Category: Geeks r Us
Well, speculation is starting about Windows 8, which of course would be the next version of Windows. More cloud-based services, they say, should be popping up when this next version comes out in late 2011 or early 2012. And Windows tablets? This is obviously a competition between Apple and Microsoft. Is it going to be a touch screen tablet? Of course. Microsoft promises that there will be a big improvement on their on-screen keyboards, so that almost makes it clear that there will be a Windows tablet, or to put it in a more simple way, a touch screen laptop. Only problem that us blind people face is: Will those tablets be accessible like the iPad? And if they are, I'm almost sure that we would have to purchase a screen reader for them, just like we do with the normal PC's. It would almost be a surprise to me if Microsoft built a screen reader right into the tablets because they don't usually do that. Also, it is rumored that Windows 8 will be a smaller and more responsive operating system than our current version of Windows, which of course is Windows 7. But to sum it up, the speculation is just starting, so don't get your hopes up about anything yet.
hello,
this is an excellent topic, one that I wanted to write about myself later on, so thank you for bringing it up :)
Well, for sure you can expect me to be right there on the testing scene the moment 8 starts to come online-from day #1 I hope to be testing the OS.
There are several points to consider here. Microsoft is working on Windows Phone 7, which is their successor to Windows Mobile. I can tell you right now that unless Code Factory makes a deal with MS to be able to install programs outside of their marketplace on the device (As far as I know, you won't be able to install regular .cab files like you could in Windows Mobile), I don't see a microsoft-manufactured screen reader on that front.
Tablet PCs aren't new. They already exist, but are expensive, and (sometimes) clumsy. Their goal is to allow for writing on the screen using a stylus. Are they blind friendly, I don't think so, but from logic I gather no.
Now, on to Windows 8. It seems like (from these speculations, which I also have read-www.winsupersite.com is my source for a lot of these news), that Microsoft is trying to murge the PC and phones together. The same way Phones go to "sleep" when idle and instantly come back when you push a key? That idea will go to Windows: so in terms of functions, I think it can safely be said that Microsoft wants to do what Apple already has: Bring their platforms closer together.
Let's examine this on a greater level: How has Apple done this? Well, first, iPhone OS has the same internals as Mac OS. Windows Phone still uses a CE Kernel, but from reading up on that OS it is clear that Microsoft has again thoroughly re-designed the structure of Windows CE.
Interface-wise, both company's use different interfaces. When using iPhone OS and Mac OS, I found that some dialogs even had the same text;I don't think Windows phone 7 and Windows are like that.
So, getting down to the core of your topic. Screen readers.
I don't see Microsoft committing themselves to Access. On the flip side, I also don't see that many tablets using Windows 8, perhaps maybe the premium ones. You could think sub-$300 tablets might use Windows Phone and above that, the more feature-centric ones will use Windows 8 as their interface. This is drawing from how Microsoft seems to have done what they have with different product editions, though I'm hearing that Windows 8 will (thank God) reduce numbers.
We can always hope that Windows 8 will be the start of a new commitment out of Redmond. Seeing that they have Freedom Scientific or now NVDA to fill in that gap, though, I think the company will expect them to inivate with the advancement of the OS. The interesting question here is, what if Windows 8 gets such a makeover that company's simply can't afford to take months or years to re-design their products to meet the new UI? This is unlikely, as that would trigger another Vista-like era, but we never know what root Microsoft will take.
first off don't expect windows 8 before 2012, unless you plan on beta testing it. Also there are already Touch smart laptops and desktops on th emarket running windows 7 and these are the features they plan to implement into tablets that run windows 7. On the tablet front we are more likely however to see tablets running Android than windows 7 which leaves a greater possibility for it being accessible. I would also make more sense for microsoft to use windows phone 7 for tablets but word has it they want to push windows 7 & in time windows 8 as their Tablet OS as well. Personally i almost wish microsoft would aquire NVDA and its developers and intergrate it right into windows so taht there is a decent screen reader out of the boxl. But i don't think microsoft will improove their accessibility efforts much past what it is now. Remember how microsoft tried to lock everyone out of the kernal for windows 7 64 bit and all the Anti virus companies got in a uproar and bitched about how they were gonna go out of business? Or how Windows security essentials isn't included in windows because they could get sued for being anti competitive much like they did for bundling internet explorer. I am sur eif microsoft put something that rivals voice over into windows FS and other companies would get their panties in a twist about their vanishing business model and there would probably be an attempt at a lawsuit or 2.
I think another big topic that's talked about a lot is face recognition. Both Microsoft and Apple are looking into it. I think that by the time Windows 8 is released, which will probably be 2012, Apple will already come out with a Mac, an iPad, or an iPhone that uses face recognition for security purposes. Apple is usually the first to go about using those technologies, so I don't think it'll be much of a surprise if Apple does this before Microsoft.
Also, Apple has announced Mac OS 10.7 Lion, which will be more like iOS, multitouch gestures included. That makes me wonder if Microsoft will take after them and will make Windows 8 look somewhat like the Zune interface, just like the Windows Phone 7.
One major difference between Microsoft and Apple is the hardware.
Apple ships their software for a predetermined set of hardware interfaces, which becomes increasingly necessary as you're talking multidimensional interfaces like multitouch: kick,flikc, slide, twist, with an accelerometer and proximity sensors - or similar technology - you can get an interface like this to do just about anything.
However, look at the Android market and you'll see what happens in Windows.
Apple followers rarely, if ever, speak from the experience of deploying software onto an eternity of hardware interfaces.
But for each hardware interface, you'll have a subset of implementation for how the software works. Consider how many gyrations and conflagrations you get in video or sound hardware on the PC platform using Windows. They all do different things, their interfaces require more than just a simple switch statement of a driver.
Much as I think deploying software using this technology anywhere would be fun, the most useful seems to be coming out of Apple right now because you get one set of interfaces to one set of hardware. Apple has what would constitute a monopoly, if it were Microsoft, but it's working.
If Microsoft did the same thing, and Apple were open like Microsoft is now, two things would happen:
First, enterprise would use Apple instead, because enterprise solutions are developed around the existing needs of the enterprise, not the other way around.
And second, we'd have kiddies on benefits railing against Apple for having a monopoly.
Things always look interesting when you work the problem backwards.