I can also chime in on this thread with a personal tale. I have been using Window Eyes on and off for around 6 years.
I lost my sight in an accident when I was18 years old. I frustrated myself with Hal for about 2 years and then I found JAWS. Whilst it did not replace being able to use Windows with sight it was a breath of fresh air compared to Hal 4.2. Especially when it came to surfing the Internet. This would have been JAWS 3.7 I started with. I've watched the decline of JAWS over the years in terms of problems not being fixed, new ones being introduced and generally allot of half-baked product development going through out onto the market. Not to mention as I see them very fluffy plug ins and the nightmare that has always existed JAWS licensing. Despite these failings I was not prepared to move outside of my comfort zone. Even at the time when my peers where doing so and I would have most benefited from their support and vice versa. In saying this I completed two Computer Science Degrees using JAWS. Though having learnt what I have in the past weeks things just as a fact would have been allot easier with Window Eyes. What's that old saying though? About heinsight being twenty twenty. Just over three weeks back I decided I wanted to learn to use Window Eyes. I didn't' say too much to friends who would only think that we'd been there before. When they tried to get me to see the light, so to speak. I sat down and thought how best to approach Window Eyes this time. Something that would be different from previous half-hearted attempts to give the product a fair go. So, I decided I would use Window Eyes and no other screen reader for 1 full week. No matter what task I needed to do on the computer. I made a commitment despite my tasks priority to use Window Eyes. I was determined to learn how to do it with Window Eyes. This was allot harder than it may sound. Especially as I'm really not that much of a committed person when it comes to Window Eyes. Or rather I wasn't. So I unloaded JAWS and installed Win Eyes v7.11 onto my Windows 7 32Bit Desktop. I really needed to make this a genuine attempt. I decided to make it a social experiment instead of a hardcore, I'm going to do this and if I go back to JAWS I've failed. So I announced on my twitter and Face Book feeds what I was going to do. I then sent updates several times a day including @gwmicro in the thread of the good, bad and ugly. Let me tell you the language I through at the computer for the first three days was disgraceful! But when I learned how to use the Mouse Keys, started to read sections of the excellently layed out manual, joined this list and discovered Script Central I started to get a bit excited. One of my main frustrations was the amount of times v7.11 would do odd things. By this I mean it would clip words in Outlook 2K7. Scripts would crash, Window Eyes would crash if set to load upon log-in. I discovered that Window Eyes wasn't as infallible as the fan boys and girls made it out to be. Oh yes and I got a healthy taster that no doubt End_users I've supported as a Systems Engingeer have gotten from me a time or too. That of, "uh that's weird" "It doesnt' do it on my machine like that". This maybe true but it's not a helpful response! So for me it's not been an experience of "The most stable Screen Reader". JAWS for me still holds that trophy on my system. Well, it would if it was still installed. It's been over three weeks and I've not went back despite user error problems and bugs with Window Eyes. Now, it is fair to say that a new user of a product will often make mistakes through just not knowing. I'm not exceempt from this. However, there's allot going on in a person learning a new thing. Whither that is a computer program, folding lawndry etc. So why might you ask despite the problems I had and in some cases like the clipping words didn't' I just do the easy thing and switch back? Simple, I'd decided I'd rather put up with some problems that can either be worked round or ignored until they are either fixed or I'm told of something I'm not doing to get Window Eyes to do what I want. In doing so I get the wonderful functionality and fresh approach Window Eyes has given to my computing. This compared to the stale product that did, serve me well for a time but has frankly become a bit of a farse in comparison. I.E. JAWS. I used to believe that JAWS and Window Eyes both had their place. I believed this kept me nutral and made me unlike The Zellots, (as I saw them at the time), who sat in each camp throwing muck back and forth. I find myself looking on at other people in my life who are using JAWS and struggling and want to cry out to them. Look, you dont' need to carry on with those bad habits you learned with JAWS. Tabbing all over the screen and not using keystrokes in say,and Installer Wizard of alt n for Next. It's incredible the amount of JAWS users who are not aware of how to use the JAWS Cursor. that's a real bug bear of mine now having used Window Eyes mouse Keys. the fact you need to completely switch to a different mode then back to the PC Cursor mode. no wonder people get confused! I could detail my own feelings on a lengthy list of JAWS short comings not to mention the iresponsable way Freedom Scientific treat customers. I'd only be preaching to the crowd and end up falling into the camp of "My ones bigger than yours". I'd like to think i can lead by example to people I know that use JAWS and I see struggling with the mindset it forces on people of the old and comfortable. By letting them see my completley fresh approach and no longer fear of trying something new just for fun. Sadly though I'm a geek and I believe most of my friends will discount what I'm doing as down to that. rather than, "I could be having that much fun and productivity as well". Trailing off a bit as I need to get out before the rain starts here! Talk soon, Barry.-----Original Message----- From: Tyler Juranek [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 11:15 PM To: [email protected]; [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: I have something to say Yes! Had the same problem when i bought office 2007. Tyler ----- Original Message ----- From: Mike Rogers <[email protected]> To: Kevin Huber <[email protected]> Date: Monday, May 10, 2010 11:23:54 Subject: Re: I have something to say > > > Thank you Kevin. That is so true. When I upgraded Thunderbird, it was > a pain at first. Now, I'm used to it and it seems natural. > > Mike > > On 5/10/2010 11:21 AM, Kevin Huber wrote: > > Hi: > > I think the unwillingness to embrace change has to do more with the > > fact that it takes us out of our comfort zone. For example, if we > > have read our email the same way for a number of years and pressed the > > exact same hotkeys in the exact same order, it becomes automatic, and > > then, boom, you are faced with learning a new procedure and the old > > sequence of hotkeys which became automatic, no longer work for you and > > this causes frustration. This happens, or has happened to all of us > > at one time or another. > > I think this is partly why long-time JAWS users, if faced with the > > prospect of having to learn Window-eyes might tell anyone who would > > listen that Window-eyes is very hard, if not impossible to navigate, > > which we all know isn't true, but that is the perception of some > > longtime JAWS users who are just learning Window-eyes. > > Kevin Huber > > > > On 5/3/10, [email protected]<[email protected]> wrote: > > > >ar Jim You are correct that we all need to move on. Part of that is moving > >ar through the Grieving process and I would claim that, for many people, > >ar saying good bye to an old version of software can mirror the grieving > >ar process-comthe first two stages of which are 1) Denial& Isolation and, 2) > >ar Anger. This does not mean that the person won't progress to the next > >ar stages and adjust, but it's perfectly normal to go through these stages. > >ar Some of us just don't adjust to change as quickly as others, but we all go > >ar through the stages. That's why I said let him vent. This list let's us > >ar vent to those who can imagine what we may be struggling with in the > >ar adjustment to new technology and then get supportive help. Far better to > >ar tell someone "yes, this is a struggle and you can learn the next stuff > >ar with a little time". > >ar </pre> > >ar > >ar This communication may contain privileged and/or confidential information. > >ar It > >ar is intended solely for the use of the addressee. If you are not the intended > >ar recipient, you are strictly prohibited from disclosing, copying, > >ar distributing > >ar or using any of this information. 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If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is > >ar related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to > >ar [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. > >ar > >ar GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can > >ar manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. > >ar > > If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. > > > > GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. > > > > > > > If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. > > GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. Tyler Juranek! Working Hard to Promote Student Advocacy, One Student At A Time! Check out my free scripts at http://www.gwmicro.com/sc/ Visit the American Council of the Blind at http://www.acb.org/ Listen to ACB radio, the talk of the blind comunity around the world at http://www.acbradio.org/ Check out some cool accessible online games at http://www.kitchensinc.net/ If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 5103 (20100510) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 5103 (20100510) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv.
