Several points...
Whether or not VO is included on the iPhone depends on a huge number of
factors, the simplest being just how much an integral part of the OS VO
really is. The TTS technology on software like screenreaders tends to
be what uses the most disc space in an install, but TTS is a natural
thing to include on something like a phone, where it could have more
uses than just access for the blind. Let's not forget Apple's plugging
of Alex, there new TTS engine. It sounded very good, and would be
logical to include on a phone running OSX, even if it is a stripped down
version of OSX.
You're right about the size of software being much smaller in times
past, though i'm not sure how that bears any relevance to the discussion
at hand. Jaws, though, in any form that would run on Windows 95, was
never just on one deskette. JFW 2.0.29, the first version to work with
Windows 95, was four disks for the install and a fifth for
authorization. In fact, I think Jaws for DOS was the only one to ever
fit on a single disk. I used outSpoken for Windows back in the Windows
3.1 days, and if memory serves it was on a single diskette, but the
later versions for Windows 95 and 98 were also multiple floppy disk
installs.
In any case, much of the size in modern screen readers can be attributed
to the TTS, which could have multiple purposes on the iPhone.
I am not in favor of a plan to persuade the FCC to force Apple to
implement accessibility on their products, however. I think that's a
dangerous road to start down, and ultimately would cause more damage
than problems it may solve.
Access Curmudgeon wrote:
That is a HUGE leap of logic.
No, once I again I am building a rational argument for giving Apple
the benefit of the doubt rather than assuming the worse.
That was a quote from an Apple vice president, not some journalist.
(Granted, he is a PR flack, not an engineer.) A bare bones install of
OS X 10.1 is under a gig. Old Unix distros ran fine on a tenth of
that. Somewhere around hear I have OS 7 and Windows 95 on diskette,
maybe 25 mb when installed. Back then, Outspoken and Jaws each came
on one diskette! Half a gigabyte should be plenty of room for a
version of OS X that does not include the applications, development
tools, help files, and compresses the plists.
There has been nothing said that should cause anyone to think that VO
is included on the iPhone.
There has been nothing said that should cause anyone to think that VO
is *not* included on the iPhone.
So, who is going to start the petition to the FCC not to approve the
iPhone unless Apples commits to ensuring that it will be operable in
at least one mode that does not require vision?
