Category: Geeks r Us
Well the subject says it all really. There is more information on www.windoweyesforoffice.com. Note that you may need to cut and paste that link - I've had problems posting links to boards before, but the site seems genuine and I got this from a GW Micro press release.
Pretty fresh indeed. I wonder if Microsoft purchased them or gave them some seed money?
I imagine they'll have given them some money. Effectively Microsoft will include it in the Office licence fee a bit like Apple do for Voiceover in the price of a Mac. Is it my imagination though, or can I hear the pens being sharpened in the Freedom Scientific legal department? They're not afraid to use the courts however unsuccessfully, I guess they might think twice before taking on Microsoft though.
Sorry - I obviously meant pencils being sharpened, not pens!
I'm surprised this thread has received so little interest. What we are seeing is a complete re-vamp of screenreader access. FS are in a rather difficult situation with firstly NVDA, and now WindowEyes, and frankly can't continue to ignore it.
If I were FS, I'd try to explore a tie-up with one of the big hardware manufacturers. That way they could cut GW off at the knees for a reasonable percentage of the market depending on who they partnered with.
in other words, if you were FS, you'd say by a DELL and we'll give the user blah blah off our software?
Incidentally, is there a reason for Microsoft to work with GWMicro an not FS or even NVAccess? I've tried using all of them and it seems that both have their strong an weak points so I'm just curious.
Hi John,
Essentially yes. GW Micro understandably haven't released the commercial terms of their deal with Microsoft, but it's a partnership and not an acquisition, and so I assume that Microsoft is paying GW something in order to make Window-Eyes available free of charge to users of Microsoft Office with a view to either absorbing the cost or adding a tiny amount to the price of every licence sold.
To my way of thinking, if FS wants to get involved in a similar deal, a tie-up with a hardware manufacturer or manufacturers is the only way to go. I can't see why Microsoft would agree to, say, make JAWS available with versions of Windows if they have entered into this agreement with GW Micro, and there's no point in trying to tie up with Corel or IBM/Lotus (their user bases are now much too small), but software bundling with new computers is not a new concept. It would put them upstream of GW Micro as most new computers don't come with full versions of Office, you only normally get a trial. They might not even need to enter into an exclusivity deal. While there are many computer manufacturers, there is also quite a long tale, and the top 5 make up for a good percentage of sales.
Hongsen, I don't know, I guess there could be any number of reasons. Maybe GW Micro asked and the others didn't (though if I was entering into this type of commercial arrangement I might have sounded them out first), maybe Microsoft were able to agree more favourable terms, or maybe they thought GW would be the easiest to work with.
Also remember, Microsoft is a software company, so could add any type of software to the group.
Just like Skype.
All it takes to sale of offer another companies software is to pay them a reality on it.
If you get your software on more systems, because it comes packaged, you get a broader user base.
I'm watching the outcome. Freedom Scientific has no claim.
What can they say, you picked them and not us?
Fine, we'll take you too, how many licenses will you offer us to add you to our package? Smile.
Microsoft has run into difficulties in bundling software before, I'm thinking about the anti-trust cases surrounding the integration of Internet Explorer into Windows back in the late 90s/early 2000s. Obviously things are a bit different in this instance, but I bet FS are having a look - they're not shy of seeking legal redress as GW Micro, Serotek and others have found out in the past. Still, taking on MS would be a whole different kettle of fish, particularly as FS presumably need the cooperation of Microsoft to be able to have a version of JAWS that supports Microsoft products on the day of release.
It'll be interesting to see whether FS do react and try and make their software free to the end users. Agencies have a lot of sunk costs in JAWS, and FS might take the view that despite budget constraints, agencies will continue to pay whatever they charge for site upgrades on the basis that it's easier and they're more familiar with JAWS than Window-Eyes.
Maybe yes, maybe no. Agencies have the habbit or restraint of budgets.
If you have a set amount for your budget and you don't use it all, you get less the next year based on what you spent last year, so it is best to try to spend every dime, and have a wish list on top of that you couldn't get due to less money.
I think this window-eyes for office offer is good personally. I tried window-eyes and prefer it over jaws. I mean really tried it within the past week with the free version of window-eyes and it works great.
This might be a silly question, but is this offer available for those running windows on a Mac?
most likely because its not tide into bying windows, its MS. office sweet. :) I to am running windows7 on a mac but do not have a lisned copy of MS. office yet 2010 to test this offer.
Yes it would be available to someone running Windows on a Mac either as a Virtual Machine or under Bootcamp etc. The only proviso is that you have a licensed version of Office 2010 or higher under the Windows part of your machine. It goes without saying that this won't work/is not available with Office for Mac!
Strictly using Office, are there major differences between JAWS and Window-Eyes? What, in your opinion, makes one better than the other? I've never used Window-Eyes and I'm curious.
Hi all.
Just wondering, but do all the standard voices like dectalk not come bundled with the office version of windoweyes?
I installed it on a computer earlier this week, and windoweyes kept giving me lip about having to buy the voices. Are these just something I have to download, or is the version of windoweyes you get with office limited. If so, is it limited in other ways?
I'm thinking about switching perminantly to windoweyes at this point. I just blew my last fs upgrade on jaws 15, but after 15 when I can't get the new versions anymore, I might not renew my fs sma.
This is really revolutionary, and personally, I'm glad Microsoft went with Windoweyes.
Jaws is good, no denying that, but fs is a pretty crappy company to have to do business with.
This could also be a boon to the state agencies. They could buy clients ms office and get windoweyes with that. It's cheaper, and the clients have office. Sounds like a great deal.
Propps to gw, and heres hoping that they can finally bite the shark back for a change.
The only limitation it has is it comes with free voices, that is, Espeak and the Microsoft Speech platform. You want DecTalk or Elloquence or whatever you have to go in and buy it, but luckily you only pay once and it's yours. Otherwise all functions are there.
Well if yo you have Windows 8, the narator voice that is dave sounds pretty damn good IMO.
also I like window-eyes because it is so customiseable. oh by the way if you ever have trouble switching to sapi5 you can always go to run and type wineyes /sespeak and it will give you speech garanteed.
There are a few differences between the free and retail versions. With the retail version you get: An installation CD, print and braille reference cards, additional speech synthesisers (Vocalise, Eloquence and Dectalk Access 32), an add-free experience with GW Connect and unlimited technical support incidents. If all you want are additional synthesisers, these are relatively cheap compared to the cost of the retail version. The free version will also work with any unlocked software synthesisers that you might already have installed.
Hi, just installed Window Eyes. Is there a way to enable laptop mode? Where can I find more tutorials?
Why did I not hear of this? Damn! I am going to take advantage right now!
Kate
to enable insert mode press control alt 0 on the number row. to enable laptop mode go into window-eyes control panel control backslash then alt h for help up to advanced mode hit enter. now that advance mode is on go down to keyboard in the tree-view, open it with right arow, go to layouts tab to the desktop radio button. change it to laptop with down arrow then hit control s to save your settings.