 2.5 (Donations requested)
http://www.halley.cc/stuff/dragnifier.html
a.. Lightning Express
http://www.itzooms.com/
a.. Lupa 0.99
http://trace.wisc.edu/computer/win95/win95sha.html
a.. Magnifier 2
http://www.iconico.com/magnifier/
a.. Magnifixer 3.2
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/OS-Enhancements/Magnifixer.shtml
a.. Virtual Magnifying Glass
http://magnifier.sourceforge.net/
a.. Zoom+
http://gipsysoft.com/zoomplus/
The freeware programs reviewed reinforce that old saying, "You get what you pay
for." Most of these programs only offer the ability to enlarge a circular or
rectangular area beneath the mouse pointer. Programs such as Dragnifier 2.5,
Lupa 0.99, Magnifier 2, Magnifixer 3.2, Virtual Magnifying Glass, and Zoom+
provide a limited number of magnification choices and are primarily useful for
spot reading. Some of the features offered include:
a.. Several levels of magnification.
b.. Adjustability of the lens size and shape.
c.. Some offer visual cues to help locate the cursor (most do not).
d.. Most of these programs can be configured to automatically run when the
computer starts up.
Factors that make these difficult to use:
a.. Limited or no documentation (instructions, user manual, etc.).
b.. A confusing user interface.
c.. Severe pixelation as magnification increases (stair-stepped edges of
letters).
d.. No tracking of the insertion cursor in a word processor or e-mail.
e.. Some do not show the mouse pointer in the magnifier area, thus requiring
the user to navigate and place the pointer using the unmagnified view.
It appears that most of the software in this group has been designed for users
with good vision who just need a bit of magnification on occasion to view
information displayed at a small size. Users with low vision will find these
programs of little use beyond the spot reading tasks described above.
Two programs in this group merit further exploration: DesktopZoom 3.5 and
Lightning Express. Both of these programs offer additional features that make
them useful to people with low vision:
a.. Multiple viewing modes (full screen, lens, fixed window).
b.. Color inversion (dark on light, light on dark).
c.. Color choices for the mouse pointer.
d.. Keyboard commands for adjusting settings.
e.. Higher magnification with a wider range of powers.
f.. Tracking options that follow the insertion cursor in a word processor and
e-mail.
g.. A fixed window location so that the viewing window can be placed in the
best location on the screen for users with certain types of field loss.
These features make DesktopZoom 3.5 a more useful tool than the others in this
group, but the program does require fine tuning many of the settings for
optimum efficiency. The combination of settings that leads to efficiency is not
clearly defined in the sparse documentation. Lightning Express, which can be
downloaded to your computer like all the other freeware programs, offers an
additional feature that allows the program to be launched directly from its
website.
http://www.itzooms.com/
This can be very helpful when using a public computer where installation of a
program may not be permitted. Based on the features available and the ease of
use, I would select Lightning Express as the best of this group.
Shareware Programs
a.. ABF Magnifying Tool ver. 1.2.0.21 ($14.95)
http://www.abf-soft.com/magnifying-tools.shtml
a.. DesktopZoomer 1.3.1 ($14.95)
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Other-Desktop-Enhancements/Desktop-Zoomer.shtml
a..
b.. The Magnifier ver.1.50 release 5 ($49.95)
http://www.brothersoft.com/the-magnifier-154485.html
a..
b.. Screen Loupe for Windows 95/NT Ver. 4.5 ($14.95)
http://trace.wisc.edu/computer/win95/win95sha.html
a.. ZoomPower v.1.2 ($29)
http://zoom-power.winsite.com/titles/
You can use all of the programs in this group for a specified period of time or
for a specified number of trials for free. Once you have reached the limit, you
will need to register the program and pay for a licensed copy in order to
continue use. In most cases, you can accomplish this at the developer website.
For an additional fee, some offer a CD/DVD version of their product in addition
to the downloadable version.
The programs in the shareware category have many of the same strengths and
weaknesses of the freeware programs, but some offer additional features and
better usability for people with low vision. ABF Magnifying Tools, Screen Loupe
for Windows 95/NT, and Zoom+ do not offer any additional features or ease of
use that make them a better choice than Lightning Express. They are adequate
for viewing information but offer weak support for word processing and e-mail
applications.
DesktopZoomer does offer several additional features not found in the freeware
programs. One of the most notable of these is the ability to download the
program to a USB flash drive that can be used to run the program on any
personal computer. (Some networked computers may not allow a program to run
from the USB flash drive.) DesktopZoomer supports multi-screen monitors and
works with Windows 7; a soon-to-be-released version will work with Windows 8.
This was the only program that specifically stated that a Windows 8 version is
being developed. Others may be developing Windows 8 versions, but plans are not
specifically noted in the documentation.
The documentation for DesktopZoomer is more extensive than that for the
freeware programs, and it does a good job of explaining the features. It does
not always inform the user about which combination of settings to select to
achieve the best use of the program with word processing, e-mailing, and
Internet browsing. Tech support is available via e-mail, and the developer was
very helpful in answering questions and explaining how to use the program
effectively.
This program works well for reading and for text editing. Once the appropriate
settings have been selected, the lens and full screen modes will follow the
insertion cursor in Notepad and WordPad but not in Microsoft Word. Determining
the combination of appropriate settings was not clear at first, but with
feedback from tech support, I was able to make the program work efficiently for
text editing. One other positive feature of DesktopZoomer is the use of
keyboard commands to control the program and the ability to edit or reassign
these functions to different key combinations when they cause a conflict with
keyboard commands of other applications.
The Magnifier, version 1.5, release 5 is available as a free demo version, an
e-License ($49.95), a DVD ($59.95), and on USB ($69.95.) Its online User's
Guide is available in several formats: Manual PDF, EBook PDF, US Letter PDF,
and A4 PDF. It provides essential information and assists the user in
understanding the program features and how to use them effectively.
The Magnifier magnification range is 1x to 40x and can be adjusted in
increments of one-tenths. A toolbar can be displayed for quick and easy
adjustments, or you can use an extensive list of keyboard shortcuts to access
almost all of its features. One reading feature of this program that I found
very useful is an option for panning that is a bit different from other
programs when reading text from left to right. The user can hold down the
"Control" key and press the right arrow key to start panning the viewing window
across the screen. When you reach the end of the line of text, simply release
the "Control" key, and the viewing window jumps back to the beginning of the
line. Other programs require the user to issue an additional command to move
back to the beginning of the line. Better smoothing of text, better tracking of
the insertion cursor, and more robust panning features make this program seem
more familiar to users of commercial screen magnifiers.
The Bottom Line
Freeware and shareware screen magnification software can definitely save the
user some money, but at what cost? Users must determine if these programs offer
the features required to accomplish their desired tasks. Successful use will be
greatly determined by the user's ability to understand the various features and
how to combine the settings for these features to provide optimal productivity.
Those who are new to computing will find this process challenging and possibly
frustrating. Those who have used a full-featured screen magnifier will
immediately notice the inadequacies of freeware and shareware programs and be
hampered by the limitations.
Three of the most widely used applications on computers are for word
processing, e-mailing, and Internet browsing. Some of the freeware and
shareware screen magnifiers will provide adequate access to accomplish these
tasks, but they may prove frustrating to new users and underpowered to those
more experienced. Commercially available screen magnification programs
generally offer more features that make accomplishing these activities easier,
but for a price. This leaves the computer user with low vision in a quandary
about which screen magnifier to use. A reasonable course of action might be to
try the steps below, and if they do not work, move on to the next suggestion.
1. Investigate the Microsoft Magnifier included with Windows.
2. Create a new user account and some folders on your computer in
preparation for trying out freeware and shareware programs.
3. Search the Internet for "free screen magnifiers," or just try some of the
ones reviewed in this article.
4. Download and save these programs to their individual folders.
5. Try out the programs individually to see if they meet your needs.
6. I suggest starting with Lightning Express, DesktopZoomer, and The
Magnifier 1.5.
7. If these are not adequate, download and investigate a demo copy of the
low-cost (less than $100) commercial programs: ZoomText Express and WinZoom
Lite.
8. If none of these provides the features you need to get the job done, then
acquire a demo version of one of the mid-range programs ($300 to $400):
WinZoom, iZoom, or Lightning Express (with speech).
9. Some applications will require a much more robust set of features. Users
of these applications will want to acquire demo versions of full-featured
screen magnifiers ($500 to $1,200): Magic, ZoomText, or Super Nova.
10. One final option to consider is an access program that provides screen
magnification, screen reading, and applications all in one package: CDesk and
Guide. These two programs may be more than adequate for individual and personal
use but may not be appropriate for many work environments and educational
settings. For a review of these programs, see the AccessWorld articles
"CDesk COMPASS by AdaptiveVoice: A Low-Cost Screen Reading and Screen
Magnification Solution for Windows"
http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw130102
and "Guide Software, Revisited".
http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw120509
Following these suggestions should assist users with low vision in determining
which screen magnification software will best meet their needs.
"Lord Jesus, inflame my heart with your love and remove everything that is
unloving, unkind, ungrateful, unholy and not in accord with your will."
Psalm 30:1-5,10-12
1 I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up, and have not let my foes
rejoice over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from
among those gone down to the Pit.
4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping
may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
10 Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me! O LORD, be my helper!"
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my
sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
12 that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give
thanks to you for ever.
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- » [accesscomp] Fw: A Review of Freeware and Shareware Screen Magnification, dan's tip for april 16 2013 - Bob Acosta