I'd say, if you do not have any strong reason for upgrading, save yourself all the hazzle. GW informs that their screen reader does support Windows8, and it might be true enough to a certain extend. Unfortunately, only to a certain extend. And, long as they haven't released a version that smoothens out some rather basic issues, which I hope they soon will do, you likely will end up with some sort of challenges. Windows8 is a quite different beast, compared to prior versions of the operativ system. And trying to learn a brand new layout - finding your way through menus that are so different that even well-trained sighted computer geeks pulls their hair - and doing so with a screen reader that fails in one way or the other; well, my suggestion is to sit back, and wait for an updated version of both the operativ system and the screen reader.
Microsoft has released the test version of the Windows8.1, I am being told. For my own part, I haven't bothered too much in testing it out, so can't tell if that will fix anything. I simply just have parked my new computer with Windows8, due to the fact of the screen reader not working as promised. Good thing, that I could dig up some kind of an XP machine, that will have to do for right now, awaiting Microsoft and GW-Micro come out with something reliable. No, I am not telling the one company to be worse than the other, simply just saying that the combination of current Window-Eyes and Windows8, simply is not reliable enough, that I would suggest the upgrade at this point. That is, if you by any means, can do without it. Hopefully, things will be smoothend pretty soon, leaving us a chance again to go modern. As for the touch-screen part of Windows8, you can still set Windows8 to be operated by mouse and keyboard. My experience though, is that many times when you run into a problem, and you search the net for a solution, the steps described there are typically given for Windows8 used with a touch-screen unit. As such, it can be challenging to know how to perform the same kind of actions with an old keyboard. The idea of tiles, and some of the other stuff burried in Windows8, it all might seem well enough. But the attempt to have a software in the style of One-Size-Fits-All, trying to swallow both the touch-screen and keyboard/mouse market, simply does not work - and has failed. Microsoft has told the new Windows8.1 to take care of certain of those failures, but I haven't yet seen any test results or user feedbacks, so I don't know how well they have managed. hth ----- Original Message ----- From: Don Smith To: gwinfo Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 1:50 PM Subject: Users of windows 8 Hi: I am contempplating upgrading from windows 7 to windows 8 and am curious if we 8.2 8 usersare happy with the upgrade. Not so much with minor bugs, I am sure they will be fixed, but more with the ease of use, does we 8 work good enough to be useful, and finally is windows 8 useable without doing the touch thing with fingers on the window. (smile) I like a challenge and in reading the tiles in windows 8 seem to have some nice features. /Sorry, one more thing, is there much to configure to get we 8 to work with the software? Thanks a heap. Don 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.
