WYFIWYG Newsletter for October 1999
Copyright October 1999 by: Peter Duran
All rights Reserved
Distributed by:
BRL, Inc.
110 Commerce Drive
Suite 210
Fayetteville, GA 30214
Tel: 770-716-9222
Fax: 770-716-9599
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web: WWW.WYFIWYG.COM
Dear Readers
Please send reader comments about the newsletter (or anything
else) to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Any additions or corrections are greatly appreciated. This
newsletter is only available by email!
The WYFIWYG newsletter is 3 months old now, and its readership
has grown from 48 subscribers in August to 823 readers in
October. Thanks for the interest and support.
Editorial Corner: Window-Eyes and JFW Comparison Again
In the September issue, I offered a comparison of Window-Eyes and
Jaws for Windows. I received many comments pro and con which is
great, but I also received email that attacked me personally and
defamed my integrity and intellectual honesty. Writers of flames
are ignored, and I shall, of course, continue to offer you, my
readers, the best possible reviews of products.
This is a good time to summarize my comments on Window-Eyes and
Jaws for Windows for the benefit of new readers and to make a few
points discussed by readers. These comments will foreshadow my
review in next month's newsletter of the newest screen reader --
the Narrator from Microsoft Corporation that comes with Windows
2000.
I won't mention dozens of program features -- most of which are
meaningless to the beginner or to a user of a different product.
Instead, a few fundamental observations are listed that can help
you make an initial purchase or make a switch to a different
product.
Purchase Price and Upgrade Costs: Window-Eyes is $200 cheaper
than JFW, $595.00 versus $795.00. GW Micro offers lots of free
minor upgrades and charges much less than Henter-Joyce for major
upgrades. The initial purchase price and the continuous upgrade
charges are major considerations if you are new to Windows and
screen readers for Windows. You should decide whether the cost
difference reflects a real difference in product quality and
performance before you buy.
Tech support: It is no secret that GW Micro offers great tech
support, and Henter-Joyce has terrible tech support. What isn't
clear is why such a difference exists. Newcomers to Windows
screen readers should weigh this factor heavily, for problems
will arise and you will need help to resolve them promptly and
correctly. Clearly, "great" or "terrible" are subjective terms;
I suggest that prospective purchasers of either product talk to
current users for additional opinions. I base these evaluations
on the hundreds of email messages that I read weekly from both
the GW Micro and the JFW user lists.
Here is a final point about user support. Call GW Micro (except
at lunch time) and talk to a real person who actually knows
something about the product and is ready to help you. Call
Henter-Joyce support and usually wait for days for a call back.
(Don't believe this; well, then call and check it out.)
Computer Compatibility: Window-Eyes works on all Windows 95 and
98 computers, but JFW depends on the installed video driver and
video hardware. Too often, users must rely on older video
drivers or replace video hardware so JFW can operate properly.
In laptops and notebook computers, and now in lots of cheap
desktop computers, the video hardware can't be replaced. If JFW
fails to work properly, you are stuck and must buy a different
screen reader or a different computer. This is a serious problem
with JFW which Henter-Joyce must address.
Readers pointed out rightly that JFW works on Windows NT and
Window-Eyes doesn't. But, few of us care about Windows NT --
unless we need to rely on it at work. It's a new ball game when
Windows 2000 makes its debut. It is NT based, and all screen
reader vendors must support it.
Copy protection: Window-Eyes (in the United States, Canada, and
now England) does not copy protect its screen reader, but
Henter-Joyce does. This is done to avoid pirated copies of the
software. However, copy protection has a few problems. It
interferes with the use of some Windows programs such as the
Defrag utility which lets you clean-up and speed-up your
computer. Recently, it has been pointed out that copy protection
for JFW may fail to work properly with some newer hard disks.
Internet support: Both screen readers work well with the
Internet, but Window-Eyes presently works much better. This is
the case because GW Micro supports the Active Accessibility
technology developed by Microsoft which lets screen readers
interact well with Internet Explorer, the web browser of choice.
JFW will in a few months surely catch up; Window-Eyes was behind
JFW in this area till recently. (In a recent talk-in show, the
Henter-Joyce development coordinator expressed similar
sentiments; HJ will mimic all the innovative Internet features
now available in Window-Eyes. Competition spurs development!)
Mouse Control: Although most users prefer the keyboard, the
mouse is often necessary because many programs lack keyboard
equivalents for often vital actions. In fact, the mouse is often
easier to use than the keyboard. Window-Eyes uses the Column of
keys on the keyboard to move the Insertion point and uses the
Block of keys to move the mouse pointer. The Insertion point and
the mouse pointer are kept totally independent. JFW, on the
other hand, uses the Block of keys to control both the Insertion
point and the Mouse pointer, and the user must switch between
them via a hot key. Often, this is awkward and/or confusing.
Sometimes, JFW switches between them automatically so the user
must check which cursor, the Insertion point or the mouse
pointer, is currently active. It is worthwhile to point out that
the names JFW Cursor and PC Cursor are poor terms, for they
obscure the fact that the Insertion point and the mouse pointer
are really involved. The fact that the user must switch between
them via a hot key further adds to the confusion.
The GW Micro approach to the Insertion point and the mouse
pointer is definitely more elegant and simple. This becomes more
and more evident to me as I write my Word 2000 tutorial and key
guide. There are lots of mouse tricks very useful to us as blind
users. Examples: Double click the page number indicator on the
Status bar, then you can type a page number and immediately jump
there. Single click a word to move the insertion point there;
double click a word to select it; triple click a word to select
the entire sentence.
Window Sizes: You often need to survey the entire display or a
particular portion of it. You need to examine the entire display
when you are confronted with a new program and wish to thoroughly
check it out. You need to scan a pop-up window when it appears
or restrict your attention to the area of the display which has
the focus. Window-Eyes lets you cycle through all the basic
window sizes and read them all. JFW lacks this facility except
in a rudimentary form.
User Documentation: The documentation for a program is the
user's first introduction to the program. A well-written and
well-organized manual makes it far easier to learn a program and
makes it a lot more fun. The Window-Eyes user manual is a model
of excellent technical writing; I have found only a few spots
where it wasn't crystal clear. The JFW documentation, on the
other hand, is poorly written and poorly organized; repeated
rereads don't help me much. I had to learn JFW by trial and
error and with help from friends and colleagues -- a laborious
way to learn this program.
I must agree with the comments I received from a few readers that
the Window-Eyes manual is too technical in many places and
intimidates some newcomers.
----
GW Micro, Inc.
725 Airport North Office Park
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
Tel: 219-489-3671
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
WWW.GWMICRO.COM
----
Henter-Joyce, Inc.
11800 31st Court North
St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1805
Tel: 800-336-5658
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
WWW.HJ.COM
Customer Corner
Word processors are great for those of us who want to write the
Great American Novel, but a text editor is better for those of us
who wish to write programs or edit text files. I have used the
editor that came with WordPerfect 5.1 because I couldn't find a
Windows editor that is easy to use and complete enough for real
technical work. Now, my search is over, and I will soon say
good-bye to my old friend Mister Ed.
Ultra Edit is a shareware program for $30 with a 45 day trial
demo. The download web site is www.idmcomp.com and the author
will supply documentation in Word format upon request. I am told
by colleagues, who know more about program editors than I, that
this is an excellent product at a great price.
Technical Tidbits
Microsoft Windows 98 has Y2K problems. Microsoft offers a free
CD with the necessary fixes. Call Microsoft at 1-888-219-1302
and request this CD upgrade.
Internet Explorer 5.0 has a "browse back" bug. This is evident
when the Back button is grayed out; that is, disabled. Use the
Address drop-down list when this occurs. Or, close and then
relaunch Internet Explorer 5.0 if this also fails.
There seems to be a bug in Windows that makes the DoubleTalk
synthesizer skip text on occasion. You can make a change in
Windows to remedy this problem. (Please Email a request to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FIX THIS.)
I tried to install my Openbook 3.5 reader from Arkenstone with a
HP 5P scanner on a Windows 98 computer and got problems. You
need to upgrade the HP drivers and then re-install the Openbook.
Call the Hewlett-Packard Ordering Number 661-257-5565 and order
Deskscan 2.9 which is $24.00
WYFIWYG Announcements
Many of us seek a simple and powerful database that works well
with a screen reader. So far, our quest has been futile. Yes, I
know that vendors claim that their screen readers work with
Microsoft Access. In my opinion, Microsoft Access is too
complicated for most of us and screen reader support is barely
adequate. So, another alternative is needed for those of us who
want a database for personal uses or for a small home business.
File Maker Pro does the trick. It is relatively cheap, powerful
and, at the same time, very easy to setup and to use. This
database is used by hundreds of colleges and universities to
maintain student records. My son, who is sighted, learned File
Maker Pro in a couple of weeks and developed a database for his
college with 300+ fields in a few months with all kinds of nifty
reports. He has used Microsoft Access but definitely prefers
File Maker Pro.
There is just a little problem with this rosy scenario. This
program is inaccessible. I have contacted the legal department
of File Maker, Inc., and got their attention. They have sent a
evaluation copy of File Maker Pro to GW Micro and are willing to
cooperate with GW Micro. All of you are asked to sent Carol
Custer in the legal department an email message in support of
full access to File Maker Pro. Her email address is
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Please CC a copy of your message to
Doug Geoffray at GW Micro. His email address is
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
About a year ago, I found a different company that was willing to
alter their database, and I contacted Henter-Joyce. Ted Henter
assured me that this development issue would be placed on the
development agenda. Nothing happened. Let's hope that GW Micro
has more interest and commitment to an alternative database
solution.
Educational Breakthrough
It is great to own a scanner and a program that scans books into
readable text. It is a pain, however, to sit there and scan
hundreds of pages hour after hour. And, it is very difficult to
scan textbooks well. There must be an easier and quicker way to
read educational materials.
Now, there is a way if you are a student in California. It is
now the publisher's legal obligation to provide educational
materials in e-text format when requested by the University of
California, the California State University or the California
Community Colleges. No doubt, other states will follow
California's lead and pass similar laws because California and
Texas control the textbook market. (Please email a request to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] if you want additional information.)
Newsletter Special
Here is a special offer just for newsletter subscribers. You
must call to order; this offer isn't available on the
WWW.WYFIWYG.COM web site.
Verbal View of Windows is ideal for new and intermediate users of
Windows 95 and 98. Here are a couple of user testimonials:
Nolan Crabb, now at <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
"Yours is by far the best tutorial I've ever seen on this
subject. You have a great talent for taking the known and
translating those components to the unknown. Other great
teachers do exactly that. Your analogies to appliances with
buttons and cups of fine gravel to describe monitor resolution
are outstanding. Don't change that feature about your work. ...
Bottom line: If ACB were in the publishing business, I'd be
among those crying loudest for us to buy the rights to publish
this thing and do it ourselves. You must find some way to
interest every rehabilitation counsellor in the land in this
tutorial.
I've used win95 for about 20 months now, and I still learned a
great deal about keyboard commands from your work. That despite
the fact that I had a copy of the keyboard list for 95. Your
explanations and examples are excellent. It obviously took long
hours of work, and that shows."
Professor Ronald E. Milliman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
"Peter, I have read the entire tutorial once and parts more than
once. Peter, I am extremely impressed with your approach, your
topic flow, and clarity of writing. I do not know what your
educational background is, but you are a very good writer."
Verbal View of Windows on tape: Retail $75 Newsletter special $50
October Specials
You can place orders by phone, toll free 877-993-4994, fax 770-716-9599, or
online at WWW.WYFIWYG.COM. Visa, Master Card, and
American Express are accepted and so are personal checks and
purchase orders.
Window-Eyes 3.1 Screen Reader: Retail $595 October $370
DoubleTalk External Voice Synthesizer: Retail $320 October $295
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