A gentleman going by the name of Chris wrote to this list with this
subject originally, and I too have noticed the behaviors that he has
very carefully observed, and thoughtfully pointed out. I agree with him
that a solution needs to either be developed, or created in the first
place to rectify those kinds of behaviors from happening. I know, I
know, there's got to be collaboration between Gw Micro and the various
software companies out here, but that's just it, there's got, to, be,
close collaboration. Has anyone who typically posts to this list ever
served in a senior, or even a mid level management capacity? If so, do
you have any positive, constructive feedback or suggestions that you'd
be willing to share with Gw Micro? I mean as Chris points out, these are
problems that are occurring in some cases, the very latest "stable"
releases of these well-known, professionally developed, arguably
essential apps. I've noticed recently that there has been more than a
little bit of talk about Window-eyes being apparently in several ways
superior to the Jaws For Windows screen reader. Having formerly worked
professionally as an adaptive technology instructor, please understand
that I am not saying that it isn't, but is anybody here willing to point
out with specificity what exactly they mean by that? Please, I invite
you to provide us with some real life examples. In other words, what
have you been able to do (or do better) using Window-eyes, that you
weren't (or weren't easily) able to do using Jaws For Windows? I ask
because the critiques that I have heard expressed almost an innumerably
large amount of times about Window-eyes are, in most cases, that
Window-eyes' hotkeys are too odd/peculiar/foreign/alien/strange with
compared with Jaws hotkeys, and that Jaws not only can, but does, plane
and simple, accomplish things that Window-eyes is not able to. Case and
point? How do you read a sentence at a time using Window-eyes? How do
you read a paragraph at a time using Window-eyes? Not relying on the
location of the mouse pointer and using those mouse hotkeys that are
already defined in the Window-eyes control panel, but a sentence or
paragraph at a time, universally, in other words regardless of what
application you're in, using Window-eyes? It's just little things like
that that seem to really, really really, frustrate Jaws users and I
can't one hundred percent say that I Blame them. Now let me take a guess
here, are you going to tell me that I'd need to determine how to do that
using whatever application I want to be able to do that in? That's what
I've been told before. For example, I was once more or less told by a
member of the Gw Micro technical support team that, if you want to read
a sentence at a time using Microsoft Word, you need to determine the
Microsoft Word hotkeys that will allow you to do that. Do you have any
idea how cumbersome a job that could turn out to be? Especially in an
application like Microsoft Word, or any application in the Office suite
for that matter! I'm all but certain that it is indeed possible to do
using the applications themselves, but for folks like me who are not
Microsoft Office specialists (and frankly have no desire to be) there
has simply got, to be a simpler solution.I feel like the same underlying
principle of make it work, make it work well, make it work well the very
first time that a user tries it out, yet keep it simple need to be
applied to in-demand applications such as Internet Explorer, Firefox,
Outlook, Thunderbird, Windows seven and eight, the Microsoft Office
suite, Adobe products, Etc. Etc. Etc.. For at least each one of the
applications that Window-eyes has existing set files for. Thoughts?
Respectfully submitted,
Brandon Dean Miller
If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only.
If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to
GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so
the entire list will receive it.
GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can manage
your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv.
