[gui-talk] {Spam?} Re: JAWS and Window Eyes Now Owned By the Same Company

[Mike Arrigo]

I think this is a sign of the times that expensive screen readers are 
on the way out. With free options such as system access and NVDA, and, 
at least at this point, window eyes being free to Office users, there's 
really no reason to spend that kind of money for a screen reader. Even 
narrator in windows 8 and windows 10 offers more functionality than 
ever before. This company now has a monopoly on the paid screen reader 
market, aside from Dolphin in the U.K. This makes me even more glad 
that I have left the Windows world and use the mac exclusively, at 
least for home use.
Original message:
> I am afraid I agree with your speculation about Window-eyes being fazed 
> out in consequence of this acquisition.  Even though I was a JAWS user 
> back in my windows days, I’d hate to see window-eyes go away like it 
> looks like it might now.  If this benefits anybody, I suspect we can 
> predict that the folks over at NVDA will soon be quite happy as they 
> will gain quite a few thousand users now.


> Sent from my Mac, The only computer with full accessibility for the 
> blind built-in

> Sincerely, The Constantly Barefooted Ray
> Still a very happy Mac, Verizon Wireless iPhone6+ and Apple TV user!!!!!

>> On Jun 15, 2016, at 11:12 AM, Gerald Levy via gui-talk 
>> <gui-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:


>> For those of you who may have missed this bombshell, VFO, the parent 
>> company of Freedom Scientific, which markets JAWS, has acquired AI 
>> Squared, which markets the rival screen reader, Window Eyes.  This 
>> development does not bode well for Window Eyes users, because such 
>> mergers invaribly lead to consolidation of products and services to 
>> reduce costs and eliminate competition, and Window Eyes, having the 
>> smaller market share than JAWS is likely to be phased out and its users 
>> transitioned to JAWS, although this is just speculation on my part.  
>> But it would make no economic sense for VFO to continue marketing and 
>> supporting two essentially similar screen readers.  .  And with System 
>> Access already on life support and its future uncertain, the demise of 
>> Window Eyes would leave JAWS with a virtual monopoly in the commercial 
>> screen reader market,  which could lead to even higher prices.  On the 
>> other hand, JAWS might eventually incorporate features from Window Eyes 
>> that it does not already offer, making it more attractive.  For more details:

>> http://www.blindbargains.com/rss/latest.xml

>> Gerald

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