Well, he has a right to his opinions, but it is too bad that he does not
get up to date on his facts.
At 07:18 PM 10/21/99 EDT, you wrote:
>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
>
>
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>-
>Visit the jfw ml web page: http://jfw.cjb.net
>
>
Walter
-
Visit the jfw ml web page: http://jfw.cjb.net
