Hi david: I agree with you totally. As a trainer of assistive technology for the blind since the mid 1980s, I felt that it was a lot easier to train people on Windows thant in DOS because of the uniformity of most commands.
Kevin Huber On 10/20/16, David Goldfield via Talk <[email protected]> wrote: > What I'm about to say might almost be considered heresy by some but, to > be honest, I felt like I was the only blind computer user on the entire > planet who never took to Wordperfect for DOS. Had I given it more of a > chance I likely would have warmed up to it. I just found the whole > command set so unintuitive. It seemed like some commands required you to > press home, home pageup or home, home, pagedown and, to me, this just > never made sense. I'm so glad that Word and other Windows-based word > processors have not only provided us with standard keyboard commands but > ones which seem far ore intuitive. > > > David Goldfield, > Assistive Technology Specialist > > Feel free to visit my Web site > WWW.DavidGoldfield.Info > > On 10/18/2016 11:38 AM, Jim via Talk wrote: >> Hi! >> >> I sure do! I used WP from 5.0 through 6.2 for dos and briefly ran >> WP7.0 on a windows 98 system. It just seemed to be easier to use for >> some reason. Catch Ya All Later! de >> >> <KF8LT><Jim>. >> >> >> On 18-Oct-16 00:36, Kevin Barry via Talk wrote: >>> Many of us still miss word perfect. >>> >>> On Tuesday, October 18, 2016, David Goldfield via Talk < >>> [email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> I'd like to add a few tidbits to this most fascinating thread. >>>> >>>> In addition to the Windows screen readers which were mentioned, >>>> Synthavoice's Window Bridge came out sometime in 1992, if my memory is >>>> correct. While I have not used that screen reader, another one that >>>> many >>>> have forgotten is Windows Master, which was produced by Blazie >>>> Engineering for Windows 3.1. I began working for Blazie Engineering in >>>> May of 1991 and, at that time, they had a DOS screen reader called >>>> Speaksys. Speaksys cost $150 and only supported the Braille 'n Speak as >>>> a synthesizer. However, it was unique in that it also allowed the >>>> Bns to >>>> be used for Braille input to a PC and I believe it even supported Grade >>>> 2 input. Eventually, the screen reader was enhanced with new >>>> features to >>>> try and bring it in line with other DOS screen readers at that time. >>>> Its >>>> name was changed to PCMaster and its price was raised to $395. >>>> Eventually, a talented programmer named Daehee Lee was hired to write a >>>> Windows version of this screen reader, which was called Windows Master. >>>> It also used a Bns for output (and I think input) and supported the >>>> SSIL >>>> library of synthesizers as well. I believe Windows Master came out in >>>> the summer of 1992 and may well have been the third or fourth Windows >>>> screen reader at that time, although I'm certainly willing to be >>>> corrected if this is incorrect. Actually, I vaguely remember hearing >>>> about what I think was the first Windows screen reader before Window >>>> Bridge, although its name now escapes me and I don't think it lasted >>>> more than a few years. >>>> >>>> This thread reminds me of a blog post from Chris Hoffstader (sp) who >>>> talked about the importance of those of us who have memories of this >>>> technology to document it online for posterity. I thought he had >>>> established a wiki for that purpose but my recent searches aren't >>>> locating it. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> David Goldfield, >>>> Assistive Technology Specialist >>>> >>>> Feel free to visit my Web site >>>> WWW.DavidGoldfield.Info >>>> >>>> On 10/17/2016 11:18 PM, Jeff Samco via Talk wrote: >>>>> Yes, Malcom Holser wrote the original Vocal-Eyes for my use. Malcom >>>>> was very gifted in many ways. He was a coworker as I worked as an >>>>> interpretive ranger in Yosemite. In 1985 we went in together and >>>>> purchased a used IBM PC 8086 with 256 KB of RAM and 2 double-sided >>>>> 5.25-inch floppy disc drives. Since it was used it only cost us >>>>> $3,000! Malcolm learned to program in assembler in writing Vocal-Eyes. >>>>> I also believe I was the first user of a screen reader to use Word >>>>> Perfect and alerted them to how well it worked with a screen reader. I >>>>> offered various suggestions to improve its accessibility. Many screen >>>>> reader users used this elegant and powerful word processor. >>>>> >>>>> Jeff >>>>> >>>>> At 11:41 AM 10/17/2016, you 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/jsamco%40jps.net. >>>>>> 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 >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> ----- >>>>>> No virus found in this message. >>>>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >>>>>> Version: 2016.0.7797 / Virus Database: 4664/13227 - Release Date: >>>>>> 10/17/16 >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> 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/david.goldfield%40outlook.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/krbarry%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/david.goldfield%40outlook.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/huber.kevin7%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. 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