# NVDA 0.5 is out! it's amazing!

Category: Geeks r Us

## Post 1 by world-of-wonders (Generic Zoner) on Saturday, 26-May-2007 13:35:57

first of all, what is NVDA?
"NVDA is a free and open source screen reader for the Microsoft Windows Operating System. This software can enable blind or vision impaired people to access
computers running Windows, for no more cost than a sighted person."
from the NVDA's website here's a part of the announcement for 0.5:
"Finally after two and a half months of hard work, we are glad to release the long-awaited NVDA version 0.5. This version contains over forty changes, including
many bug fixes and some pretty cool new features.
NVDA now comes with the eSpeak synthesizer built right in, meaning that NVDA no longer depends on SAPI4 or SAPI 5 to speak. This lite-weight, free, and open source synth supports over
twenty different languages, and is very responsive.
NVDA now comes packaged with an easy to use talking installer, which allows you to install NVDA on your computer with out sighted assistance or the use
of another screen reader. Once NVDA is installed, you can now run it both from the start menu, and by pressing control+alt+n. For users wishing to run
NVDA off a USB thumb drive or CD, you still of course have the option of downloading a portable zip file version."
why not check it out?

## Post 2 by Austin (the magic fan!) on Saturday, 26-May-2007 15:30:17

ayyayayyay i looove it!!!

## Post 3 by louiano (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Saturday, 26-May-2007 15:48:39

omg! 'bout time this was out of the developers list... I have been looking forward to this release also. Interesting that they forgot to mention by the time version 510 (build numer) was out, this program supported sapi 4 (for most of you 14m3rz out there that means eloquence support). Also interesting failure experienced still in the menus inside the main window. Hopefully this will get better though. I am mostly glad however; suchproject really deserves something. About someone thought of a screen reader which costs nothing and can be used by almost anyone.

## Post 4 by nikos (English words from a Greek thinking brain) on Saturday, 26-May-2007 16:36:55

I am also an NVDA supporter. It is a good screen reader and it is developing very quickly. It is still not perfect but i am sure in a few years it will be good.

## Post 5 by rat (star trek rules!) on Saturday, 26-May-2007 19:20:13

i like it myself, it's my computer management screen reader now

## Post 6 by season (the invisible soul) on Sunday, 27-May-2007 6:20:30

its very great, and the version that the out recently is very stable

## Post 7 by Bryan Mckinnish (Veteran Zoner) on Wednesday, 13-Jun-2007 0:23:44

Hi. I use nvda on my vista machine. I like it. I can't seem to find any key strokes that move the mouse and such. I like the fact that it works with the games that come with vista, solitar, mine sweeper and those games.
I'm sort of adicted to minesweeper. lol. Bryan

## Post 8 by shadow of john (Veteran Zoner) on Thursday, 21-Jun-2007 19:22:45

hahaha... I can't wait till NVDA gets better than jaws, window eyes, and it already is better than hal!

## Post 9 by blbobby (Ooo you're gona like this!) on Friday, 22-Jun-2007 6:08:45

Hey, I like HAL. &LT;lol>
I downloaded nvda and find it interesting. Haven't had time to tweak it, though.
One thing I noticed is that it doesn't seem to read frames in internet explorer.
I also hate the voice that comes with it, but that's a workable problem. I can either get to like the voice or learn to tweak it a bit.
I'd love to see a free screen reader work, and this may be the one that does that.
Thanks.
Bob

## Post 10 by The Roman Battle Mask (Making great use of my Employer's time.) on Friday, 22-Jun-2007 7:37:53

Bob, you should use NVDA with firefox instead of internet explorer, it will work better. I'm going to try and create a guide to installing it along with other commonly used applications onto a thum drive that you can take anywhere. It's my understanding that it should run on any computer streight off a thumb drive since it doesn't use video intersept or anything like that.

## Post 11 by WillieTheWoof (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Friday, 22-Jun-2007 21:17:03

They just need to work on mouse navigation. I was trying to read a tool bar and I could get to the bar with object navigation but couldn't actually get to or read the icons. It's really a good deal for someone who just can't afford the big guys. I have run it from the flash drive and it's a little slo but not bad at all.hooks right in to the system.

## Post 12 by Dave_H (the boringest guy you'll ever know) on Saturday, 23-Jun-2007 1:05:32

Bobby, you can use your favorite SAPI voice with nvda. The espeak voices are a bit odd, but, intelligible.

## Post 13 by blbobby (Ooo you're gona like this!) on Saturday, 23-Jun-2007 6:41:42

I know you can use your favorite sapi voice, I just haven't configured it yet.
Good idea, executing from a thumb drive. Imagine, speech on the fly on any computer.
I think it has a way to go, but, really good potential.
Bob

## Post 14 by Dave_H (the boringest guy you'll ever know) on Saturday, 23-Jun-2007 13:26:43

Yah, speech on any computer, without leaving lots of stuff behind. The open-source aspect also appeals. Using a computer should not have to be an expensive privilege!
Cheers,
Dave