[Blindtlk] Question on what is the best screen-reader to use?

Mon Aug 27 16:59:03 UTC 2012

Thanks. It does.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Gary Wunder
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2012 11:52 AM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Question on what is the best screen-reader to use?

Hello Niki. You are asking not one but many questions. Let me answer the one
that perhaps I know the most about. People don't make five different screen
readers just so that they can have five different products and a lucrative
market to exploit. There are many screen readers because screen reader
manufacturers have decided to concentrate on what they see as unmet needs.
Some of them meet those needs more successfully than others. Sometimes we
are asked to choose between something that has lots of features and
something less expensive. If we can get away with something less expensive,
then this additional choice isn't a burden but a benefit.

I spent 30 years writing computer programs. Not a one of them met every need
that I wanted it to meet. Not a one of them completely satisfied the people
I was writing for. Sometimes what they wanted was contradictory. Perhaps
they wanted a program in a hurry with lots of features. They could have a
program in a hurry without too many features, or they could have a program
with lots of features that would take time to develop. This is the same
problem are screen reader manufacturers have.

Add to all of this the fact that technology is constantly changing, and you
can see that screen readers are always going to be behind. When they put a
lot of effort into developing something that could run Windows Vista, they
found that Windows Vista was not popular and before long they had to develop
for Windows 7. Now that Windows 7 has been out for a while, they are asked
to support Windows 8. Of course, none of us who still have windows XP want
them to do away with that kind of support, so again they have the challenge
of maintaining old operating systems and old programs while at the same time
trying to give blind people access to the latest and greatest. We don't just
want the latest and greatest so that we can keep up with the Joneses for
some kind of status. Very often we want the latest and greatest because that
is what people in business are using and we want jobs. There is no such
thing as staying in one place. One either moves forward with technology or
he or she falls behind. I wish that weren't so. My wallet wishes it weren't
so.

I hope this helps just a bit.

Gary

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Nikki
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2012 10:51 AM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Question on what is the best screen-reader to use?

    Well, here's a question that everyone may have, so I feel like an idiot
asking, but I'm not trying to impress.

Why can't they make a screen reader that works for everything? Why do they
have to keep updating? Why are there hackers who feel it necessary to mess
with your computer life? Why can't people just be content with what they
have? Why be better than your neighbor? This world is sick!

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Freeman
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2012 10:31 AM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Question on what is the best screen-reader to use?

Programs is what I mean. For example, it is my opinion that JAWS works
better than other screen-readers when running MsWord or the other programs
that are part of the Microsoft Office suite -- PowerPoint, Excel, etc.
However, other screen-readers do reasonably well with Office programs. On
the other hand, NVDA handles the Flash updater from Adobe better than any of
the other screen-reading programs. And on a Mac, the Open Office suite is
not fully accessible. That's why I'm always nattering on about how it
depends upon what one desires the computer to do which screen-reader one
buys.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Nikki
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2012 8:10 AM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Question on what is the best screen-reader to use?

    I'm confused with that statement. What do you mean by "application"?

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Freeman
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2012 10:05 AM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Question on what is the best screen-reader to use?

Bonnie:

Let's be careful. It depends upon what applications one uses whether JAWS
works "just as well". By the same token, there ar cases where JAWS works
better than SA or WE and cases where NVDA works better than the others. It
just depends upon the application.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Bonnie Ainsworth
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2012 5:19 AM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Question on what is the best screen-reader to use?

Some people use System Access.  I can't remember what the cost was, but it's
much cheaper than JAWS and works just as well.

Bonnie

Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do, but doesn't get
you anywhere

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Gloria Whipple
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2012 5:44 PM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Question on what is the best screen-reader to use?

Thank you!

I have tried using the I pad and found out touch screens are not for me. I
do wish Voice over was a windows program because I really like it.

I will give NVDA another try. I couldn't get use to the voice.

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