Feedback: Apple, Apple And Apples

One of the nice things about my new job is that it allows me to talk more on TRS about a wide array of subjects. Of course, knowing me the way you all do now, I have to get some older topics out of the way first. However, the cool thing is that I’ve got some dynamite comments to reflect back on this time around.

I actually do love the rant in this comment, from the last look back at 2009 post, below. john has posted in comments before, but this one is a bit more topical with a recent podcast I completed on the subject covered by john.

John J Herzog said...

Hi ranger. As always, you've written a thought provoking blog post. What caught my attention was the part about an actual monopoly as opposed to a perceived monopoly.
First, I want to acknowledge your point. Apple's voiceover is in deed the only game in town for the IPhone, IPad, and IPod. If you don't like it, you'd best be looking for a different device. However, I think there is a critical reason why most users, myself included, don't mind the VO monopoly, but do hold a grudge against other screen readers we perceive as monopolistic. . Put simply and bluntly, voiceover works, and works well. It is my experience that the competition does not. As an example, I had talks 4, and updated to talks 5 on my nokia phone. I still cannot use it with the internet, because I keep getting an error that says scrypt alert, undefined value. When doing a read all, it crashes the internet, and I must manually retype the address again to go back to the page. Sometimes talks does this, and sometimes it doesn't.
But it's not just talks, it's mobile speak as well. Neither screen reader supports nokia maps for effective GPS use. Want a compass app? Forget it. Compass pro, though highly recommended by nokia users doesn't work with either product even when phones can support the program. Want a shoutcast and internet radio playing app? Muahahahaha foolish mortal! LCG jukebox, again a major selling app on cymbian doesn't speak a single iota with mobile speak or talks. Yet, these products market to us like they have so much more functionality than the previous version because they implemented a half baked touch interface, or added more keystrokes to the internet.
Now, you could make the argument that I am being too hard on the screen reader developers. After all, they are just a few people, and it's immensely challenging to keep up with an entire platform that moves on without consulting you. I agree with this, but to me, it feels like they're not even trying. Where, on either screen reader web site, do you find a list of evolving support for third party applications? Code factory has a list, but it has long since stagnated.
Where, on either screen reader's web site, do you find tips and how tos of making difficult apps more compatible by changing settings? I don't see any.
I know this has turned into ranting, which is not the aim of the blog post. But, in my mind, this is the most obvious reason why I glare angrily at other screen reader companies, and readily accept voiceover, flaws and all. I know that mobile speak and talks have creative people behind them, but to me, the creativity just doesn't show through when compared to all the functionality of apple's device.
Is it a mistake? I don't know. But until something dramatic happens, I don't see my attitude changing any time soon.

oh John, I don’t disagree at all. I’m really worried about the lack of access in Windows Phone 7, the loss of other platforms by other players and just where does all that leave Mobile Speak and Talks anyway? Google fragmentation almost pales by the comparison. it too is a major concern for mobile phone access.

We cover a lot of those ideas, and more, in Tech Chat 66. in this podcast, I do a bit of explaining about my position on the way I feel on these matters. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

http://serotalk.com/2010/07/30/tech-chat-66-is-the-iphone-4-worth-the-upgrade/

This next comment comes from my April post on iPad first impressions.

Pete said...

I really do agree with your comments about Magnification. This is I really ran into problems. not swiping so much, as I'm used to doing that with the trackpad, but in text composition. I couldn't get the magnification set right to see both the onscreen keyboard *and* the text I was trying to type. I don't really need the keyboard magnified. It's plenty big enough for me to see. It's the *text* I couldn't see. But if this all will make me a better voiceover user, than hey I'm there! Speaking of, do you think practicing with trackpad commander on the Mac is more like VO on the ipad? or is it more just moving around the screen with the cursor, or a bit of both? One comment about where this fits in though, It really can also function as an ipod, and because of the big screen, a really good one for the low vision user. I'm also recommending this as a beginner computer with a mac paradigm for those who're really not ready to take the "big" leap.

This is where having years of Screen Magnifier use bites me where it hurts when it comes to using Voiceover and Magnification. I’m used to the way that Windows, Magic and Zoomtext approach focus navigation. In fact, panning features in Lunar have spoilled me as well. I just can’t wrap my head around the way that Apple wants me to use these things at times. And I find myself often going completly over to Voiceover fully. Mostly because of the focus issues mentioned above. It is super hard to describe, however, it something I advise Low Vision users go into an Apple store and experience for themselves. Especially if you are a high magnification level user. It can be frustrating until you round off the rough edges of iOS and OSX.

Or, I’d also suggest that readers take a look at how Voiceover handles text in Groups and DOM modes. This is way different than the way Windows Screen Magnifiers can read text. I’d even go so far as to say it is a must for those who use focus enhancements for the reading of controls, lines of text or menus. Plus, be careful what you check under Universal Access as to where the viewable area will jump to in pointer navigation. Threw myself badly in Leopard a few years ago by checking a few boxes I shouldn’t have in the choices offered. If was like eating three chilidogs and riding the Feris Wheel that turns you upside down while it takes you up and down at the same time. Thank goodeness for the “restore to defaults” option!

ATIA 2009: Some Links To Chew On..

I have a friend who went to this year’s event, however, I had a work event of my own in the southern half of Texas that took my attention away from the news from Florida. And when I tried to check in to see what was going on towards the east.. I found that one of our laptops may have been hit by a “Man in the Middle” malware attack. So, I ended up doing a lot of reading over the weekend and this morning. Here is a rundown of some articles I gathered from Blind Bargains, Blind Planet and BOHICA. Man is it ever astounding that there are so many more sources for AT news beyond my lazy and inconsistent postings. Good work all!

35 Interviews at ATIA: The Serotek gang has lots for you to hear from the movers and shakers at this year’s ATIA. Check out this link to hear it all for yourself.

http://serotalk.com/2009/02/02/35-interviews-from-atia-2009/

GW Micro Sense View Desktop Video Magnifiers: I got to see these under the Himes banner at CSUN 2006 and 2007. And I have to say I was impressed with the products I saw. But this is a very crowded market and some may say that this is a weird time in the industry to release a new platform. Not me though. I wana see’em now!

http://www.gwmicro.com/News_&_Events/Latest_News/?newsNo=114

Public Beta of MAGic 11.0 for x64: More on the floor with x64.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/magic/MAGic-public-beta.asp

KNFB Reader 6.1.9 Update Release Notes: Translation on the fly is pretty neat. But I’m hurting people when we get to that face recognition jazz. Learn more about the update below.

http://knfbreader.com/doc/6.1.9/Mobile%20Reader%20Release%20Notes.pdf

Optelec Adds Two New Video Magnifiers: Who said that these guys were scaling down on Low Vision? Not me that’s for sure.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/Optelec/Technology/prweb1922304.htm

Code Factory Announces Free Update to Mobile Speak 3.0: One of the best keeps on getting better with this new update.

http://www.codefactory.es/en/press.asp?id=60&y=2009&n=54

New USB Braille Display from Perkins: I haven’t seen the new Braille Writer or this device. It is remarkable that if you still have a serial connected display at this point you are running with the old school though. Remember when you had to trade your lunch for a good working null cable? Ah memories.

http://www.blindbargains.com/redirect.php?redirect=4023

Serotek Ends SMAs: Yeah, I’m late to the party on this news. Fashionably late but late just the same.

http://blog.serotek.com/2009/01/rest-in-peace-sma.html

Keysoft 8: Shippin in March, however, I know a Rep who is going let me see it sooner than that.

http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/about_us/press_releases/unveiling_keysoft_8

Freedom Scientific Goes Release Crazy!

The gang in St. Pete is on a role with the new JAWS 10 being released today. To learn about it and download the ILM go to this link.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/JAWS/JAWS-whats-new.asp

And if you are a Magic user you can update to the latest October build as well. Here is that link..

http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/magic/magic11-downloads.asp

And that’s not all. Keep checking FS for the soon to be released Open Book update as well. Add this to the PAC Mate 6.1 update and SARA update and you can easily see that those people at Freedom Scientific are busy little bees indeed.

Feedback: Catching Up With Comments

I've been a bit remiss in responding to some comments. But no more. Today I am taking the time to respond to some of the comments over the last .. um.. few months. Wow that looks worse in print. Okay let's get started.

Computer World Article On  AT: Last month I, and many others, posted an article from Computer World on AT and general web access. Here's one comment from that post.

Ron Graham said...
Thanks for that article Ranger. I noticed it in an email alert last week, but the link Google had in the email would not load the page, no matter what I tried.

I think it touches on several issues we blind computer users regularly face and is a at least a good primer for anybody, such as a webmaster or potential employer, not familiar with screen readers. It describes pretty much what screen readers do, but also what they don’t do, as well as suggesting alternative methods for problem areas such as CAPTCHA and giving a site which employs an accessible alternative.

The Blind Access Journal copied this article into text for easy reading. So you may want to keep it around for better reference.

http://blog.blindaccessjournal.com/2008/04/computerworld-article-blind-users-still.html

Matt Campbell and I had a long discussion on some of the article's points. And my general feelings are that it is still very difficult to explain AT in mainstream terms but this article did better than most at trying to do so. It didn't touch on everything though and that can be a challenge in and of its self. For instance, explaining Screen Magnifiers and Graphic User Interfaces to a Sighted World without screen shots or other visual aids is a fun brand of torture that I don't recommend to AT nOObs. Especially in the current Office Ribbon and Windows Sidebar environments. The pitfalls of the Java Access Bridge, embedded video controls like those used by Hulu and over the page Macromedia ads are also troublesome. However the most ironic part of it all is most of the people the article is trying to reach more than likely have poor eyesight already. That is, take away their contacts and thick glasses.. If I had a nickel for every time I heard an I.T. Director dream about not using their contacts, glasses or remark about some laser surgery..  

The bigger issue is always the comments in these articles. Those well thought out posts from educated individuals scare me more than the rantings and mis-spellings of others. Here is an older article from the Wall Stree Journal that demonstrates it with better effect.

http://blogs.wsj.com/independentstreet/2008/01/11/is-your-web-site-blind-friendly-how-to-avoid-a-lawsuit/

Audio Dramas: Here's a comment from April's Audio Drama post.

Aaron said...
Hey Ranger1138, it was great meeting up with you the other day. Had a good time talking to you and learning more about the industry. These audio dramas seem really cool. Have you come across any of these in a podcast or free download format? Take it easy sir.

Some of the links tagged under the Audio Drama label do indeed offer podcasts or free samples. Big Finish has not only a podcast with snippets of upcoming productions, moreover, they have trailers for just released stories as well. And they just put up a neat thing for their downloads. You can listen to part one of a story for a small price and then if you like it you can buy the whole thing. The earlier cost is applied to the overall cost of the download. Since most of the Doctor Who audios are about 2 hours in length you get a good idea for a small price if you want the whole story after hearing part one. If you focus over to the right, or check your links lists, you will see that I added a Big Finish "Pick of the Month". This month's pick introduces the 6th Doctor's Companion that is exclusive to the audio series. And she plays a big part in the Big Finish extended universe as well.

Also, ZBS tends to post an entire audio play in ten minute intervals. They released "The 4th Tower" that way back in October 07.  

Trekker Breeze: Back in March I posted a bit more on the upcoming Humanware all in one GPS. 

Anonymous said...
I've just read about the trekker breeze in Access IT, a UK based magazine. It said the breeze will be afordable. Afordable is one of those words which should never be used. I've heard it said that a car is afordable at the cost of thousands, or a can of beans for a few uk pence.

Rumor is, and don't quote me on this at all, that the Breeze is between $500 and $850. We should know more on that as we near Convention season. When you look at the prices of accessible cell phones, add ons to existing note taking devices and over the counter brands of GPS a unit that runs around that price range could be argued by some to be "affordable". Remember that most Assistive Technology is not sold to the individual buyer. It is sold to Governments and that business model has its own symbiotic relationships. So "affordable" is mostly going to be used either loosely or in a comparative way here at TRS. Your mileage and size of pocketbook will always vary.   

Zoom Text USB: Going back to February now for this comment.  

Jessica said...
Too bad I read your review after purchasing ZoomText USB. I chose this product due to its portability. However, the admin right requirement really throw the wrench into its usefulness. As a result, I can't use it at the library or internet cafe.

Anything out there that runs the magnifier program directly from the flash drive? Want to avoid leaving a footprint on the guest computer system.

How about Dolphin Pen or Magic USB?

Jessica

Well.. At the time of this post both Freedom Scientific's Magic and the Dolphin Pen require a Video Interceptor be installed. You may or may not run into the exact same thing again as far as Admin rights goes. However, barring a full lock down on the system, you could use System Access To Go as an alternative Screen Magnifier to all three. You don't have the same features such as pointer, focus or cursor enhancements but you do have some darn good speech going if you rely on that for screen navigation. Best part is that you can try it at your local cafe for free to see if this will work for you.

www.satogo.com

October Poll Comment: This came in from a post in November about the October 07 poll results. That poll was on Operating Systems by the way.

Darrell said...
I am actually a bit concerned that, at this time, there is absolutely no support by any screen reader for any of the 64-bit versions of Windows. What happens if one's job for some reason requires the ability to run on that platform?

This recently came up in some of my dealings with an AT company. Costcos placed a system on sale for dirt cheap that came pre-loaded with Windows Vista.. 64 bit edition. In a short period of time they took four calls from people who had purchased this system from around the country. And all, naturally, could not run the software due to the OS being 64 bit instead of 32 bit.

Most of the major players in the industry are aware that this is an issue for some of us in I.T. departments, call centers or big business where high level security is manditory. And many of these players have x64 support on their Roadmaps. At the same time we have a large number of newly Blind, older Blind and wounded Veterans all coming into the world of AT. These populations traditionally don't need this level of support in their product of choice. What bothers me is the rubber bands that the Developers face from Blind Professionals needing more high tech application support falling down the list of those Roadmaps because more product is being sold to the growing non technical audience. Development teams will be stressed and stretched to provide support to all. 

I don't have a witty or humorous remark to make here because I am very worried about this subject seeing how I fall under my own definition of Blind Professional. All I can say is that I urge you to NICELY! provide feedback or feature requests to the product teams that you use or rely on daily for work. I've found that only a polite well laid out request, with bullet point lists, is one of the only ways to convince the management of these companies to move development cycles in another path not projected on the Roadmap. And remember too that these product releases are sometimes in a 18 month cycle. Which means if you are using 1.0 and you request now the request may not come until 3.0 as 2.0 maybe feature complete. Depending on the company's cycle of development added support can come sooner than a feature request or User Interface change. Oh! I've been doing this too long if I can type that out all at once and not have to spell check it.. 

The overall point I am trying to make is that you need to be active in how you use your AT products. Saying that one product *sucks* just doesn't help much. If you say, however, that you need support for the next version of Windows or Office on day one though.. And give some credit where credit is due. We did see support, beta or no, for Vista on day one. And some have even started on IE8 in their latest updates. We as Users have to remain polite and vocal in what we need as the next five years will be the most interesting time we have ever seen in Assistive Technology.

Another Update.. This Time It Is Magic!

Freedom Scientific has updated Magic 11.0. To get the low down on this update go to the link below..

http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/magic/MAGic11-whats-new.asp#Enhancements03

Random Goodness: The Freedom Scientific Edition

I know a lot of you guys out there love RSS readers like Bloglines and such. They are quick and easy ways of reading some inaccessible sites. And I too rely on News Aggregators to catch up on several sources in one glance. But sometimes you just have to do an old fashioned read of the sites you like to find the gems of the internet. Gotta love those Site Map links. Today one tour of the Freedom Scientific website provided me with the links below.

FSReader For PAC Mate: Omni: Users of the other guy’s notetakers already know about how some applications are platform specific. And, of course, those who had the early TNS and BNS PAC Mates remember this too. History repeats ,as it always does, since you will need to be aware that some things are Classic PAC Mate compatible and other things will be PAC Mate Omni compatible. This isn’t some Freedom Scientific conspiracy to get you to buy more stuff. It is just a bi-product of the Omni using Windows Mobile 6.0. So those of you who do an upgrade need to look for Omni versions of FSReader, Street Talker and the like. Here is the link for the FSReader updates for Desktops, Classic and Omni PAC Mates.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_downloads/FSReader_Update.asp

Magic 11.0 Update: It may have just come out in early March but the first update to Magic appeared for download shortly after CSUN. Here is the link to the update page and be aware that the link for the USB version of Magic has also been updated to version 11.0 as well.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/magic/magic11-downloads.asp

Optacon Manuals: You have to admit that this is a cool thing. FS has posted the original manuals for the Optacon. More than two decades ago, gulp, I worked with this device and the red lighted LED monitor accessory. I actually used this a lot even when the Versa Braille showed up a few scant years later. Just looking at these manuals brings back the memories. Those of you who have never heard of this device should take a gander at what we thought was super high tech back in the day.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_downloads/optacon.asp

CSUN: Eye-Pal, Freedom Scientific And The Official Link To The Humanware Breeze

I'm still getting info back from my friends and spies at the show. Here is some of what I can talk about.

Eye-Pal: ABISEE, known for their Zoom EX and Zoom Twix products, has shown the Eye Pal at their booth. This is a smaller way of performing mass book scanning. It also has some Deaf Blind features as well. The product page is linked below.

http://abisee.com/html/products_eyepal1.htm

Freedom Scientific: Here are some highlights from the last few days from FS.

Onyx Deskset 19'inch Edition: The 17 inch version of this portable Video Magnifier now has a bigger brother.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/

PAC Mate Omni Update: This is an optional update to the new Omni units. Note the announcement of the 6.1 edition in 2nd quarter by the way.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_downloads/dl_pacmate_omni_60_update.asp

Magic Free Trial Until August 2008: 40 minutes and a reboot sound annoying? Weel try Magic for free until August.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_MAG110_promo.asp

Trekker Breeze: I've talked about this earlier in the week, however, here is the official product page for the Breeze.

http://www.humanware.com/en-new_zealand/about_us/press_releases/breeze

Magic 11.0 Officially Released!

The product Press Releases should be coming pretty fast and furious again as we ramp up towards CSUN week. Today we find that Freedom Scientific has released the new version of their Screen Magnifier. To get a demo or learn more about version 11 hit the link below.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/products/lv/magic-bl-product-page.asp

One Month: Zoom Text USB

The best way that I have explained this product to other long time Zoom Text users off line is like this... Imagine that you have heard that your favorite book is going to be turned into a movie. You think about which actors could play each character. You dream about the styles, sets and costumes. Then you compare your soon to be released movie to other movies of the same genre. And then you go the extra step by going to the midnight showings of this movie because you are a fan and you don't want anyone to spoil it for you. Now here we are at 3 AM, the movie is over and we have to be at work at 7:30 AM. Let's begin our look at the ZT USB.

The Zoom Text USB has finally arrived and it takes on the Dolphin Pen and Freedom Scientific's Magic options in the arena of Screen Magnifier portability. But unlike those competitors the ZT USB doesn't act like some might expect and this could be a make or break issue if you are looking for the ability to use magnification anywhere at anytime.

A picture of the original version of the USB Drive for Zoom Text

The good news is that if you are a person with a small amount of vision loss and you are familiar with Zoom Text's installation process then you will be very comfortable with how the ZT USB operates. However if you require some form of Screen Reader or if you use Zoom Text at a high level of magnification you might find yourself needing assistance on new and strange computers.

Ai Squared has utilized a standard USB drive for Zoom Text rather than the U3 type drives used by Serotek and others. The original design used a method where you pinched both sides of the drive and then slid out from the main body the USB connector. This design has now been replaced by a switchblade or swivel method of removing the connector from it's storage area. The original design did protect the connector better, however, individuals who suffer from hand related disabilities may have encountered some difficulty in removing the drive from it's covering. The newer style is easier to open but it does make me encourage you to consider the Drive Replacement plan more readily. Also, this recommendation goes for other companies who offer USB solutions as losing or destroying your only copy of an Assistive Technology program can be costly in the long run. 

All Screen Magnifiers at this time require an install shield of some sort. Current and classic models of Screen Magnification use either DCM or Mirror Driver technology for video interception. Companies like Issist take a kind of Windows Magnifier approach but for the most part the big 3 in mainstream AT go the routes mentioned above. So from this standpoint Zoom Text's USB option isn't unique.

When you approach a new computer using Windows XP with the Dolphin product you will find that the program will start on its own and prompt you verbally that it will need to install a component before you can use Screen Magnification on that particular system. The process is veritably seamless and you only have the one prompt. The process can also be started manually by browsing the Dolphin Pen and choosing "GO" if that particular computer is locked down from launching programs automatically. In cases like this for speech users you will find yourself relying on Windows Narrator or SATOGO to get you past these initial hurtles.

If you approach a new computer using Windows XP with the ZT USB you will encounter a box with options familiar to you if you have multiple media players running on the same system. This box has options for viewing the various file types on the ZT USB, however, in all my tests the default option is almost always "Run Zoom Text". Since this box is not spoken by any on board speech having the default set to "Run Zoom Text" can be very helpful at times. This box launches automatically due to the inclusion of an "autorun" file like those found on installation CDs. One positive aspect of using this method is that you can place a check in the checkbox in this box in Vista which will in turn launch the program every time you come back to this computer in the future.

The decision to use this "autorun" file makes installing ZT on a fresh computer pretty simple. Taking it to another computer already running ZT can be a totally different story though. More on that in a second. Once you select the "Run Zoom Text" option you should be launched into the normal Zoom Text install shield. The same choices found on the CD are available here. So, again, if you know how to install Zoom Text, and you have Admin privileges on that particular system, you will be up and running on the reboot.

From the start of the new session of Windows you can setup your new Zoom Text USB with all your custom settings, features and managed application preferences. In fact operating the ZT USB is just like using the version you are already familiar with from the CD. You still have access to the new tutorials and the Dual Monitor functionality. Plus you have all the voices on board as well. once you have the USB version installed you will have a hard time knowing if you are on a typical install or the new USB option.

That is all well and good if you can get there of course. I mentioned before that running the USB drive on a computer that already has ZT on it can be a challenge. First let me say why you would want to do this. You can save your configuration directly on to the USB its self. Running the USB will launch your settings from the drive and when working with multiple users of Zoom Text on one system this can save tons of time in configuring or searching for one of several profiles. I've thrown people for a loop if I have left my ZT USB active and they hear True Voice instead of Neo Speech. While this is good for  a chuckle it can be confusing to some who aren't well versed in undoing some settings. And yes someone did restore me back to factory defaults to keep me from leaving my drive in systems where it didn't belong.

But even more horrible than being stuck with my funky ZT configuration can be the install process gone wrong. The version in which ZT becomes USB aware is 9.13. This can be a problem if your local library, school disabilities center or VR Counselor's office is behind on their updates. You must update Zoom Text to this version before you can use your new USB drive on these systems. The USB contains this update, however, the prompts for this and other error messages you may encounter are not spoken. They are in large print and that may be enough for some to troubleshoot their way across the gap. But you may find that you will need Narrator or SATOGO or an unsuspecting bystander if you can not navigate these boxes on your own.

Things get a whole lot trickier if the system has an older version of Zoom Text aboard. As a normal part of the Zoom Text USB install process the program will load into a 30 day demonstration mode of version 9.1. This, of course, is normal behavior because the CD version does the same exact thing until you enter your product serial number. Where the USB differs is that after you remove the USB drive from a computer the zoom Text program will remain on that system. And without the drive in the system it will revert back to Trial or Demo mode.

Ai Squared has enabled the USB drive to load a key onto that computer to make it a full version of Zoom Text if you so desire. By loading a key, as with the CD version of the program, you can use ZT with no fear of timing out. Sadly though if this is a computer that you do not own or if you are using on a temp basis you are loading the system down with an unactivated version of the product. Also since the program runs from the computer and not the drive you will need to uninstall ZT from a computer who has been nice enough to let you use it temporarily. Other USB options for Assistive Technology can leave some residual files too, however, the Zoom Text install can be pretty invasive to some Network Admins out there. Therefore caution is advised on where you decide to use your USB drive. 

Note: I stress this portion of the program's use because so many people I run into are comparing the various USB AT options in a universal way. Serotek's way of doing things is not the method Dolphin, G.W. Micro, Freedom Scientific or Ai Squared accomplish USB connectivity. Counting the number of times I explain this a day off line requires me to use both hands and four toes on one foot. This confusion is natural do to the various strategies employed by all for each of their portable options. Still knowing how your particular product works in this arena will save you a world of disappointment later on down the line.

For one month I used the USB drive in my daily work. I tried it on five systems. Two were laptops, three were desktops of various ages and one of each ran Vista. In all cases, once the USB was installed correctly, the product ran fine. Having my specific configuration on hand was fantastic. Sure I could have made a .zxc file and carried it around on a drive, however, I would still have to install ZT and then open that file to get it to work in the same "all in one" package of the ZT USB. I also found the empty space left on the drive [around 400 MB] made a great last second dumping ground for small files. And in this respect I could drop one of my many other USB memory sticks for a while.

What I didn't like about using the drive is that if the ZT USB is not connected Zoom Text will look for it when booting up. The program will send a call out to all my USB ports and I can clearly hear my Seagate Free Agent drive spin up when I launch the program without the ZT USB on board. I occasionally heard one older system's floppy drive be called as well. This was annoying but not a showstopper for me by any means.

I also generally hesitate in the idea of carrying the program in such an easy to lose, crunch, fold, spindle or mutilate fashion. I guess the argument could be made that taking around the CD could be just, if not more, dangerous. But I don't carry the CD around with me either. Which then brings up the question.. "Who is this for anyway?".

If you have to move around to a lot of systems a day, month or year then this may not save you any time. You still have to install the program. You still need access as an Admin. You still are restrained by any system requirements. You are still only running a 30 day trial if you do not have your ZT USB on board or if you haven't transferred one of your three keys to that system.. And you still might find  that a multi license agreement ,if you are in a call center or some such employer with a lot of computers, is a far faster way of accessing the program on the fly.

Who this option is perfect for is the Road Warrior person in sales or who often travels to various offices. A lot of these types of companies outsource their I.T. departments. And one thing I have learned about that is they love to reimage a system at the drop of a hat. In these situations having an easy to find copy of your program can be a real necessity if you  cannot get to the Internet to download a trial copy of the program you are using regularly. Moreover, if the laptop supports this option of course, being able to have Screen Magnification on a Power Point via the laptop screen while using the Dual Monitor feature in version 9.1 to show the Power point through a projector unmagnified has served me well in several situations.

The USB drive is also great for those of us who use the same system with multiple ZT users. Schools especially would be great places for this device as you wouldn't have to worry about setting or resetting your program configuration again and again. Long time users of Zoom Text can accrue many specific managed application files. Or they may forget what they checked off in the checkboxes in specific verbosity options. Having it all just load automatically may save some V.I. Teacher's sanity as a result of being unburdened by this process. 

overall I have to say that upgrading to the USB version of Zoom Text can mainly depend on what you want to do with all this new found portability. You *could* carry around a off the shelf USB drive with a 30 day demo of ZT and your configuration files. However installing all of that could be time consuming and awfully hard to do on smaller monitor displays. that is If you can get to those files without Screen Magnification or Speech Assistance in the mix too. In most cases placing in the ZT USB drive and hitting the "Run Zoom Text" option is faster and easier. Plus you already have your desired settings on hand. So for some users this option will allow for an easier go when traveling from system to system.

I just don't know if this accessory is for everyone. I'm glad to have one don't get me wrong. But I think I let my mind run away with me on how good this device was going to be back when I dreamed about it coming to the market. Hence that first paragraph at the top of this post. I built this thing up in my mind and those poor people in Vermont couldn't possibly figure out what goes on in there. Nor would I have them try! I think in this story my expectations clashed with reality and I may have wanted the movie to be more like the book. And now I get what all those Harry Potter fans go on about on the list serves.

As per my usual recommendation. "Try before you buy" or at least perform a little research before you pull out your wallet.

I didn't talk about the backup feature included on the ZT USB. Here is a link to the MS Word version of the install documentation. It covers the backup feature and more if you are interested in knowing more details about how the drive works.

http://www.zoomtext.com/docs/ZoomTextUSBSetupGuide.doc

To learn more or if you are interested in purchasing the Zoom Text USB check out the link below.

http://www.aisquared.com/Products/usb/index.cfm

New Magic 11.0 Public Beta Now Online

Freedom Scientific has just posted a new version of their Magic 11 public beta. To get it hit the link below.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_MAG110_beta.asp

Also there is a new update to JAWS as well. You can learn more about that at this link.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_downloads/jaws.asp

Updates All Around: Dolphin, Magic, mPower and Ai2

Santa is truly out doing himself this month. Just when I think I have seen my last install shield for the year... Oh what am I saying. I'll be doing the whole "Family Tech Support Guy" thing during most of my Holiday Break. Oh well it is nice to be loved I guess. Ha!

Dolphin 8.02: The new update for the Dolphin line of products has gone live this week. The updates includes better IE7 support and some Vista service changes. Find out more from the link below.

http://yourdolphin.com/newsitem.asp?id=248

Magic 11.0: An update to the Public Beta has arrived and it sports a ton of new stability tweaks. Rumor on the street is if all goes well for the team the product should see release in the next month or sooner. hey! Just in time for ATIA 08.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_MAG110_beta.asp#Update

Keysoft 7.5 B#28: Humanware has released a new build of 7.5 to correct an issue some mPower units were having with printing from the USB connection. Non mPower units need not download this update. Find the notes on the update at the link below.

http://www.humanware.com/en-new_zealand/about_us/press_releases/keysoft_7.5_build_28_mpower_now_released

Ai Squared: The gang in Vermont is really doing some neat stuff that is more community based in tone on their News section. I think its worth the read.

http://aisquared.com/News/index.php

Also Dean's December 20th issue of Top Tech Tid Bits has a lot of good info this week that I don't usually cover here at TRS.

http://www.topdotenterprises.com/tidbits.htm

If you don't subscribe to his newsletter then go read his archives. And then go subscribe! I've said it before.. howe he can do this weekly is beyond me. I did the whole newsletter thing monthly for a while and quite frankly it drove me crazy. Access World has it right with an issue every 2 months. However I have been asked if I would reconsider my absence from the newsletter game. I won't say "never again" because that will just jinx me into doing it again. If you remember those posts and you think I should do it let me know in email or comments.

Magic Public Beta Updated

Like it's big brother JAWS the Screen Magnifier Magic has seen a few updates of it's own during the public beta cycle. The latest update came out yesterday around.. midnight. Boo! No it didn't but I didn't make a Halloween joke. So I am a day late and a Hershey bar short I guess. Learn more and get the latest public beta version of Magic at the link below.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_MAG110_beta.asp#Update

Magic 11 Hits Public Beta 2

Hot and fresh updates to Magic 11 now online..

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_MAG110_beta.asp#Update

Magic 11.0 Public Beta Begins

Freedom Scientific has released a public beta of their Screen Magnifier product Magic for use with Windows 2000, XP and Vista machines. Get the beta and read the release notes at the link below.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_MAG110.asp

Magic Pro Scripting Edition Released..

I don't know if I agree with the info in this press release completly as you can do a lot with Supernova Pro for labeling and customizing the program.. However anytime you are given more control over the Assistive Technology you own is always a good thing in my book. Check out the press release at the link below to know more about the paid upgrade for Magic 10x users.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_news/PressRoom/en/2007/MAGic-Pro-Scripting-Promo-4-16-07.asp

Updated JAWS 8.0 And Magic 10.5 For April 2 Now Online

Note that this isn't an April Fool's joke one day later. On the front page of the Freedom Scientific site you will find the news for both updates. Or you can click on the appropriate links below.

JAWS 8.0 4/2/07 Update

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws80fea.asp

Magic 10.5 4/2/07 Update

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_MAG105.asp

Nothing But Net For Magic 10.5

I have been using Magic since the old no speaking 6.22 version from years ago. Since that time Freedom Scientific has been working hard to make this program a serious brand to be reckoned with in the Screen Magnification field. And with Magic 10.5 I can say that they have really brought a product to market that not only earns it’s place but with the new Scripting Pro version they may have surpassed a few others out there as well.

Magic 10.5 is a free upgrade for those of you running 10.0. And if you take nothing else from this article today understand that this update is a steal even if you had to use an SMA. Why? Stability, Stability and stability. Not to over emphasize this too much but I found that Magic read more pages on the web than it did before and it really took something like a big Macromedia Flash page to drag it kicking and screaming to the ground. But more than that.. stability is the word of the day.

If you haven’t run Magic before or if you rely on another Screen Magnifier let me give you some reasons to delve deeper into the world of Magic. One of the neatest things that has come over from JAWS to Magic is the Links List and Forms List. If you view a page daily or if you know the name of a link you can jump to it faster with Links List. No more scrolling around hoping to land on the right link or maybe hitting another by accident. Now with Links List you can go to that fave link everytime without fail. Save yourself time and headaches by straining your eyes less on those red with green text pages.

Now if you happen to be a JAWS user... then Magic is even a better call for Screen Magnification as both now will use the Freedom Scientific Scripting language to their, and now your, advantage. It is still kind of new but the power of JAWS scripts will aid Magic in tracking and reading of programs and menus better than a Screen Magnifier by its self.

Another good feature this time around is the Magic Context Menu. It’s like a right click for your Screen Magnifiers. Make simple configuration changes from this neat tool without having to run through piles of menus via the User Interface. And of course old classic tools still are there like the Dynamic Lens or the ability to change the coloring of magnified or non magnified areas.

I can honestly say that I use Lunar, Zoom Text and Magic almost daily. And for a long time I struggled with Magic’s keys and features. But since 9.5 the program has really become something I like to use for some tasks or web reading. And with 10.5 it just gets better.

Again 10.5 is a free update for 10.0 users or you can check out the trial version from Freedom Scientific’s website. Also you should check out the overview with Dusty from the link below to learn just what else is new with Magic 10.5.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_MAG105.asp

IE7, Patches, Updates, Money And You

So it's been a week now of IE7 and you might be wondering when you may see official support from a non beta release of your fave AT software. Well here's a quick rundown of what I have gathered so far from those in the know ..

• JFW- 7.1: Well it sort of works. Much has been said on the lists about Virtual Cursor, Links Lists and some other sticking points. But honestly I don't recommend using JAWS 7.1 and IE7 for your daily work on your main machine. You can .. but good luck.
• JFW- 8.0: The real official support for IE7 comes with 8.0 now slated for a Novemberish 06 release. This is a paid upgrade and it's leaving the world of Windows 9x behind. Of course IE7 does that too so no big loss there.
• Magic- 10.0: Again like JAWS you *could* use 10.0 for IE7 but I don't recommend doing that either.
• Magic- 10.5: It's in beta now but it should release around the same time as JAWS 8.0. It's a free update and it's going to support IE7 when it comes on line on it's Novemberish release date.
  
• Window Eyes- 5.5: For the most part WE5.5 can work in IE7. Later beta releases added better support for IE7, however, you can use your current version of WE if you feel so compelled.
• Window Eyes- 6.0: So you know that the beta is out and you can use that for free in IE7. But the official release is a little on down the line and it will be a paid upgrade. Like others in the AT Industry this new generation of software bids a fond good bye to Windows 9x. So smoke'em if you got'em.
  
• Zoom Text- 9.03.1: Um.. it sort of works. To be honest it magnifies and tracks fairly well. No App Reader or other advanced features support though. So prepare to read from the clipboard .. a lot.
• Zoom Text- 9.04: This is a free update and it will support IE7. Now if it would just be released. Grrr. I'm told that it's a scant few weeks away though. Just not right this minute.. sigh.
  
• Dolphin Products- 6.0x: Some are good enough with the map files that making this version work with IE7 is so not an issue. But even with that said Dolphin will do a patch to add some official support to this version of their product line. This would be a regular Map update for free or download via yourdolphin.com.
• Dolphin Products- 7.0x: Same song different verse. Free updates are coming but no release dates have been spoken out loud.

So are you missing out if your not running IE7. The answer may surprise you. It all really depends on what you do on line with the net. Rumor going around the web is that if you like to view your secured data on the Social Security website you will need to upgrade soon, if not already, to IE7. But the flipside is that some major banking and E-comerce sites are IE6 only. Going to some of these sites gets you a neat little screen that says your browser is not supported by this site holder and you need *the latest* version of IE, being IE6, to view this page.

This kind of thing is unavoidable and it will be around for at least another six to nine months as IE7 begins it's roll out to consumers in mass. Part of the issue is that some sites use and exploit IE6 in ways that just aren't possible in IE7. Some of this is due to security flaws and others are Active X in nature. Bottom line is that IE7 will be the standard eventually and those sites will have to brush the crumbs off the Web Team and redesign their sites at some point. Lucky for all of us that this isn't a flip of the switch Terminator 2 "Come with me if you want to live" moment. Otherwise you would be asking Santa to leave you a SMA in your stockings this year.

In a semi related story..
Firefox 2.0 was released yesterday. No really the official real non Release Canidate version is out now for download. So if you want you could skip all this IE nonsense and start your troubles anew with wondering if your AT software works with this release of Mozilla's web browser. Ah the joys of Technical Support. They too need some big presents in their stockings this year to deal with all the calls pre Vista. And yes I can find just about any number of ways to slip a Vista refrence into just about any post on this blog.

If you like Firefox or you are just curious you can download it from this site..

www.spreadfirefox.com

Magic 10 and JAWS 7.1 Officially Released

And just in time for the NFB Convention too!

Here's the JFW page..

http://hj.com/fs_products/software_jaws710fea.asp

And here's Magic

http://hj.com/fs_products/software_MAG100.asp

Please please PLEASE!! if you use both programs upgrade to the latest versions as Magic is version specific when running it with JAWS.

Oh and that Tech Update?
It's coming. promise..

New JAWS 7.1 Fifth Beta Up.. Magic 10 Not Far Behind!

Looks like we will have some upgrade options shortly before the Conventions begin in July. Start saving those pennies kids..

http://hj.com/fs_products/software_jaws710pbintro.asp