Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!104!810!Scott.Green From: Scott.Green@f810.n104.z1.fidonet.org (Scott Green) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: JAWS (The best) Message-ID: <16285@bunker.UUCP> Date: 6 Dec 90 04:16:06 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: Scott.Green@f810.n104.z1.fidonet.org Distribution: misc Organization: FidoNet node 1:104/810 - Electronic Library, Denver CO Lines: 86 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Index Number: 12366 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] Everyone wants to know what the best screen reader is right? Well it is easy to guess. You can tell by my subject heading. It is no secret that jaws is the best in screen reading technology today. I have a few reasons to base my opinion on. I am here by stating that this is just my opinion and I invite anyone to prove me wrong in this statement, "Jaws makes all other screen-readers look like dead fish in the water." Go ahead make my day. Prove me wrong. First let's talk about the company that produces JAWS. The people that work at this company work there ass off to help support there program. Where as other companies such as the one that produces Flipper the fish I'm sorry the screen reading program called flipper have a hell of a time just changing there schedule to confuse people. Furthermore if you call after hours with Henter-Joyce the producers of JAWS you can at least leave a message and they will call you back The producers of flipper won't even let you leave a message. I think they think something might be wrong with there program and they would have to do some work to support it. Yes there are many other screen readers out there but it is clear that Flipper and JAWS (the best) are the two in conflict. So let's stick with those shall we? Let's talk about the people that work at these companies. I just have one problem with Omnecron. Here is why. I had a friend that had a problem with Flipper and call to get it fixed. The people at the company said that they knew what the problem was but they didn't know how to fix it. When they did they said they would let him know. In the mean time my friend would have to quit doing computer work. That's not ecceptable in a job! I mean you can't tell your employer "I can't do any work today because the program we got for me doesn't work and the programers don't know why." I wouldn't want to tell an employer that. By the way if you call the producers of flipper during the day they never have the same schedule. At least Henter-Joyce does. Also Henter-joyce knows there program and if there is a problem with a part of it they will get it working for you. Because they know that work is important. Alright! Okay! I'm through griping about the companies now let's gripe about the flipper program. Anyone want to prove me wrong yet? I challenge you! First when you review the screen with the Flipper program you are out of communication with your computer. This should never be the case. With JAWS you have two cursors. One is the IBM PC cursor and the other is the jaws cursor. The jaws cursor lets you review the screen and still communicate with the program you are working with. Second the Flipper program uses to many control and alt keys. The flipper spends to much time having the user press keys in Dot-to-dot fashion. Jaws uses a simple keypad layout that hardly bothers any application program. Jaws can mostly be operated with one hand where Flipper takes two hands (two hands two tired). Why use two hands and when you can use one and save time? The use of control keys such as control-l for read line is a cute idea but wait until you hit an application that uses control-l for some thing else. Yes I know that flipper has a way arround this but it takes to much time and extra key strokes. The bottom line is that flipper is not only a half-way supported program (supported when the company feels like supporting it), it is a slow program that should be placed on the shelf right along with the old raised print books that blind people had to use in the old days before braille. Flipper should move aside and let a real program take its place, namely, "JAWS (The Best)". If I had the capability of drawing a picture this is what it would be. First there would be a dolphin swimming along having a good time and not changing Second there would be a Big shark that is swimming to the dolphin. The shark is still growing as it gets closer to the dolphin. The shark (JAWS) would finally reach the dolphin (Flipper). The shark would open its mouth and begin to eat the dolphin. Above the sharks head the would "I use to eat people. Now I eat bad programs." -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!104!810!Scott.Green Internet: Scott.Green@f810.n104.z1.fidonet.org Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com