Category: Geeks r Us
Hi,
I use NVDA as a backup when Window-Eyes crashes, when traveling and using foreign computers, when working on Blackboard, and when editing documents in Spanish. It really is a great screenreader, especially considering that it's free. But there are some interfacing things that I just can't seem to get past, even after these few years of using it intermittently. I have a few questions as to how to get around these issues, because I'm sure there are and I'm just ignorant.
1. When browsing the web, I don't always want to arrow or tab through the whole page. I would like to use the screen-find feature, but it doesn't seem to work. I know for JAWS it's CTRL+F and for Window-Eyes it's CTRL+SHIFT+F, but all the former does for this screenreader is pulls up some find screen that really actually doesn't work. Like, it lets me type in whatever I want to find, but when I press ENTER, it doesn't say anything. And when I escape so that I can go back to the page, it just picks up where I left off. What am I doing wrong here?
2. I think it's neat that the verbocity for tables is so high. But not when I'm browsing the web and reading things that are only in tables for aesthetics and not really for organization, such as the interfacing for these boards and the message preview on my university's e-mail system, which is powered by Microsoft Outlook on the Web. Is there a way to decrease said level of verbocity when browsing the web? I get really antsy when I'm tabbing through links and hear, "Row 1, column 2" every two seconds. I almost forget what the heck I was looking for in the first place lol.
Thanks for your help!
Mel
For the first question, use ctrl+NVDA+f. For the second, go into preferences, then document formatting. You can modify how it reports some things about tables. Let me know if you want more info.
I have seen the aforementioned documet formatting menu. But will that affect how I view tables in Word? Not that I'd necessarily be using it for that, but if it ever came to that, I would definitely want the table verbocity on.
Also, is there a way to modify the find function you mentioed?
Thanks! You are awesome!
Never mind, I figured it all out! Thank you so much!
Okay, I lied, that wasn't all. I'm just going to getit all out of my system now. Is there a special way to access the system tray (you know, other than on the task bar, like a links list) the way you can with Window-Eyes? That would so kick ass!
No. That is the one thing that bugged me for a while when I switched from JFW to NVDA fulltime. Basically the best way to do it is to do a windows+b, which drops you onto the system tray list that is there with windows. What I have found to be the best thing next is to either arrow down to, or use letter navigation to find the icon you want, then press space on it, followed by the right click command. I'm a laptop user, so this is NVDA+right arrow. I'd have to look if that works on the desktop layout as well, as I've almost never used said layout myself. That can be looked at easily enough though in the NVDA menu, under help, keyboard command, quick reference.
Anyway, doing this will bring up the menu you're usually used to for that icon. The only weird thing I've seen sometimes is that the focus ocasionally gets lost on the menu, and you have to use object nav to find it again,click on it to disappear it, and try again. This is is fairly rare though.
Hope that helps.
I see. I didn't even know that command. I used to just tab through the taskbar until I found it. Any other helpful tips I should know, since I'm so clearly novice? :)
Hi Miah and Mel, have you guys send Michael Curren the problem with NVDA? He would love to know the problem and improve it, specially the fit back on using with at university with blackboard and stuff.
In fact, Michael is compiling data about NVDA in School right now.
If you need his info, shoot me an private message i'll pass to you there.
Cheers
Problem is that the system tray issue is one that only happens here and there, and would be hard to reproduce. NVDA does have a bug tracker for issues that people come across, and I know Jamie Teh a little, enough that I occasionally send him a question.
Melissa, I don't know what you do or don't know yet, to give you tips per say. Feel free to ask me questions though; I sometimes do tech teaching, and NVDA has become my primary screen reader, so I can probably help if you need anything.
I would peruse that keyboard quick reference. It lists all the keystrokes and a brief description of what they do. It gave me a lot of help when I switched over fully.
Just as a sidenote, at least on XP, I can go to the system tray, arrow down past the clock and then press the first letter of an icon. This usually, and note I do say usually, works. I didn't know this either until about a year ago, and I don't think it's well known at all, since no one would expect something like the system tray to be navigable this way.
I just checked, and the task bar does the same thing. ALso something I didn't know.
I do think it would be nice to have some kind of system tray icon list, but I don't think it's a priority at the moment, so this is what we've got. And for what it is, NVDA is pretty amazing in what it can do.
Dear singer of songs, and Mel, I myself am an XP user as well, and I have not had any of the problems you guys are discussing. Is it an operating system issue?
Is NVDA one of the best free screen-readers out there? Can you change the voice on NVDA? I sure do hope so.
Their is no way I will be able to upgrade JAWS anymore. Very expencive , so that is why I am trying to find another screen-reader.
Thanks,
I've never used NVDA, but would like to try it out because it would be useful to know how to use if jaws crashes. I'm still in school so my rehab service commition can and will update jaws to jaws 13, and after that updates are automatic. Right? I hope so!
To those of you who are curious as to the functionality of NVDA, yes, it is quite a powerful screenreader, though it does take a lot of getting used to. One thing I will warn you about is how it presents web pages, which I discussed earlier in this topic. If you don't want NVDA verbalizing every column and row of every table, you would go to Document Presentation under Preferences in the NVDA menu and change those settings accordingly. NVDA also tries to present webpages exactly as they appear. For example, typically links are not all in a vertical list, as JAWS and Window-Eyes paint them to be; rather, they are often next to each other. If a link is at the end of a sentence like "For help, click here," it will be attached to the sentence rather than appearing seemingly on the next line. Some users appreciate this feature because they have far more equitable access to the Web; however, users like me are so used to the way JAWS or Window-Eyes present things that it can be at best bemusing and at worst absolutely annoying. The way you would change that setting would be under Browse Mode in the Preferences section of the NVDA menu. It will say something like, "Support document formatting when available," and you'll want to uncheck that box.
As far as synthesizers/voices, because this is freeware and I think somewhat open source (don't quote me on it), getting other synths/voices onboard is a bit tedious but certainly doable. Two gems to look into would be Speech Hub and an article which NV Access has published with further resources in said realm.
Hopefully your heads aren't about to explode. NVDA requires a lot of patience, and to be honest, I'll say I quite hated it at first. But now that I've finally gotten used to it, I've grown to like it. It's still not my default screenreader, but it certainly can be used as such.
i've used NVDA for about 5 years, so i'm pritty much a pro at it. if anyone has any questions pm me or something because I don't check the bords often. also, i'l say I know a lot of people can not stand espeak, it's ok to me, but if you want the best varrients for espeak klat 1 and 2 are the best ones.
Klat 1 and 2?
Oh okay, I just looked. I don't know why I don't remember Klat. He isn't half bad! Though what on Earth is the difference between 1 and 2? Have you noticed anything?
I do'nt konw how to really describe the differences betwene the 2, one soundss like an electro laranx or somethign and the other one just, well, some people thinks it sounds like some sort of an external sinth comeing out of a radio or something
I feel very silly, but so far I am hardly able to discern between the two. Ah well.
the klat voices sound like emulations of the keynote gold synthesiser that the braille note uses.
Anyone know if you are able to use vocalizer with NVDA?
There is a website that has Vocalizer voices available, but I think you need a license to use them. I'm not sure how you go about getting the license though, as I didn't see where to buy that or the voices on the site. You'd probably need to contact them for that. The voices are at:
http://www.vocalizer-nvda.com/en/downloads.htm
.
Esp: Oh my Gosh, you're right, it totally does!
At Usman: The article I mentioned previously (at least I think it was this topic?) actually talked about Vocalizer, but it is a paid thing.
Does NVDA work with open book?
Openbook has it's own voice though?
Raaj.
oh that makes sense since its a free option for jaws 14 users, an insentive I would imagine.
I would be using NVDA more but unfortunately it doesn't have much support for a lot of applications I use for school. They've come a long way but I think they could market it a bit better and add something akin to research it like jaws.
Research it is probably the only reason why I use jaws aside from it's support for the afor mentioned applications.
do you think jaws eats up a lot more cpu than nvda does?
I have nvda installed on my netbook, because i think jaws woul slow it down to the point of unusability. lol
does jaws eat up a lot more cpu than nvda? i have nvda installed on my netbook cause I think jaws would probably slow it down to the point of unusability.
yes, it does. Jaws uses a ton more resources since its a very large piece of software.
I really don't recommend installing it on machines running less than 2 gigs of RAM.
I love NVDA too, and use it as my only Windows screenreader. I, too, noticed the issue with the find feature, or lack their of. As for tables, I disable them completely, along with frames, lists, and headers. I've never seen a need for them. One of my main peves, and it's really only started with this latest version of NVDA, is the automatic forms mode! I don't know what NVDA calls it, but it's when you enter a mode to type in boxes etc. Now, whenever I'm arrowing around such a box, it keeps going in and out of that mode, and sometimes, when I'm reading a page with the downarrow key, it puts me in the mode without me wanting to go there! How do I stop this? Also, many times, NVDA will just freeze for a few seconds. I'll be reading something, and then the speech stops and comes back. At first, I thought it was the computer I was using, but I have had this happen on multiple machines.
I've never heard of using links list or NVDA-b with the system tray. I thought links list only works with links on a webpage. I don't think I've ever used the left or right click commands, but I do know about using downarrow and then the letter of the program you want. I use the laptop layout as well, so can't help with desktop commands. What is object nav? Personally, I love ESpeak, especially the Michel voice, and always have it set to Greek. In fact, Greek support is why I switched to NVDA in the first place. *smile* Trust me, I adore the Keynote Gold. The Klat voices sound nothing like it!
I like NVDA, but so far I have found that JAWS is far better when it comes to working on documents for my job. I use NVDA a little bit at home, and a little bit at work for that matter when JAWS crashes. So far I like the JAWS 14 beta quite well.
if you type "nvda addons" into google, at least one of the pages has the dectalk and eloquence synths available as addons.