I'm quite enjoying this walk down memory lane and sincerely hope that
the VFO staff who monitor this list doesn't mind this thread.
For me, Vocal-eyes 1.1 was the first screen reader I ever used. In 1991,
I was planning to get my first computer and I borrowed a five-volume
book from NLS covering DOS (I think it might have been called Mastering
DOS.) I decided to absorb as much as I could from that book prior to
getting that IBM XT so that, when I turned on the computer, I'd be armed
with at least some knowledge.
Around February 1991, I acquired a used IBM XT with a 10 megabyte hard
drive and a 5.25 floppy drive. Armed with a trusty Braille 'n Speak
classic, I began learning how to use Vocal-eyes from the excellent (and
I do mean excellent) user manual, read by Doug Geoffray. Since then,
I've learned that writing product documentation is more of an art than a
science. It's quite a delicate balance because you have to write to be
understood by novices and experts alike, keeping the interest of the
novice and, at the same time, not boring the nerds and the experts. As
we all know, software documentation is a mixed bag. It's admittedly
difficult to write manuals and please all of the people all of the time
and, in my opinion, not everyone can do it. For that reason, Vocal-eyes
was a great first screen reader, not only because of its functionality
but due to its amazing manual. It was thorough and yet fun. I was both a
total newbie but an eager nerd who wanted to know as much as I could and
the documentation hit me on all levels. It was a well-packaged product,
in every sense of the word. While functionality is certainly critical,
packaging can really make a difference in whether someone likes or hates
the product. GW Micro did everything quite nicely, from the manual, its
recording quality, nice packaging and, of course, easy to use software.
David Goldfield,
Assistive Technology Specialist
Feel free to visit my Web site
WWW.DavidGoldfield.Info
On 10/19/2016 1:45 AM, Micallef Michael at FITA via Talk wrote:
> Waw what a nostalgia this morning, I remember that my first computer that
> ever used was the Amstrad PC with 5.25inch floppy disk and with the votrax
> type n' talk speech synthesizer. Later I switch to the double talk speech
> synthesizer and the ASAP for dos screen reader, at that time the WordPerfect
> 5.1 word processor was the best accessible word processor for us the blind.
> Although today I'm feeling comfortable with Microsoft word, but I'm still
> missing that WordPerfect for DOS.
>
> Anyway, as they say, every good thing, sometimes comes to an end. Now it is
> the time for window eyes unfortunately.
>
>
>
>
>
> Michael Micallef
> Officer in charge of ICT Accessibility Certification
> and ICT Training for Persons with a Visual Impairment
>
> Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility (FITA)
>
> Email:
> Office:
> URL:
> FB:
> michael.mical...@gov.mt
> +356 2599 2343
> http://www.fitamalta.eu
> http://on.fb.me/1hCRTAx
>
> Kindly consider your environmental responsibility before printing this e-mail
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Talk
> [mailto:talk-bounces+michael.micallef=gov...@lists.window-eyes.com] On Behalf
> Of Jim via Talk
> Sent: Tuesday, 18 October 2016 17:25
> To: Pamela Dominguez; Window-Eyes Discussion List
> Subject: Re: history of window eyes
>
> Hi there!
>
> My first windows screen reader was Artic Winvision. Yes I do like
> Window-Eyes, but I thought that Winvision was the easiest to configure
> on the fly as well as use straight from the box. We have come along
> ways since then, and I really do appreciate the ease of use with W.E.
> My first and only DOS screen reader was called TinyTalk. It was
> referred to as the poor man's screen reader since I only paid $75 for
> it. Just a bit of my history with screen readers. Have a Good 1! de
>
> <KF8LT><Jim>.
>
>
> On 18-Oct-16 10:54, Pamela Dominguez via Talk wrote:
>> Window bridge was the first windows screenreader I got for my first
>> windows computer, which was a Gateway 2000, with windows 98. Pam.
>>
>> -----Original Message----- From: David Goldfield via Talk
>> Sent: Monday, October 17, 2016 11:52 PM
>> To: Jeff Samco ; Window-Eyes Discussion List
>> Subject: Re: history of window eyes
>>
>> I'd like to add a few tidbits to this most fascinating thread.
>>
>> In addition to the Windows screen readers which were mentioned,
>> Synthavoice's Window Bridge came out sometime in 1992, if my memory is
>> correct. While I have not used that screen reader, another one that many
>> have forgotten is Windows Master, which was produced by Blazie
>> Engineering for Windows 3.1. I began working for Blazie Engineering in
>> May of 1991 and, at that time, they had a DOS screen reader called
>> Speaksys. Speaksys cost $150 and only supported the Braille 'n Speak as
>> a synthesizer. However, it was unique in that it also allowed the Bns to
>> be used for Braille input to a PC and I believe it even supported Grade
>> 2 input. Eventually, the screen reader was enhanced with new features to
>> try and bring it in line with other DOS screen readers at that time. Its
>> name was changed to PCMaster and its price was raised to $395.
>> Eventually, a talented programmer named Daehee Lee was hired to write a
>> Windows version of this screen reader, which was called Windows Master.
>> It also used a Bns for output (and I think input) and supported the SSIL
>> library of synthesizers as well. I believe Windows Master came out in
>> the summer of 1992 and may well have been the third or fourth Windows
>> screen reader at that time, although I'm certainly willing to be
>> corrected if this is incorrect. Actually, I vaguely remember hearing
>> about what I think was the first Windows screen reader before Window
>> Bridge, although its name now escapes me and I don't think it lasted
>> more than a few years.
>>
>> This thread reminds me of a blog post from Chris Hoffstader (sp) who
>> talked about the importance of those of us who have memories of this
>> technology to document it online for posterity. I thought he had
>> established a wiki for that purpose but my recent searches aren't
>> locating it.
>>
>>
>>
>> David Goldfield,
>> Assistive Technology Specialist
>>
>> Feel free to visit my Web site
>> WWW.DavidGoldfield.Info
>>
>> On 10/17/2016 11:18 PM, Jeff Samco via Talk wrote:
>>> Yes, Malcom Holser wrote the original Vocal-Eyes for my use. Malcom
>>> was very gifted in many ways. He was a coworker as I worked as an
>>> interpretive ranger in Yosemite. In 1985 we went in together and
>>> purchased a used IBM PC 8086 with 256 KB of RAM and 2 double-sided
>>> 5.25-inch floppy disc drives. Since it was used it only cost us
>>> $3,000! Malcolm learned to program in assembler in writing Vocal-Eyes.
>>> I also believe I was the first user of a screen reader to use Word
>>> Perfect and alerted them to how well it worked with a screen reader. I
>>> offered various suggestions to improve its accessibility. Many screen
>>> reader users used this elegant and powerful word processor.
>>>
>>> Jeff
>>>
>>> At 11:41 AM 10/17/2016, you wrote:
>>>> I might add that Malcolm, who worked as a ranger at Yosemite near
>>>> Fresno where I lived at the time, initially called his PC
>>>> screenreader Vocal-Eyes and I was one of the beneficiaries. He had
>>>> originally designed it for a fellow ranger at Yosemite who was only
>>>> partially sighted. I still see his name on the lists occasionally.
>>>> Bill Grimm was then naming all his software releases Whatever-talk,
>>>> so when Malcolm teamed up with Computer Aids, the program was renamed
>>>> Screen Talk. When Doug Geoffrey took over Computer Aids, he named his
>>>> screen reader Vocal-Eyes. Apparently Malcolm had no objection to
>>>> that. Actually Doug wasn't even aware that the name had been used by
>>>> Malcolm. Later GW Micro released Window-Eyes for Windows as, as you
>>>> know, Vocal-Eyes was a DOS screen reader.
>>>>
>>>> Dave
>>>>
>>>> At 04:02 AM 10/17/2016, you wrote:
>>>>> I don't have time to write a very long message, but here's a little
>>>>> of the story.
>>>>> In the early 1980s Bill Grimm formed a company, Computer Aids
>>>>> Corporation, to create software for the Apple II family of
>>>>> computers. They teamed up with Malcolm Holser to create a screen
>>>>> reader for DOS called Screen-Talk, which was released in 1985, which
>>>>> I bought and used. In 1986 Screen-Talk was linked with ProKey, a
>>>>> macro program, and its functionality was extended. Somewhere in
>>>>> there, Doug Geoffray was hired as a programmer. In 1988 Computer
>>>>> Aids released the Sounding Board, an ISA-compatible speech
>>>>> synthesizer that used the SSI-263 speech chip that was common in
>>>>> those days. Dan Wyrick did major work on that project. Near that
>>>>> time Bill Grimm died.
>>>>> Dan and Doug put together a new company, GW Micro and marketed the
>>>>> new-generation DOS screen reader as Vocal-Eyes.
>>>>> The first Windows 3.0 screen reader was OutSpoken, released in the
>>>>> summer of 1992. Later came Automatic Screen Access for Windows and
>>>>> JAWS for Windows. Window-Eyes 1.0 came out quite late, in late 1995.
>>>>> It worked with Windows 3 and 3.1, even though Windows 95 was already
>>>>> out and had no screen reader support from anyone at first.
>>>>> Window-Eyes 2 was the first W-E version to support Windows 95, and
>>>>> came out in the spring of 1997, I think.
>>>>> The revision history of Window-Eyes is on the GW Micro website,
>>>>> going way back; it is instructive to read it to see where we have
>>>>> come from.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Lloyd Rasmussen, Kensington, MD
>>>>> http://lras.home.sprynet.com
>>>>> -----Original Message----- From: Drew Clark via Talk
>>>>> Sent: Monday, October 17, 2016 3:56 AM
>>>>> To: Window-Eyes Discussion List
>>>>> Subject: history of window eyes
>>>>>
>>>>> hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> i am interested to find out the history of window eyes, who created it
>>>>> and how it was started. is there any webpage/audio podcast that
>>>>> interviews the g and the w behind gw micro?
>>>>>
>>>>> thanks
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Sent using window eyes.
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> 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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>>>>>
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>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> 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/dave%40basden.us.
>>>>>
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>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the
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>>>>
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>>> _______________________________________________
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> _______________________________________________
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