speaking of screen readers / synthesizers, I began with studying in a computer class, who's instructor's idea was accessability, with two of us who had screen readers; (1) apple, (that was me) and (2) dos, my friend Doug. I never evolved into anything Apple after I left the class, but I do remember their screen reading software was "outspoken," and actually had a decent sounding synthesizer. I got an IBM XT, but then almost immediately since I couldn't get the screen reader to work, I got a 16Mhz 386 machine which I still have. Dos screen readers' first, Artic/Vision with it's particular synthesizer, but then I got a KPR, (Kurzweil personal reader), and then began using it through the serial port with Vocal Eyes, or ASAP. Wow, those were the days! I ran a BBS in Sacramento for almost 6 years using that machine, only upgrading the hard drive to a 100Megabyte one. What is truly amazing is is that the algorithms, (most of them) for DetTalk access 32 which is now still a "modern" synthesizer, was evolved in the very early eighties, wasn't it? Seems to me that may be the case, correct me if I am wrong. That old KPR still exists, and will work as a synthesizer if I wanted it too. :) I wish we could choose another "lively" parameter for the DecTalk Access 32, as we could using the KPR up to 250 percent, in the first evolution of the firmware. :)
-- Curtis Delzer <curtis1...@verizon.net> On Sun, 02 Aug 2015 22:25:55 -0500 Tom Fairhurst via Talk <talk@lists.window-eyes.com> wrote: > I learned Dos WordPerfect for my job in 1988. My first computer was a laptop > from Computer Aids Corporation. It has ScreenTalk One of the first loaded on > it ready to go. One of the first programs I installed on it was WordPerfect. > I even read through a DOS manual with an Optacon. I bought my first desktop > from GW micro. It was a Pentium, and I was so proud. Incidentally, I used for > a new job. Later, when I was able to use a company computer, I took my PC > home and used it for a couple of years. > > -----Original Message----- From: Marvin Commerford via Talk > Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2015 8:22 PM > To: David Goldfield ; Window-Eyes Discussion List > Subject: Re: Screen Reader History > > > And now Doug and Dan are with their third company together. I remember > that I really wanted a Sounding Board from Computer Aids Corporation > which Dan designed. For a short time I was sad when I learned that CA > had closed down. Doug and Dan got GW Micro rolling and the first thing > I did when I got my first IT job was to order that Sounding Board, > Vocal-Eyes 1.0, their Braille Talk braille translation program, and the > Noteworthy and calcworthy programs they had. GW's products really > helped make it possible for me to earn a good living. > > On 8/2/2015 7:30 PM, David Goldfield via Talk wrote: > > Jeff, > > Thank you for sharing that amazing piece of history. There are so many > > products which we use on a daily basis and we know little about the > > product's origins and its inventors. I believe that someone started an > > assistive technology history wiki and your story should definitely be > > submitted. Is Malcom still with us? > > > > David Goldfield, > > Assistive Technology Specialist > > > > Feel free to visit my Web site > > www.davidgoldfield.info > > > > On 8/2/2015 8:21 PM, Jeff Samco via Talk wrote: > >> In 1985 I bought a used IBM PC with the same 256 KB of memory and 2 > >> double-sided floppy disk drives for only $3,000. I worked for the > >> National Park Service in Yosemite and a coworker of mine, Malcom > >> Holser, wrote a screen reader program for me to use with an Echo PC > >> serial synthesizer. Malcom came up with the name Vocal-Eyes and later > >> sold the program to Computer > >> Aids Corporation. However, they were strict on including the word > >> "talk" in most all their software so it became Screen Talk. Later, I > >> was pleased when GW Micro picked up and used the name Vocal-Eyes. > >> Jeff > >> > >> At 03:51 PM 8/2/2015, you wrote: > >>> I got my first IBM clone (256K of RAM) at this time in 1985, and was > >>> running Screen-Talk before Computer Aids Corporation added the Prokey > >>> macros. A SET file was about 128 bytes long, and I edited some of > >>> them with Edlin for better compatibility with my Votrax Personal > >>> Speech System. Many times I'm amazed that this Windows stuff works at > >>> all. > >>> Windows 3.1 came out in 1990, and the first screen reader for Windows > >>> was OutSpoken, which was first demonstrated in July of 1992. > >>> Window-Eyes for Windows 3.1 came out in 1995, and it could first run > >>> Windows 95 in 1997. > >>> > >>> Lloyd Rasmussen, W3IUU, Kensington, MD > >>> http://lras.home.sprynet.com > >>> -----Original Message----- From: Butch Bussen via Talk > >>> Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2015 2:49 PM > >>> To: Pamela Dominguez ; Window-Eyes Discussion List > >>> Subject: Re: A new feature in Internet Explorer > >>> > >>> Such memories, got my first Apple 2 e in 1983. Anyone remember file > >>> talk? Got an ibm clone in 85 and ran screen talk with prokey. > >>> 73 > >>> Butch > >>> WA0VJR > >>> Node 3148 > >>> Wallace, ks. > >>> > >>> > >>> On Sun, 2 > >>> Aug 2015, Pamela Dominguez via Talk wrote: > >>> > >>>> I started out with artic vision, and for a short time, I had a > >>>> computer that I was supposed to get if I got a job that had vocal > >>>> eyes on it. But I was so used to the Artic that I didn't like the > >>>> vocal eyes. Yes, diskettes, the five inch soft ones and the > >>>> 3.5-inch ones. Somewhere, I still have them! Pam. > >>>> > >>>> -----Original Message----- From: Thomas N. Chan via Talk > >>>> Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2015 4:12 AM > >>>> To: 'Window-Eyes Discussion List' > >>>> Subject: RE: A new feature in Internet Explorer > >>>> > >>>> I also started during the 90s when vocal-eyes was the king of dos, > >>>> wordperfect.... let's see, are we talking about diskettes here? lol.... > >>>> This is really back from the past > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> -------------------- > >>>> regards > >>>> Thomas N. Chan > >>>> -----Original Message----- > >>>> From: Talk > >>>> [mailto:talk-bounces+thomas.nchan=gmail....@lists.window-eyes.com] > >>>> On Behalf > >>>> Of Tom Kingston via Talk > >>>> Sent: Sunday, 2 August 2015 8:12 AM > >>>> To: gary melconian; Window-Eyes Discussion List > >>>> Subject: Re: A new feature in Internet Explorer > >>>> > >>>> You might want to check your timeline. 25 years ago I was using GW > >>>> Micro's VocalEyes on DOS and there was no such thing as Windows. > >>>> > >>>> Sheesh! Now I suddenly feel old. Thanks a bunch. (grin) > >>>> > >>>> Tom > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> On 8/1/2015 7:40 PM, gary melconian via Talk wrote: > >>>>> Sure we will. I appreciate the products that I have used from GW > >>>>> over the > >>>>> past 25 years of using windows eyes from 4.0 all the way up to 9.2. > >>>>> > >>>>> -----Original Message----- > >>>>> From: Talk > >>>>> [mailto:talk-bounces+gmelconian619=gmail....@lists.window-eyes.com] > >>>>> >>>>> On > >>>>> > >>>>> Behalf Of Stephen Clark via Talk > >>>>> Sent: Saturday, August 1, 2015 12:58 PM > >>>>> To: Window-Eyes Discussion List <talk@lists.window-eyes.com> > >>>>> Subject: A new feature in Internet Explorer > >>>>> > >>>>> Here is a feature that they've added to Internet explorer which is > >>>>> turned > >>>> on > >>>>> by default called "Do not track". > >>>>> > >>>>> http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/ie-do-not-track > >>>>> > >>>>> It's not perfect, but they are actually trying to improve the > >>>>> security of > >>>>> Windows not make it worse. > >>>> > >>>>> Now, can we please get back to talking about Window-eyes? > >>>>> > >>>>> ==Steve > >>>>> _______________________________________________ > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the > >>> author and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. > >>> > >>> For membership options, visit > >>> http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com/jsamco%40jps.net. > >>> > >>> For subscription options, visit > >>> http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com > >>> List archives can be found at > >>> http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the > >> author and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. > >> > >> For membership options, visit > >> http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com/david.goldfield%40outlook.com. > >> > >> For subscription options, visit > >> http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com > >> List archives can be found at > >> http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the > > author and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. > > > > For membership options, visit > > http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com/mcommerford%40comcast.net. > > > > For subscription options, visit > > http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com > > List archives can be found at > > http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com > > > _______________________________________________ > Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author > and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. > > For membership options, visit > http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com/tfairhurst%40kc.rr.com. > For subscription options, visit > http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com > List archives can be found at > http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com > _______________________________________________ > Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author > and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. > > For membership options, visit > http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com/curtis1014%40verizon.net. > For subscription options, visit > http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com > List archives can be found at > http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com _______________________________________________ Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. 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