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:
Let’s 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. I’m surprised that MSFT hasn’t 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 Microsoft’s 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
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-- --- John G. Heim, 608-263-4189, jheim@math.wisc.edu