Chris, your point is valid but there is something truly liberating
about
buying a Mac and having the screen reader work right out of the box
without
having to pay another 3 or 4 figure price to make the computer meet
our
needs. You do have a point about Apple not having a great incentive to
support products other than its own. That's why I purchased Vmware
Fusion
and installed it on the Mac. I then got Windows 7 installed on the
machine
and I can in either platform. I know some can't afford this option
either
so
I feel fortunate I can do so. If I were on a limited budget, I'd start
with
a Mac and build from there. And if the person writing the earlier post
feels
ill used by GW Micro, they have more options now than they have had
before.
A couple of years back, the Mac wasn't useful at all by blind folks.
I'm a mere computer user so my opinion is worth even less than yours.
Smile.
Randy Black
-----Original Message-----
From: Christopher Chaltain [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 7:55 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [GW-Booksense] Re: GW Micro Responds to the Future of
Screen
Readers Discussion Panel Questions
I'm not sold on the idea of a screen reader being included in the OS,
although I admit Apple has done a good job. My problem with this
approach
is
that there's no incentive for Apple to support anything other than
Apple
products. What if I want to use Firefox instead of Safari or a media
player
other than iTunes or a third party email client or PIM or so on.
I also think JAWS and Window Eyes are vastly more robust than
Narrator. I
would not have the job I have today if it wasn't for JAWS and or
Window
Eyes.
Since the original poster doesn't talk about the changes they'd like
to
see,
or how they could make Window Eyes better, it's impossible to know
what
they're talking about. After working in the software development field
for
almost 25 years, I'm certain GW Micro has some talented and dedicated
programmers working on Window Eyes. I'm also certain they've overcome
quite
a few technical challenges in the years they've developed and
supported a
Windows based screen reader. I'm sure someone could come in and make
some
superficial changes on top of the base that's already there, but
that's
doing a disservice to the years of development that's already gone
into
Window Eyes.
Although I'm sure GW Micro has some business savvyness, I wouldn't go
as
far
to use the terms "exploit" or "conspiracy".
Just my $0.02, if it's even worth that much.
--
Christopher
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: Kim Lingo [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 5:30 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [GW-Booksense] Re: GW Micro Responds to the Future of Screen
Readers Discussion Panel Questions
Then why haven't you come out with something better and cheaper?
Kim Lingo
At 03:01 PM 9/1/2010, you wrote:
"GW Micro believes that having a free screen reader as part of the
operating system does a disservice to Blind computer users."
I thought this to be a hypocritical viewpoint. Somewhat
charlatanistic.
It is highly prejudicial to exclude low income users, or encourage
an over priced payment plan like some sort of layaway. The price is
highly debatable. It's seems to have to many zeroes.
I think it's a typo, but no one seems to see it. (pun intended)
The program itself is not even practical, nor signifigantly better
than the windows narrotor for common use.
Perhaps I should write the Obama administration to see what he
thinks about GW micros position on affordable pricing of screen
readers for the blind/disabled.
If the president tested Window Eyes head to head with "real"
software for the blind, he would have to "keep it real" and tell you
exactly as I have. If not then we have a conspiracy on our hands,
where the blind are being held back on purpose for extra
profits. Or possibly for backdoor code abilities that rely on
accessibility to mask their true intent.
I will not allow exploitation of the blind, in any case.
Window Eyes could be much better within a couple months of work.
I mean several times better than it is right now. I know this for a
fact because I am a developer that has done it. I'd crumple WE, and
throw it in the trash if I were blind.
GW probably knows it too, but keeps it secret from the users,
because they just don't want to spend the time required to fully
wrap their heads arround it. Or they can't, yet still want to enjoy
the positive cash flow. The price shows the greed, not crafsmanship.
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