The only software ocr that is that I have been using and would really
like to buy when I can afford it is the k1000 scanner and braille translater.
I have used for ages an now old and alegal version and I have liked it.
It costs 3000 bucks but behaves like a profesional office scanner program.
Apart from the dolphin stuff which comes with a daisy reader and
stuff like that those would be the only things I'd buy.
Maybe window eyes to who knows.
Jaws though is quite bloated.
At least dolphin listens to its customer base.
gw does to so.
I'd also like to go and get a humanware braille device at some point
because I grew up on their hardware and software and they are good.
They are the only company that have incorperated interactive fiction
infocom zcode in their stuff.
I guess I'd get that or a pacmate which can run pocket pc apps though
that fad seems to have gone.
the hw stuff is almost a full computer.
At 12:30 p.m. 7/08/2012 -0400, you wrote:
Hi Darren,
Perhaps, but there is still one major issue to consider here. The
first is that Microsoft Windows still holds about 83% of the
mainstream PC market right now, and no matter how good Apple's
accessibility is or Linux's accessibility is the majority of blind
users will likely want a Windows solution. Therefore if a person wants
to be employed chances are good the employer will want him/her to be
fluent with Jaws or some other high priced Windows access solution.
The second is state and government agencies. Apple's VoiceOver is
hardly new, has been around for a few years now, but BSVI, BVR, and
other agencies are still paying for Jaws, Openbook,Magic, and the same
high priced software they were paying for a dozen years ago. As long
as that continues Freedom Scientific will continue to milk the
government agencies for all they are worth.
Bottom line, while the cost of accessible software is coming down,
there are now other alternatives, there are still going to be people
such as state agencies who will be more than happy to pay high prices
for accessible technology. Such people are slow to change, and are
often ignorant of the competition in the first place. Not to mention
the fact the Windows screen reader manufacturers are doing their best
to hold onto their clients by downplaying VoiceOver.
For example, a few months back I remember listening to a tech show
advertising the new version of Window-Eyes by GW Micro. GW Micro was
asked point blank how it compares to screen readers like VoiceOver.
They in turn responded by pointing out this or that feature
Window-Eyes has that VoiceOver doesn't have, explained that because
Window-Eyes is their primary focus that it is updated more often, and
that they believe it is an all around better solution. In short, I
think GW Micro wanted to downplay VoiceOver in order to help push
their product and they know Apple has a good thing going that is going
to be hard to compete against in the long run.
Cheers!
On 8/7/12, Darren Harris <[email protected]> wrote:
> Well this is something I've been hoping that would come to pass for years
> now, mainstream companies like apple kicking the butts of the adaptive tech
> industry.
>
> Personally I find it highly amusing to think that the likes of fs are going
> to be hard put to it to compete now that apple have a fully fledged screen
> reader as an integrated part of the operating system. It's certainly going
> to stop them from ripping people off as well as organizations. But to have
> accessibility out there on mainstream products can only be a benefit in the
> long run because either by accident or design, accessibility is finally out
> there and as such more and more people are becoming aware of it. so as well
> as forcing the adaptive tech companies into line which the governments and
> charitable organizations should have done years ago, it's also bringing
> more
> exposure to accessibility which can only be a good thing.
>
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