Re: screenreader landscape in 2014
Ok, so lets try and break this down a little bit:
System Access, Window-Eyes, and Cobra currently do not have touch support. Although, Cobra i hear will be getting Win8 support in the Summer. BTW, if ya remember "Screen Power," that's what "cobra" technically is. And speaking of Cobra, check out their new web site for the USA at:
http://baumusa.com
As for applications, the "best" scripting support in a screen reader right now, is "technically!" Window-Eyes, because you can use "any!" language you want. Reason why it hasn't taken off however, is the simple facts that the main GW "Apps" or "scripts" are, for the most part, in Visual Basic still, And "many!" of them, are not as up to date as Jaws ones. When I mean not up to date as frequent, I'm talking non GW Micro made App/scripts. To give an example, take the app called "
Web Client 2.6," by Jamal Mazrui":
http://gwmicro.com/apps/web_client
, its an app similar to "Research it," with a bit more "functionality" to it.
However! Though anyone can improve it as its open source, no one has decided to update it manualy, the app hasn't been updated since 2011. And "still!" Foobar 2000 does not work with WE, though the best Winamp support out there, are those Winamp scripts from Jeff B!
Same with the Station Playlist ones, if ya want "free" support.
Best Braille display support, is between Jaws For Windos, and "Cobra." Same with OCR, as they both do it well in their own ways. Same with Dolphin, though getting it set up, at least before version 14, was a chore I hear, at least in the "braille" department.
As of 14.0 in Supernova from Dolphin as most know, you now have OCR in that proct too,
and for a while now they also had a similar "Research It-like" feature. Though, its now called "Bookshelf," and "majorly!" rebuilt from the ground up.
I mean, ya don't see "Research It" being able to log in to NFB Newsline via an easy to use interface to grab articles yet...
Ok, finally before we totally derail this posting, will Window-Eyes For Office take off? Keep in mind, they are getting guidance from Microsoft here, and all we know from GW, is that WE 9.0 will be getting a "true" rewrite of its web support, which as we all know, "Jaws," NVDA, "Supernova," and even "Cobra!" are more "up-to-date" with web standards here. So can Microsoft bring GW Micro up to the top once again after so many years?
BTW, if you haven't listened to the "Candid Thoughts on the GW Micro and Microsoft Partnership from Jeremy Curry" from Blind Bargains, check it out!
PS. I think one other reason why Jaws For Windows is more popular in the scripting department with apps, is thanks to "Jim Snow Barger, and that "Main Menu" series he did, years ago! That was back in 2001/2002 if I do recall.
Supernova's scripting language they use, is "Lua," and they do have a home to download scripts, just like Window-Eyes does, though I'm thinking its mainly for devs.
http://www.yourdolphin.com/scripting_index.asp
URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=171198#p171198
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