[Nfb-science] Request for Beta Testers

[David Andrews]

>From: "Shelton, Robert O. (JSC-ER711)" <robert.o.shelton at nasa.gov>
>Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2011 16:21:43 -0600
>Subject: [Rocketon] Request for Beta Testers
>
>Hi everyone.  A few years ago, I led a group which developed an 
>application for access to graphical mathematics -- MathTrax, 
>available from http://prime.jsc.nasa.gov/mathtrax
>
>As often happens, funding for upgrades and maintenance was never 
>provided, and the development team moved on to other projects, but 
>MathTrax continues to have a strong following.  Unfortunately, the 
>Windows installer for MathTrax was only intended for 32-bit systems, 
>and while the application installed by the current MathTrax 
>installer technically works, it isn't accessible on a 64-bit 
>system.  Until relatively recently, there was nothing I or anyone 
>else could do about this; however, last spring, Oracle and Freedom 
>Scientific updated the Java Access Bridge to work with 64-bit 
>systems.  With the holidays, I've had a chance to figure out how to 
>rebuild the MathTrax installer for 64-bit Windows systems, and, at 
>least on my machine, it appears to work.
>
>What I'd like to ask is whether there might be several volunteers 
>who would be willing to test my new installer.  In order to do this, 
>you need to have 1.  A 64-bit Windows system (Vista or Windows 7) 
>2.  JAWS 12.0.1170 or later -- any version of JAWS 13 should be fine.
>
>It would be particularly useful if your system does not have the 
>Java Access Bridge, because the installer for MathTrax must create a 
>little Java environment fitted with all the Java Access Bridge code 
>for accessibility.  If you have a 64-bit system, and you don't know 
>if the Java Access Bridge was installed, it probably wasn't.  The 
>64-bit version requires a manual install, which is painfully 
>memorable.  Of course, the MathTrax installer takes care of the 
>whole works for you, so you don't have to fiddle with the JAB at all.
>
>Please let me know if you're willing to test.  I'll need to send you 
>a link to the installer as the one on prime.jsc.nasa.gov is still 
>the 32-bit version.
>
>Cheers to all,
>
>--Robert Shelton
>
>Dr. Robert Shelton
>Lead, JSC Engineering Orbital Dynamics (JEOD)
>Simulation and Graphics Branch (ER7)
>NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
>2101 NASA Parkway
>Houston, TX. 77058
>V: 281-483-5901
>E: robert.o.shelton at nasa.gov