16 Jan
2014
16 Jan
'14
4:54 a.m.
Great post Sean. That's right folks. NVDA is free, but really, is it? How many of us have donated to the project? :) At 11:49 PM 1/15/2014, you wrote: >All. > >More info on this change. > >As per the FAQs located at http://www.windoweyesforoffice.com/FAQ/ >There are a number of additional benefits offered by GW Micro when purchasing >the retail version of Window-Eyes: > Free technical support with an unlimited number of incidents > Braille and large print hotkey guides (English only) > Installation CD with comprehensive audio tutorial > Eloquence and Vocalizer speech synthesizers > Ad-free experience for GW Micros accessible Skype client, GWConnect > >Make your own decision. If you are a NVDA >supporter. Then start paying them or they might >just go. SaToGo is in trouble now as I can see >from this change. Since most people have Office on their pc. > >On 16/01/2014, at 8:18 AM, Chris Smart <csmart8@cogeco.ca> wrote: > > > John, your points about education are well > put. A friend who teaches 3rd grade is > introducing tablets in every subject and every > class of her school, and it's all iPads. Garage > Band for music class is just one example. > > > > At 11:32 AM 1/15/2014, you wrote: > >> You might never never have thought it but > the day ALVA discontinued outSPOKEN was a red > letter day for the blind community. It forced > Apple to build VoiceOver and the rest, as they > say, is history. It really highlights the > backwardness of NFB's logic. I don't know if > any of this could have ben predicted but if you > don't know what's going to happen, why not just > favor the free solution? The NFB said, "Let's > not let people have a free screen reader > because we think we can foresee the future." Well, clearly, they couldn't. > >> > >> I think you make a great point about > Microsoft. You keep hearing about "the demise > of the desktop computer". I think most of those > stories are exaggerated but they're not > entirely crazy. Yet, Microsoft seems very slow > to respond. I've seen no hints that Microsoft > has shown any interest whatsoever in getting a > piece of the electronic textbook market. > Schools all over the country are replacing hard > copy textbooks with tablet computers. Is > Microsoft even in the game? Not only does that > game mean the sale of millions of units, it > also determines which platform kids are going > to favor once they are adults. I don't know how > Microsoft can ignore that and hope to survive. > >> > >> On 01/15/14 08:45, Scott Granados wrote: > >>> Lets also remember that FS paid for that > position from the NFB. I know seven figures > changed hands from FS to the NFB to perpetuate > that position. Im surprised that MSFT hasnt > made any moves sooner either and continues to > be hamstrung by the NFB. I would think Apple > including screen readers in all their products > now is definitely helping them gain ground on MSFT. > >>> > >>> > >>> On Jan 15, 2014, at 9:37 AM, John G. Heim <jheim@math.wisc.edu> wrote: > >>> > >>>> GW is making money because Microsoft is paying them. GW Micro isn't > >>>> giving Window-eyes away, Microsoft is. > >>>> > >>>> I don't find this surprising at all. Microsoft is being pushed by Apple > >>>> in schools, colleges, libraries, and anywhere else the 508 regulations > >>>> apply. Microsoft has to get a screen reader on their tablets to even be > >>>> considered by the hundreds of school districts that are looking into > >>>> giving their students tablets instead of textbooks. In fact, I think > >>>> microsoft is a day late and a dollar short. They should have bought GW > >>>> Micro five years ago and ported Window-eyes to their mobile platform. > >>>> > >>>> Once again though, it goes back to the decision the NFB made to ask > >>>> Microsoft not to continue development on narrator. They did that because > >>>> they were afraid that if Microsoft started giving a screen reader away > >>>> for free, it'd kill off Freedom Scientific. I argued at the time that > >>>> that was an incredibly short sighted point of view. With this latest > >>>> development, I can't imagine any future for jaws. There was no point in > >>>> Microsoft working with Freedom Scientific, you'd never be able to port > >>>> jaws to a tablet. It's way too overburdened already. > >>>> > >>>> I think I'll write to FS and suggest that they build a bluetooth braille > >>>> display and keyboard combo for tablets and put it in a carrying case > >>>> like a Pac Mate. They could also make a mobile app version of their GPS > >>>> software, StreetTalk. Then you'd pretty much have a Pac Mate again. I'd > >>>> buy a bluetooth display/keyboard that I could carry around like a Pac > >>>> Mate and a StreetTalk IOS app. > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> Anyway, welcome to the 21st centtury where it's all about 508. > >>>> > >>>> On 01/14/14 17:01, Darragh Ó Héiligh wrote: > >>>>> Wow. > >>>>> There has to be more to this. I know on > the site it says fully functional, but is it really? > >>>>> > >>>>> How could GW make moey from this? > >>>>> > >>>>> On the other side of things, With this, > what could be only called partnership, between > GW Micro and Microsoft, maybe Microsoft will > work more closely with Window Eyes to make > their OS and applications more accessible with > it. Unlikely, but I can live in hope. > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> Darragh > >>>>> > >>>>> -----Original Message----- > >>>>> From: Blind-sysadmins > [mailto:blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org] > On Behalf Of Andrew Hodgson > >>>>> Sent: 14 January 2014 22:56 > >>>>> To: Blind sysadmins list > >>>>> Subject: [Blind-sysadmins] FW: [BCAB] > Microsoft and GW tie up in Window-Eyes office initiative. > >>>>> > >>>>> Hi all, > >>>>> > >>>>> Very interesting development, especially > as WindowEyes has in my view the best RDP support out there. > >>>>> > >>>>> Andrew. > >>>>> > >>>>> Jan-14-2014 > >>>>> > >>>>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > >>>>> > >>>>> Fort Wayne, Indiana (January 14, 2014) > - GW Micro, Inc. > (www.gwmicro.com<http://www.gwmicro.com>) is > proud to make a revolutionary announcement. GW > Micro and Microsoft Corp. have partnered to > make Window-Eyes available to users of > Microsoft Office at no cost. Window-Eyes is a > screen reader that enables people who are > blind, visually impaired, or print disabled to > have full access to Windows PCs and makes the > computer accessible via speech and/or Braille. > >>>>> > >>>>> To better deliver Window-Eyes to the > people who need it most, GW Micro and Microsoft > have collaborated on this global initiative, > available in over 15 languages, to enable > anyone using Microsoft Office 2010 or later to > also use Window-Eyes for free. Access to > technology is critical to people who are blind > or visually impaired in order to have the same > opportunity to compete in the workplace. As > such, this initiative between GW Micro and > Microsoft has the potential to reduce barriers > for millions of people who are blind or visually impaired around the world. > >>>>> > >>>>> As the population ages, technologies > like Window-Eyes will become more and more > important as the number of people with > age-related macular degeneration and other > retinal degenerative diseases increases. "This > significant change in the way we are doing > business reflects the changing perception of > accessibility and also technology in > general. Rather than wait for the world to > change, Microsoft and GW Micro are leading the > way," said Dan Weirich, Vice President of Sales > and Marketing for GW Micro. Weirich believes > this technology can help millions of people > gain access to their PC, and that providing it > free of charge will open a whole new world of > assistive technology to many people. > >>>>> > >>>>> In light of the rapidly changing face > of technology and specifically, the changing > face of assistive technology, the combined > efforts of GW Micro and Microsoft have the goal > of providing accessibility to people who are > blind and visually impaired for the long term. > >>>>> > >>>>> Microsoft continues to take > accessibility seriously. By partnering with > GW Micro in this endeavour we are demonstrating > Microsofts on-going commitment to provide all > of our customers with the technology and tools > to help each person be productive in both their > work and personal lives. said Rob Sinclair, > Chief Accessibility Officer for Microsoft. > >>>>> > >>>>> Eligible customers, using Microsoft > Office 2010 or higher, will be able to download > a full version of Window-Eyes starting today at > www.WindowEyesForOffice.com<http://www.WindowEyesForOffice.com>. > The website provides download instructions as > well as additional details about this offer. > >>>>> > >>>>> GW Micro, Inc. > (www.gwmicro.com<http://www.gwmicro.com>) has > been a trusted pioneer in the adaptive > technology industry since 1990, and continues > to lead with innovative, customer driven solutions. > >>>>> > >>>>> Contact: > >>>>> Dan Weirich, VP of Sales and Marketing > >>>>> dan@gwmicro.com<mailto:dan@gwmicro.com> > >>>>> (260) 489-3671 > >>>>> All the best, Ibrahim. > >>>> > >>>> -- > >>>> --- > >>>> John G. Heim, 608-263-4189, jheim@math.wisc.edu > >>>> > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> Blind-sysadmins mailing list > >>>> Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org > >>>> http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins > >>> > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> Blind-sysadmins mailing list > >>> Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org > >>> http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins > >> > >> -- > >> --- > >> John G. Heim, 608-263-4189, jheim@math.wisc.edu > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Blind-sysadmins mailing list > >> Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org > >> http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Blind-sysadmins mailing list > > Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org > > http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins > >_______________________________________________ >Blind-sysadmins mailing list >Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org >http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins