Dennis and all, I've been getting this question a lot lately. Here is how I've been and continue responding until I know more:
We are still early in the merger between Ai Squared and VFO so it is a bit early to know how all this will ultimately play out. But please rest assured no matter what happens, we will make sure that Window-Eyes users will not be left behind. As we continue we will certainly make clear what our plans are moving forward and how this may or may not impact you. But again, we will not take your years of loyalty for granted. Regards, Doug On 10/18/2016 2:14 PM, Dennis Long wrote: > Doug is there any word if window Eyes will be staying around? > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Geoffray via Talk" > <talk@lists.window-eyes.com> > To: <talk@lists.window-eyes.com> > Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 9:15 AM > Subject: Re: history of window eyes > > >> Just wanted to correct a few things (smile). >> >> Malcolm created Screen-Talk which later became Screen-Talk Pro (linked >> with ProKey). As stated, he may of wanted to call this Vocal-Eyes but >> Bill Grimm didn't like that name, at the time. I had nothing to do with >> Screen-Talk. I did create most of the Apple 2 software such as >> Braille-Out which later turned to Braille-Talk, and Word-Talk and >> File-Talk and Term-Talk (prior to Term-Talk it was Talking Transend) and >> several other smaller things as well as the TTS engine for all Sounding >> Board variants. I also created all the software for the Small-Talk >> portable computer, except for the Calc-Talk module, ah, fun times >> (smile). >> >> In 1988 I started from scratch with Vocal-Eyes. This was completely >> different from the work Malcolm did. I almost finished Vocal-Eyes when >> Bill Grimm got burnt out and decided to close Computer Aids, which >> officially closed November 1989. I had started working at Computer Aids >> in the early 80's as a contractor and around 1983 started full time as >> an employee. Dan Weirich started around 1987ish and worked on the >> hardware. So after Computer Aids closed in 1989, Dan and I started GW >> Micro February 15, 1990. I spent another 6 or so months finalizing >> Vocal-Eyes and released it right after that. As for Bill Grimm, he did >> die but it was a few years later...I can't remember the exact year but >> it was around 1994 or 95. >> >> We started working on Window-Eyes around 1994 and released 1.0 in >> October 1995. >> >> Doug >> >> On 10/17/2016 2:41 PM, Dave Basden via Talk wrote: >>> I might add that Malcolm, who worked as a ranger at Yosemite near >>> Fresno where I lived at the time, initially called his PC screenreader >>> Vocal-Eyes and I was one of the beneficiaries. He had originally >>> designed it for a fellow ranger at Yosemite who was only partially >>> sighted. I still see his name on the lists occasionally. Bill Grimm >>> was then naming all his software releases Whatever-talk, so when >>> Malcolm teamed up with Computer Aids, the program was renamed Screen >>> Talk. When Doug Geoffrey took over Computer Aids, he named his screen >>> reader Vocal-Eyes. Apparently Malcolm had no objection to that. >>> Actually Doug wasn't even aware that the name had been used by >>> Malcolm. Later GW Micro released Window-Eyes for Windows as, as you >>> know, Vocal-Eyes was a DOS screen reader. >>> >>> Dave >>> >>> At 04:02 AM 10/17/2016, you wrote: >>>> I don't have time to write a very long message, but here's a little >>>> of the story. >>>> In the early 1980s Bill Grimm formed a company, Computer Aids >>>> Corporation, to create software for the Apple II family of computers. >>>> They teamed up with Malcolm Holser to create a screen reader for DOS >>>> called Screen-Talk, which was released in 1985, which I bought and >>>> used. In 1986 Screen-Talk was linked with ProKey, a macro program, >>>> and its functionality was extended. Somewhere in there, Doug Geoffray >>>> was hired as a programmer. In 1988 Computer Aids released the >>>> Sounding Board, an ISA-compatible speech synthesizer that used the >>>> SSI-263 speech chip that was common in those days. Dan Wyrick did >>>> major work on that project. Near that time Bill Grimm died. >>>> Dan and Doug put together a new company, GW Micro and marketed the >>>> new-generation DOS screen reader as Vocal-Eyes. >>>> The first Windows 3.0 screen reader was OutSpoken, released in the >>>> summer of 1992. Later came Automatic Screen Access for Windows and >>>> JAWS for Windows. Window-Eyes 1.0 came out quite late, in late 1995. >>>> It worked with Windows 3 and 3.1, even though Windows 95 was already >>>> out and had no screen reader support from anyone at first. >>>> Window-Eyes 2 was the first W-E version to support Windows 95, and >>>> came out in the spring of 1997, I think. >>>> The revision history of Window-Eyes is on the GW Micro website, going >>>> way back; it is instructive to read it to see where we have come from. >>>> >>>> >>>> Lloyd Rasmussen, Kensington, MD >>>> http://lras.home.sprynet.com >>>> -----Original Message----- From: Drew Clark via Talk >>>> Sent: Monday, October 17, 2016 3:56 AM >>>> To: Window-Eyes Discussion List >>>> Subject: history of window eyes >>>> >>>> hi, >>>> >>>> i am interested to find out the history of window eyes, who created it >>>> and how it was started. is there any webpage/audio podcast that >>>> interviews the g and the w behind gw micro? >>>> >>>> thanks >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Sent using window eyes. >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the >>>> author and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. >>>> >>>> For membership options, visit >>>> http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com/lras%40sprynet.com. >>>> >>>> >>>> For subscription options, visit >>>> http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com >>>> List archives can be found at >>>> http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the >>>> author and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. >>>> >>>> For membership options, visit >>>> http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com/dave%40basden.us. >>>> >>>> >>>> For subscription options, visit >>>> http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com >>>> List archives can be found at >>>> http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the >>> author and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. >>> >>> For membership options, visit >>> http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com/dgeoffray%40aisquared.com. >>> >>> >>> For subscription options, visit >>> http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com >>> List archives can be found at >>> http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the >> author and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. >> >> For membership options, visit >> http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com/dennisl1982%40gmail.com. >> For subscription options, visit >> http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com >> List archives can be found at >> http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com >> > > _______________________________________________ Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. For membership options, visit http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com/archive%40mail-archive.com. For subscription options, visit http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com List archives can be found at http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/talk-window-eyes.com
