Category: Geeks r Us
It's been around 20 days now that I've spent using, testing, and tweeking Windows 7. Initially, I had high hopes for the Operating system -- seeing Microsoft's viewpoints on the project, I was in favor and support of the ideas they proposed to create.
But as the hands of time turn, and my experience grows more towards the conclusive stage, my mind is settling into place on how to think of Windows 7. This review will focus on the User-interface aspects of 7, and the accessibility it provides to several people: Both the blind and visually impaired communities, as well as the average, off-the-job sighted person. How accessible is this "NEW" operating system?
Taskbar: Simpler, please.
The taskbar has been around for such a long time. I can recall the windows 3.1 group program manager days, which weren't too long ago. Then in Windows 95 I saw the "big leap" from the organized and simple groups to the new taskbar and complicated branching start menu. Ah, those were the days.
The taskbar has changed a lot over the years. In windows XP, we saw the introduction of grouping buttons so that you could, let's say, click the button for Microsoft Word and have all word documents open up in a menu where you could choose the document you wished to switch to.
In 7, the taskbar was taken to another leap. Mousing over icons now reveals window contents in a visual style.
For the blind, the taskbar is as it was before: you can still left/right arrow through the buttons.
Start menu: Start to shut and run!
Well. The start menu is a nice disaster.
Again, an element of Windows which has been around for a long time, the start menu is a historical artifact and one which is a great veteran of Windows. In Windows XP, a new "start menu" was introduced, allowing people to access information quicker since all recent items were put on one side of the menu.
In vista, this was redesigned to include a search box which the user would land in when opening the menu, similar to Apple's spotlight feature.
In 7, things became worse.
Although I never did enjoy the new start menu of Vista or XP, it was nice knowing that I could still access the good old windows 95 version of the menu. Not in windows 7! So far I have not found any way of accessing the classic start menu (though I haven't looked for registry hacks). So I'm stuck with the windows 7 new menu.
The drama is noticed right after entering the menu: Not only does the screen reader, JAWS, announce each menu item with a sub-menu next to it (notepad subMenu. ), but the whole window is an odd-feeling tree view of some sorts. And no longer can you simply uparrow in the startmenu to find the shutdown button. Oh no, you have to TAB several times to find it.
Again, is it that simple? really.
Ribbons: What's with the gifts?
Another feature which only makes me grumble more on Windows 7's appearance is the new Ribbon interface. Yes, this is the same one you find in office 2007.
Screen readers do not work out of the box with these controls, and this is to be expected as Ribbons are not an integral part of Windows usually. However, you can always apply office 2007 scripts and load them to provide JAWS and Window-eyes (set files) the ability to access the ribbon controls. That's just one solution, but I simply HATE the fact that I cannot hit a shortcut key to jump to a particular function anymore. Oh no, I have to go through a bunch of lower and upper ribbons.
Control panel: Get rid of the old!
The control panel no longer contains the classic view option. You can use "show all items" to at least display the familiar applet names of the panel, but you must use the tab key to move through the list if visually impaired. This illiminates the use of first-letter navigation, and the use of lists. No longer can you simply open up the good ol' list of CP items, as the classic view has magically disappeared.
Notification area: Where are all my applications!
Many of us have cluttered system trays, this is a fact which must be faced without fear or shame. In Windows XP, many of your system tray icons could be hidden after a certain time of inactivity (hiding your inactive notification icons).
When using JAWS, hitting Insert f11 no longer allows you to bring up that nice list of system tray icons. Instead, you get a nice error stating "failed to obtain the list of task tray icons".
Simple for you? Now you must hit Windows M. Tab through til you get to the system tray. Then, use your arrows several times to locate the right item.
Network connections: A simple way to network.
Ok, in Windows XP/Vista, here is how I would access my network connections list:
CTRL+eSC brought up my start menu. I hit S, N. Ta-da!
In windows 7:
Windows+m. Tab, Tab. Right arrow until I find "not connected you are not connected to any networks." hit enter. Find the connection I wish to connect with using that "wierd" list which screen readers can't even render properly (sometimes you are told "blank" and with a beep you do not have any item selected). Hit enter. Enter again, as this is a dial-up internet.
Come on! What happened to my simple network connections list?
Printing: We're sorry!
I was always confident that when I connect a printer to my laptop either via infra-red or USB, it would be autodetected by Windows. You know, I would be told that a new printer was installed and could select it from the list of printers when trying to print.
This has changed in 7. I've tried several times to connect an HP Laserjet 2200 to this machine but with no luck: Not only were the drivers missing from the kernel, but I could never detect that this printer was existing on my machine. The Infra-red sound signified that in deed it was detected but was never installed.
So much for printing my homework!
Search box of the start menu: I found it!
For those who have used the search feature of Vista, you are probably quite familiar and used to the way it is presented: You hit your start button, type the first letters of a program name, and hit your down-arrow keys to locate the application.
Windows 7 has this search method implemented. However, no screen reader I've used so far allows me to actually down arrow through a list. When I type in a keyword and arrow down, I only get weird-sounding letters (c) and sometimes, (Documents(1)). Doing a say all doesn't help either.
UAC: On the bright side.
One good news to report with windows 7 is the redesign of the user account control. When it does appear (on a few cases mainly when you try to install or run a program), it no longer presents that black and mean-looking environment. (for those who are more technical, it does not enter a restri cted system state where remote JAWS or other means of rendering the screen have to be used)
UAC, in fact, is so good that I didn't even turn it off and don't plan to.
Calculator: The feature that was (for now)
The calculator thus far is inaccessible with all screen reader releases. JAWS simply reports "display window not found", while NVDA gives strange beeps indicating errors. I assume this is due to the "new look" assigned to the program, which is more 3D in style and actually seems quite neat. Finally calculator looks like an actual calculator.
Screen reader accessibility:
I've tested several screen reading products with 7. Below are individual reports for each:
Jaws. JAWS 10.0512.400 works quite well with 7, accept for list views and shell folders: You can no longer select items properly. When arrowing down folders in Windows explorer, you are also told "not selected" for every item. Right arrowing reveals a neat feature: JAWS will announce the file syse, date modified, and other attributes of the currently selected file.
Ribbons do not work out of the box. Calculator doesn't function.
A major major bug exists (at least with my ATI Mobility Radian x1400 card) whereby if you change the Windows theme to "windows classic", JAWS crashes and every time when it starts, you receive severe memory dumps. So keep your theme with the default of "windows 7!"
System access:
System access seems to function quite well with Windows 7, though I have not done much major testing with it (yet). The start menu works better than with most screen readers, so does Windows Explorer.
NVDA:
NVDA (an open-source screen reader at www.nvda-project.org
) has become practically disfunctional with Windows 7. Virtually every command you hit, you receive the famous NVDA beep and an error message (this includes the start menu)
wow, and people said vista was bad? vista's tame compared to that
Um, no rat. vista is worse then that. Loosk like i'm sticking with my XP, at least until they get this fixed up a bit.
honestly I have had no problems at all with vista and jaws.
Er ... guy's, its just a beta? Not to mension a beta that i'm quite sure you shouldn't have?
Why are you knocking it so badly when its in the stage of developmemt where accessabilitty probably hasn't really been thought about?
Reading your posts it seemed like you were putting the sr's down due to them not working with the os - how on earth do you expect them to at this stage?
Also, keep in mind that while microsoft originally said they'd release it in 2009, they've nowdecided to give it more time, and not release it until spring of 2010. AT least that's what I read last. (Microsoft has a habbit of doing that sort of thing.)
Just be greatful that jaws actually runs on it at this point in Vista's life cycle jaws didn't work with it. That should be a good sign.
Lol and I thought my computer was acting up! I dont even like IE7 all that much, I miss my old one, but anyway, yeah! Glad I dont have that system! Lol!
I too have used and tested windows 7 build 6801 I haven't found 6933 as of yet. I look more at performance than user friendlyness though i understand this is a key factor in wheather or not I use it. If it is a pain to work with I refuse to use it, but if it slows a system that I know is quite capable of running said o/s then it turns me off even more.
I will keep testing windows 7 and report if I can, though I do have hopes. If ms gets it right then I will switch. The interface can be switched to a classic theme for the most part and I wouldn't doubt if hacks are released to change the look and feel of different applets. Performance is my key aspect of a machine, If I buy a quad core, it better damned run like a quadcore not a dual core.
cody, it also depends onthe type of quad you get. mine is a true quad core with four cores. intel uses hyper threading so they only have 2 cores on their chip
If it is labeled as a quad, it should run like a quad. Why you bought such a machine mr. rat is still beyond my comprehension, I suppose those text games just weren't enough for that single core. Definitely need a quad for that tellin ya.
If an o/s takes up more than 3 gb of disk space and need more than 256 mb of ram to just run itself I start asking questions. Operating systtems are to make the computer function is a computer should not to make you have an orgasm as many of you vista thumpers are.
Many of you know me for bashing vista. And many of you agree with me. Face it most of us fucking hate vista. However, I will gladly switch to windows 7 if they actually get it right this next time. If the install has been knocked down from 11 gb to 8 gb that is an improvement but still does not satisfy me. The kernel is significantly smaller than vista, and seeing it run on a single core 2 g.0 gig box with 1 gb of ram was significantly improved compared to that of vista basic. M$ is making some bad mistakes by taking out classic features and I've already started a site of my own with forums that I can hopefully use to aid people in boosting their computer speed, performance etc. www.hurstpcs.net the site is not running right now only have a temp page up there but the forums can be accessed by adding /forums on that URL.
If someone comes to me with a vista issue I will most likely take their box, tell them their issue is spyware, reinstall the o/s with xp and tell them their issue was a virus. They'll thank me to no end and wonder mysteriously now how their box got to be so damned fast. You buy a quad to take advantage of 3rd party apps that actually use those resources, not to take advantage of the o/s. you don't buy a computer for vista fuck no/ya buy it for productivity here folks and this is what we're talking about. I think m$ sees this and windows 7 will hopefully be a step in the right direction.
It needs to be understood that mr. rat has been stuck in the ages of dialup so quite frankly he wouldn't notice a difference in a fast computer with shitsta on it. I most likely will not try 7 again until a much later revision number, I would hopefully like to see some major changes from 6801 to say 7000.
cody, i haven't been on dialup for over a year now. i've learned that waiting is something you must do, which has given me a little ability to handle things when they don't go as planned. as for why i got this computer, it was the one that best buy had at the time, and i didn't want a HP computer. what was left was this gatway quad core. you need to learn respect.
Cody, you need to quit being rude to people. You also need to stop bashing Vista like you do. Just because you don't like something doesn't mean you can go around bashing it. You just do it because you like it when people get mad. You need to show respect to people. Don't be so damn rude.
Dave, he's not being rude. I said basicaly the same thing to rat, and I haven't heard u say anything about it, or rat for that matter.
Ok for the 1000000th time, I am not being rude or being mean to people. I am telling it how it is. You people are getting pissed at me because you don't want to be open to the fact that vista is full of issues. That is that. Now for windows 7, I have already said that I have hope. period end of story. I still do not know why you people are coming after me with knives when others like spike, mike, sk poet are all saying the same thing. Please stop coming after me because you dont' like me or something. i am being harsh because I hate sugar coating things for you
Since I was mentioned, I'll respond to this thread:
I've said why I hate Vista myself, and why I personally won't use it, I've also given links to back up my opinions. If Microsoft indeed changes stuff for Windows 7, in its final idderasion/version, than I will switch to it on this laptop from XP, if not, then this mistake will be their downfall. The next machine I buy, will probably be either a single or duel quad core with 4 gb ram.
It'll be the backend for a media center, which will stream stuff to more than one device, I'll probably run XP Pro on it, since I'd actually like to use the cores for video transcoding on the fly. For those who've done video conversion, you know what that does to a CPU, now imagine doing this for a 2-3 hour movie, more than once, for multiple devices, such as ps3, XBox 360, etc, all at once, its not everyday usage, i do gotta admit, but I'm not an avrage user.
For those who use Vista, and have done so, give me valid links to answer the following questions
Is Vista better at video transcoding on the fly than XP on a duel or quad core?
If so, what makes it better, and can you duplicate the new features in XP?
For those who are able to find valid links for my questions above, and are willing to share, give me the following for each link. Title of the article, and link itself, and try to make it one of those printable one page versions.
well ...
Please guys, I know 7 is still in testing stages and I understand Squiggles' perspective. It may change, and MAYBE there in deed is hope...
Squiggles, build 6956 is out. Google it and if you wish, test it. I'll review 6956 myself and report on how it is soon! I'm not giving links her since I do not encourage this at all but anyone who wants to join testing, feel free to google it.
For 6956, I would recommend you find the .iso image. Originally it is a virtual hard-drive vhd file, but they have made it into an Iso file. Good luck!
Things don't look good for Windows 7 so far, but for those that use windows, I hope it'll get better. I've heard a lot of bad reports about Vista, and thereofre I dind't want to touch it, so went out and got an IMAc, and gotinto the Mac, and Mac OSx. I love hte mac, and I rarely use windows now. Have an XP machine here, but rarely use it.
yes. I agree with you on this one, Macs are a lot better (at this point) than Windows.
I myself used my mom's mac for a weekend and enjoyed voiceover quite a lot.
However, software for a Mac seems quite pricy to say the least, and since only around 30% (growing though!) of computer users use the macintosh, not many free software workarounds exist. They do, but one must research hard to find them.
I'm right now looking into the process of installing mac on an x86 platform, and it is possible.
Meanwhile, both my Windows 7 reviews will be posted to
www.eurpod.com
, my website. I've written the conclusions for both -- so check it out if you wish!
-Tomi
Just hold your panties up, as with longhorn, build 4074 was god awful, but look what it became, so this is the main reason aI will not use any successive builds, it would be a waste of dvd's and bandwidth to download isos that may only have a few bug fixes. I will wait, as i've said, until something bigger has come out. I will keep up on this topic so that if someone has any updates i will get first hand info. Vista, is indeed, awful. bloatsta!
Update!
I've run a patch recently which enabled the new Windows 7 taskbar. (no wonder that my family did not see a difference!).
The patch did it's work. The taskbar is not at all accessible by the following screen reading product;
JAWS
Window-eyes
it seemsto function well with System access (the taskbar acts just as it should).
The new taskbar allows users to click on a menu (which is next to each application button) to open up a list of tasks to do. These include, for notepad at least, pinning the application to the taskbar, shutting down the program, and viewing recently opened files.
The taskbar also allows users to display recently opened programs.
Build 6956 supposedly already has this taskbar in place, so for a while, I'll have no taskbar! (unless I switch to system access as my permimant screen reader haha)