Voice of Vision
Volume 5 Number 4   October 1997

Welcome to the October 1997 issue of Voice of Vision, GW Micro's
quarterly newsletter.  VV is available in large print, on audio
cassette, in Braille, and on computer disk. For subscription
information, see the information given at the end of the
newsletter. 

I know that many of you are waiting for the latest information on
Window-Eyes 2.1 so see Doug Geoffray's article.  To learn how to
use the DECtalk Express with Window-Eyes and Windows 95 read Mike
Lawler's article.  To read about a success story or a GW dealer
read the articles by Sonja Morgan.  For something unusual read
"Floppy Bacteria" by Donald Trull.  Of course we have
announcements as well.

____________________
Adaptive Technology at Work!
by Sonja Morgan

When Pauline Ulrey was two years old, she was struck by
lightening which left her legally blind.  She has been totally
blind for almost 35 years.  After completing her Masters in
Social Work, Pauline went to work for Blind & Visually Impaired
Services as a vocational rehabilitation counselor.  For the past
18 years she has been the counselor at the Bosma Rehabilitation
Center in Indianapolis; she  provides individual and group
counseling to persons who are adjusting to the loss of vision. 
As you can imagine, Pauline has a lot of reading and writing in
her job.  When she started working for the agency 23 years ago,
she recorded reports and the secretary typed them.  Reports,
correspondence, and other documents were read to her.  This
system worked if Pauline had a good secretary, but when she
didn't, it affected her work performance.  As with most persons
it was frustrating being dependent on another person.  

In 1988 Pauline got her first computer, a Small-Talk from
Computer Aids. With it she was able to write and print out her
reports.  Using Braille-Talk and a Romeo braille printer Pauline
also printed her reports in braille for the client and herself. 
She was thrilled to be more independent.  

As you know, adaptive technology marched on.  GW Micro was
created.  In 1991 Pauline found herself with a new computer on a
Novell network with Vocal-Eyes screen reader, a Sounding Board
speech synthesizer, Arkenstone Open Book Unbound, WordPerfect
5.1, and cc Mail.  Although it was a lot to learn, she eventually
mastered it.  With Vocal-Eyes Pauline reads e-mail, writes
reports, prints in print, large print, and braille using
Braille-Talk.  As she learned each new skill, Pauline gained more
independence.  With the Open Book Unbound she was able to read
correspondence, reports, professional journals and more almost
eliminating the need for a human reader.  

In addition to work at Bosma Pauline is the assistant secretary
for a Lions Club and a field rep for Leader Dog, a dog guide
school in Rochester, Michigan.  She and her dog guide, Zeb,
travel to visit prospective users.  The adaptive technology
provided Pauline with an easier way of participating in these
activities.

The computer industry continued to change and grow.  Even though
adaptive technology companies, professionals and educators in the
field of blindness, and end users held onto the DOS environment,
we had to face the inevitable.  The Windows environment was here
to stay.  Pauline's employer was making the change as well; with
great trepidation, she threw herself into the task to sink or
swim.  She was quite thrilled to find that she was equal to the
task.  Pauline is using Window-Eyes, WordPerfect, Open Book
Unbound, Braille-Talk, the Romeo braille printer, and Braille  n
Speak.  With this adaptive technology Pauline continues to meet
the demands of her job.  

____________________
Window-Eyes 2.1 
by Doug Geoffray

The official version Window-Eyes 2.1 will be released by the end
of November.  Each new release just gets better and better.  The
new features and enhancements will be described below.  Because
we have fallen a bit from our original time frame, we have
decided to place a prereleased version of 2.1 on our ftp site. 
This can actually be considered a public beta.  Because we want
to release Window-Eyes 2.1 as stable and strong as possible, we
need a considerable amount of testing.  If you are interested in
giving us your feedback, this is your chance.  The public beta
can be downloaded from our BBS or from our ftp site.  It can be
found in the WE directory.

Before I get into the great new stuff, I would like to address a
question that is asked of me often.  Basically, it is, "Why
Window-Eyes?"  "What makes Window-Eyes stand out from the other
screen readers?"  Well, I'm glad you asked!

I always like to start by saying, I don't believe any one screen
reader is the end-all-be-all of screen readers.  There are major
philosophy differences between screen readers.  Also, screen
readers are changing daily.  If you are in a position of
recommending screen readers, you must stay current on the
changes.  What may seem the best today may be way behind
tomorrow.  Also, be careful of the dreaded "sales hype."  What
sounds great in an advertisement or from the sales department may
not be what you thought once you put it in a real world
situation.  Their definition of "supports" may be quite different
from yours.

We at GW Micro have always tried to make sure if we support
something that we do it to the best of our ability.  We have
never implemented a quick and dirty patch just for our sales
department.  I have seen this greatly abused many times with
other manufacturers.

Okay, what makes Window-Eyes stick out from the others?

-) Ease of configurability

I can't overstate this option enough.  With Window-Eyes
configuring it to work with off-the-shelf software is very easy. 
Or if you simply want to modify one of our default
configurations, it is extremely easy to do so.  You don't need to
learn complicated macros or scripting language.  We have always
held this position.  Vocal-Eyes, for example, has grown to be one
of the top DOS screen readers based on this philosophy.

People didn't like macros and scripting languages in DOS so why
would they suddenly like it in Windows?  The answer is they
don't.

-) Flexibility

Not only is Window-Eyes easy to configure, but it is also very
flexible.  We realize no two individuals are alike.  What I like
can be quite different from what you like.

For example, other screen readers may give you three settings for
verbosity.   Something like beginner, intermediate, and advanced. 
This is great if you fit exactly into one of these modes. 
However, if you are like me, you don't.  Maybe I mostly like the
intermediate mode, but I want a feature out of advanced and
beginner modes.  This would be like going to McDonald's and only
being able to order a value meal with no substitutions.  If you
like value meals, you are all set, but if you want a small fry
with your quarter pounder and no drink, you are out of luck. 
With Window-Eyes you have total control.  It is like being handed
a menu of all options and being able to pick and choose exactly
what you want.

Also, Window-Eyes offers context sensitive help like many other
screen readers, but what makes Window-Eye different is the
flexibility of this help.  Most screen readers will simply read
the help information to you and that's it.  If you didn't quite
understand the last sentence of the help message, you are forced
to reread the entire message.  If you can't understand a word,
you are out of luck.  Also, if you have sighted friends, they
can't see the information on the screen.

With Window-Eyes we place the help information on the screen in a
standard edit box.  This means you can read through the message
letter by letter, word by word, sentence by sentence, etc.  You
can spell a word you don't understand.  Also, you can very easily
change the help information to better fit your needs.  Since this
is a standard edit box, you can simply modify the text if you
wish.

There are more examples of what I mean by flexible but hopefully
this helps you understand what I mean by philosophical
differences.  Not only do we give you help information for
example, but we make it usable.

-) Works with many applications

We are constantly adding features that help Window-Eyes work with
all Windows applications, not just the top 25 programs.  Of
course we work with WORD but WordPerfect is also important to
users.  Cakewalk, Lotus, Quicken, Netscape, and CC Mail are
all-important programs where Window-Eyes works very well.  This
list is constantly getting larger and larger.

-) Supports all video systems

Window-Eyes works well with all video systems.  Other screen
readers may require you to purchase certain video cards simply
because they are not compatible with your high-end card.  Often,
you are forced to purchase a less powerful video card because the
advanced features get in the way.  Not with Window-Eyes.

-) Responsiveness and stability

Window-Eyes has been optimized to be extremely responsive to the
touch.  If you are typing or moving through menus for example,
Window-Eyes will be right there with you.  No lag or pause.  Many
other screen readers are noticeably sluggish.

We have worked extremely hard to make Window-Eyes as stable as
possible.  I am very proud of the stability we have achieved. 
When we hear of a stability problem, it goes first on the
priority list.

-) Listening to users and technical support

GW Micro has earned a strong reputation for its technical support
and willingness to listen to the end users.  Many features and
enhancements to Window-Eyes are a direct result of user comments
and suggestions.  We at GW Micro may think we know all the
answers but you, the end user, definitely know.  We take all
comments and suggestions very seriously.

If you have problems or questions, our technical support team is
second to none.  Many times, you will be able to actually talk to
the programmers.  Most other companies shield their programmers
as far from the end user as possible.  We feel the more exposure
our programmers get to the end user the better.

There are certainly more areas where Window-Eyes excels over
other screen readers but I hope this gives you an idea.  With
each new release of Window-Eyes it just keeps getting better and
better.  Version 2.1 is no exception to this trend.  Following is
a list of the top features 2.1 offers over 2.0.

-) Active Accessibility support

Window-Eyes now supports Microsoft's Active Accessibility (MSAA). 
Because of the horrendous competition in today's computer
software market, software manufacturers feel compelled to create
fancier looking user interfaces into their packages. 
Unfortunately, to accomplish this they deviate drastically from
the "standards."  This makes it very difficult for screen readers
to read the application correctly.

Because of this, Microsoft has developed MSAA.  For example,
Office 97 by Microsoft uses many nonstandard items.  However,
since Office 97 supports MSAA and Window-Eyes supports MSAA, they
work very well together.  Other applications are being developed
that also support MSAA.  As they come out, Window-Eyes will be
ready.

-) System Tray support

Many blind people don't even know the existence of the system or
sys tray.  This is typically at the bottom right of your screen. 
Many utility applications will modify this area with necessary
information.  Because screen readers don't give access to this
area and Microsoft doesn't give keyboard support for it, blind
people rarely use it.  However, Window-Eyes now gives full easy
access to the sys tray.  Enjoy the full benefits of this Windows
95 feature like sighted people.

-) Synthesizer selection

Window-Eyes now offers a dialog that allows you to quickly switch
between any of the over thirty supported voice synthesizers.  You
don't need to reinstall Window-Eyes just to switch to a different
synthesizer.  After your normal installation of Window-Eyes, you
have immediate access to any of the supported synthesizers.

-) Software synthesizers

Window-Eyes is supporting more and more "software synthesizers." 
These are synthesizers that use your existing sound card
hardware.  You simply purchase the software.  Because there is no
hardware to purchase, the price is typically much less than
dedicated synthesizers.  Window-Eyes 2.1 supports the software
DECtalk called DECtalk Access32 Software.  Window-Eyes also
supports the Keynote Gold Multimedia synthesizer from PulseData. 
Other synthesizers will be added in the near future.

-) Remove control key conflicts

One of the biggest complaints with older versions of Window-Eyes
was its conflict with application keystrokes.  To be as
compatible with Vocal-Eyes as possible, we configured the default
hotkeys for Window-Eyes to those used in Vocal-Eyes.  However,
almost every Windows application uses all control keys from
Ctrl-A through Ctrl-Z.  Because we listen to user comments, we
have removed most of these conflicts.

-) Default button

A new hotkey has been added which allows you to tell which button
in a dialog is the default button.  Visually, if a button has a
bolded border around a button, simply pressing the ENTER key will
activate that button even if it is not currently the focused
control.  Blind people can now get the same information by
pressing the Default Button hotkey.

-) Cursoring keys can execute any of the hotkeys

When you use one of the 46 cursoring keys, it can do up to two
things.  One of those two things can be to execute any of the
over 140 Window-Eyes hotkeys.  This gives even more power to the
cursoring keys.

The list of changes goes on and on but this should give you a
taste for the new features.  If you are currently using
Window-Eyes 2.0, the upgrade to 2.1 is free.  You simply need to
give us a call or download the upgrade from our ftp site.  If you
have a version less than 2.0, the cost is $75.00 plus $6.00 for
shipping and handling.  A free demonstration version is
available.  We can send out a disk or you can simply download it
from our ftp site.

____________________
Focus on a GW Dealer
by Sonja Morgan

Greg Meise of Missing Link Technology, Inc. is a GW Dealer in
Lenex, KS.  He has been a GW dealer since 1993.  In 1987 Greg
began using a personal computer for his real estate business.  He
realized that the right adaptive technology could be a great
equalizer for persons with visual impairments.  In 1990 he
started Missing Link Technology (MLT).  His company provides
consulting and training services for persons with disabilities. 
In addition to GW products MLT sells other manufacturers'
products such as Open Book by Arkenstone and DragonDictate by
Dragon Systems.  Last year he was Arkenstone's #1 dealer in
sales.  

Greg was born with a visual impairment and he lost most of his
vision by the time he was 13 years old.  He studied business at
the University of Kansas and music at the University of
Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music.  He worked as a 
professional pianist for 25 years; he still plays professionally
part-time because he enjoys it.  Greg is happily married; his
wife, Diana, is the Vice President of MLT.
                   
____________________
The DECtalk Express and Windows 95
by Mike Lawler

We have received many support questions over the last few months
on how to get the DECtalk Express to work with Window-Eyes in
Windows 95.  The good news is that the DECtalk Express functions
well in Windows 95 and if you make sure that you have current
versions of our drivers and the DEC Express firmware you will
have a very functional and responsive synthesizer.

First, you must make sure that you are running version 4.2CD of
the DECtalk Express firmware.  If you are not running this
firmware, you can get it from our BBS or from our ftp site at
ftp://ftp.gwmicro.com/dectalk/dtxv42cd.exe.  To install this
firmware you must extract it onto a floppy by executing the
command

pkunzip dtxv42cd.exe a:

and then execute the command

a:\install

to install the firmware.  Once the installation program completes
you will need to edit your autoexec.bat file to make sure that
there are no lines executing the dtexp.bat file.  Finally,
without speech running, you will need to change to the dtexp
directory with the command

cd\dtexp

and issue the command load x where x is the number of the com
port your DEC Express is using.  It is extremely important that
your Express is connected to AC power while you update its
firmware.  If it loses power during the upgrade process, it will
probably no longer function.

Once you are using the latest firmware for your Express you are
ready to use Window-Eyes and Vocal-Eyes with dedicated DEC
Express support.  If you are using Window-Eyes 2.0 or greater, it
supports the DEC Express directly.  If you do not have the new
dtexp.com driver for Vocal-Eyes, it is on the Window-Eyes disk. 
To make Vocal-Eyes support the DEC Express directly you will need
to copy the file dtexp.com from your Window-Eyes disk to your
speech directory with the command

copy a:\dtexp.com c:\speech

and then edit your talk.bat file to use dtexp.com rather than
decpc.com.  The command to use dtexp.com would look something
like

c:\speech\dtexp.com /!cx

where x is the number of the com port your DEC Express is using.

If you do not own Window-Eyes you can get the dtexp.com file from
our ftp site or we can send it to you on a disk.

Using this method to support your DEC Express with Vocal-Eyes and
Window-Eyes will save computer memory and will give you a more
responsive synthesizer that will be more enjoyable to use.

____________________
Floppy Bacteria 
by Donald  Trull

With more and more people buying their first computer every day,
those of us who've been around the SCSI chain a time or two can't
help but chuckle at the charming idiocy of new users.  The
tech-support horror stories are officially urban legends now: the
moron who can't find the "ANY" key, the doofus who copies a disk
with a Xerox machine, the hypochondriac who worries that he might
come down with a computer virus.  How very droll, we scoff with a
cyber-elite sneer, to conceive of one's hard drive teeming
literally with microorganisms.  It is to laugh.

Well, we might have to start eating some humble power-user pie,
because this is one case in which the slack-jawed troglodytes
were unwittingly on the right track.  Scientists are close to
perfecting the most sophisticated data-storage technology ever
developed, and poxy though it may seem, this hard drive of the
future is based on nasty little bacteria. 

The amazing breakthrough exploits a protein found in
Halobacterium halobium, a bacteria that lives in salt marshes and
requires a habitat with seven times the salinity of seawater.  It
contains a protein membrane named bacteriorhodopsin, also called
bR or "purple membrane," which has some highly remarkable
properties in the eyes of scientists and computer geeks. 

"The protein has been on Earth for 3.5 billion years," said Bob
Birge, a Syracuse University professor of chemistry who heads up
a bR research team.  "Over time, it was optimized through
evolution so that it can interact with light in a way that most
proteins cannot." 

The full explanation of what's special about bacteriorhodopsin
sounds like something the Professor from Gilligan's Island would
spew forth on one of his less provincial days, but essentially,
bR is a light-driven proton pump that kicks ass at converting
light energy into chemical energy.  That makes it an organic
substance that's primed and ready for storing electronic data,
kind of like floppy disks that grow in pond scum.  But purple
membrane can hold a heck of a lot more than 1.4 MB.  The
protein's biggest strength is that it can potentially stow away
gigabytes upon gigabytes more easily and effectively than any
previous digital media.

Traditional hard disks and floppies operate on the basis of
magnetically charged sectors on a spinning metallicized platter. 
Their capacity is intrinsically limited because the sectors can
only get so small while remaining distinct to the read head.  The
laser-based technology of CD-ROMs and optical drives is more
unbounded when it comes to huge chunks of data, but boy, is it
ever slow, even when handling relatively small files.  This is
where the bR protein storage system comes to the rescue, offering
data accommodations that are fast, safe and indulgently spacious.

The possibilities inherent to bacteriorhodopsin are no recent
discovery.  In the 1970s, a group of Soviet scientists identified
it as the most perfect of all known proteins that might be used
for data storage.  The tricky part has been figuring out how to
make it work.  Dr. Birge's team has solved the problem of keeping
binary data intact in the protein by using lasers of two
different wavelengths, one for writing and one for reading.  They
have developed a working prototype, and it's blindingly quick, so
fast it gets held up waiting for the mechanism that points the
laser at it.  But with a mere capacity of 800 MB and an error
rate of 1 in 10,000 bits (compared to the average hard drive
error rate of about 1 in 10 to the 13th power), so far it's only
a flawed approximation of what bR is capable of.  To make protein
storage work the way it should, Birge is seeking to develop laser
beams fine enough to manipulate bR with the enormously high
resolution it can readily accept.  Researchers must also improve
the gel substance used to hold the protein in suspension, which
can introduce errors if it contains even tiny irregularities. 
The team is getting a helping hand from the Pentagon, which
lustfully covets the promise of boundless bR data storage. 
Consequently, Birge has been granted access to NASA's KC 135
aircraft, the "Vomit Comet" zero-gravity simulator, to see if the
bR gel can be created more successfully in weightlessness.  There
is also talk of protein storage tests being conducted on shuttle
flights.

It's quite a touching tale of redemption for the lowly bacteria,
unicellular enemy #1 in our microbophobic society of E. Coli
burgers and anti-bacterial baby toys.  What an irony that our
great-grandchildren's computers will come equipped with
unthinkably powerful 10-terabyte protein drives, and it'll all be
thanks to our germy friend Halobacterium halobium, the prodigal
prokaryote.  And the tech-support guys will assure them that
crashes can't be caused by Lysol.  

This article was reprinted with permission by Donald Trull <(c)
1997 
ParaScope, Inc.>.  The web site address is
<http://www.parascope.com>.

____________________
Announcements

Roland Manning Leaves!

We at GW Micro want to let our readers know of an internal
change.  Roland Manning, who has been an employee for just over a
year has moved onto another job.  We all enjoyed working with
Roland and we got to know him both personally and professionally. 
Nevertheless, another company made him an offer he could not
refuse.  

He is working for the Keene Corporation in Arizona, a software
development company.  Although he is not in the adaptive field
anymore, we will see him at conferences from time to time and he
will still be active on the Internet.  We wish him the best of
luck in his new endeavor.

Bill Herzler Arrives!

We are pleased to announce a new addition to GW Micro's support
staff.  Bill Herzler started October 20th and has already talked
with many of you on the phone.

Bill has been using Adaptive equipment since 1988 when he took
his first computer class at Ball State University.  He has been
using GW Micro products since 1991 when he got his first 286
computer.  He majored in history and completed a miner in micro
computers at BSU.  Before getting a job at GW Micro Bill worked
in the adaptive computer Lab helping to make computers accessible
to students with various disabilities.

VoiceCard version 1.10 and Win 95

If you are using or will be using the PulseData VoiceCard with
Windows 95, you will want to pay attention to this.  PulseData
has released version 1.10 of the VoiceCard software.  This new
version is essential with Windows 95.  Version 1.00 was unstable
and produced annoying pitch problems with the voice.  Version
1.10 has resolved all known issues and has been well tested.  The
upgrade is free of charge and can be downloaded from our ftp
site.  The file name is ftp://FTP.GWMICRO.COM/VC/VC95110.ZIP. 
Assuming you already have the VoiceCard installed, simply unzip
this file in your WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.  You will need to
make sure that the VoiceCard is not currently in use when you
unzip the upgrade so we suggest that you do it after restarting
your computer in to MS-DOS mode.  If you have any questions or
concerns, feel free to contact us.

____________________
New Products

Software Synthesizers:

We are proud to be supporting and reselling two new software only
synthesizers.  By "software only" I am referring to software that
uses your existing sound card instead of its own dedicated
hardware.  We will be handling the DECtalk Access32 from Digital
Equipment and the Keynote Gold Multimedia from PulseData.  Both
versions use your existing sound card instead of its own
dedicated hardware.  The benefits are portability and cost.  The
downside being not as responsive as dedicated voice synthesizers
and you loose the ability of playing your normal wave files or
sound effects.

The DECtalk Access32 requires Windows 95 and sells for $150.00. 
Window-Eyes 2.1 will support it but Vocal-Eyes currently does
not.

The Keynote Multimedia will work with Windows 3.1x or 95 and
sells for $249.00.  Window-Eyes supports it and Vocal-Eyes
supports it under a Windows 95 DOS box.  Please give us a call
for more specific information.

Microsoft WORD tutorial:

CrissCross Technologies announces the latest in its line of audio
tutorials for speech users.  "Speaking of Microsoft Word" begins
with the basics of Word 6 and Word 97 and progresses to more
advanced tasks such as setting and changing tabs, inserting
footnotes, and using Word's mail merge feature to fill out a
preprinted form.  "Speaking of Microsoft Word" consists of six
90-minute cassettes and sells for $75.00.  Contact GW Micro for
ordering information.

No Time Change!

At the end of October most of you changed time.  Indiana does not
change time.  Our hours are 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. eastern
standard time.  We do not observe daylight-saving time.

Come See Us!

GW Micro will be exhibiting at many conferences during the coming
weeks. Come see a demonstration of Window-Eyes 2.1 at the Low
Vision Conference in Chicago at the Ramada Congress Hotel October
16-18.  On October 22-25 we can be found at Closing the Gap in
Minneapolis at the Radisson South Hotel.   Visit our booth at the
American Council for the Blind of Ohio Convention in Columbus,
Ohio November 7-8 or in Phoenix at the Technology in Education
and Employment conference on November 21-22 at the Wyndham Hotel,
Metrocenter.  We look forward to seeing you at these locations!

Subscription Information

Voice of Vision is published four times a year in large print, on
audio cassette, on 3.5-inch PC diskette, and in Braille.  You can
receive a subscription for $10.00 for each format.  VV is also
available on GW Micro's bulletin board and ftp site at no charge. 
Payment can be made by check, MasterCard, Visa, American Express,
or Discover.  Send checks and format specifications to the
address below.

We seek reader input.  If we use an article you've submitted,
you'll receive a year's subscription at no charge.  

Please send articles on IBM compatible diskette or in print to:

     GW Micro, Inc.
     725 Airport N. Office Park
     Fort Wayne, IN  46825

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at:
Voice: (219) 489-3671
Fax: (219) 489-2608
BBS: (219) 489-5281
Web Page: www.gwmicro.com
FTP Site: ftp.gwmicro.com
EMail: vv@gwmicro.com
