Category: accessible Devices
Hi there. Is anyone using Serotek's System Access screen reader? If so, what are your thoughts? I am contemplating a switch from JAWS to this product. Thanks.
I have SA and JAWS. My only complaint with SA is that it seems rather sluggish and slows my pc down a bit. It's a good screen reader and gets the job done. You can't beat the value. I do still prefer JAWS, mostly because of the speed issues, but I'd be comfortable using SA as my primary screen reader over JAWS. If I was paying for JAWS myself, I probably wouldn't own it. I haven't tried yet, but I am curious to see how SA works with eloquence now that it's an option. I think once I switch my SA to eloquence, I will like it even better just because I am so used to that synth that everything else annoys me.
I am very happy with system access; I use it as my primary screen reader and have been since 2005. PQN me if I can answer any questions
When I had my free trial, it was sluggish when reading documents.
I like to use EdSharp as my text editor to read books because of the book marking feature, and it keeps pausing for long periods of time at each sentence or paragraph.
That and the fact that the network doesn't have any up to date TV shows are the reasons for me not buying it at the moment.
It's nice to see eloquence with it, even if it is $25.
It's definitely worth it for the things it can do.
I might switch to it, rather than renewing my jaws SMA, I'll just have to keep an eye on its development till then.
I really like SA. Especialy with eliquence. It seems to read things better in some cases then JAWS, and has less frustrating commands. My only real problem with it (I'm using SA to go) is that it really slows down my computer when I try to select a big block of text in a long doccument, and every once in a while when reading line by line in a doccument it misreads a line. Overall I really like it though, I think it has a lot of potential, and I love being able to access it from any computer.
heard alot of praises to SA. i have not try using the acture SA itself, but my contacts that have use this product have give good comment on it.
i've been using SAToGo in public computer, it work as great if not better than jaws. i would have think, SA would have no different than SAToGo, if not better than the free version.
you might need a short time to get use to it, as it is quite different from Jaws. if you have experience with window eyes before, you shouldn't have any issue with SA.
it work better than jaws on MS office, specially with power point. it reads better, and clearer even with SAToGo.
another advantage beside price with SA is it hardly crash, compare to jaws.
it is definitely worth the price. if i'm not having jaws right now, i will definitely get myself SA as the primary screen reader.
I am glad to hear it works well with PowerPoint. I find JAWS quite poor with PowerPoint. I haven't, granted, taken an appropriate amount of time to learn about it, but mostly I don't have to with these things.
Well one of the advantages to jaws and why its my main screen reader is the scripting language that allows it to be made to work with certain programs that aren't very accessible at first. Being a musician the free sonar scripts is something i used alot and wont be even considering a switch to a different screen reader untill they can match this funtionality. If one of the programs that jaws scripts are available for isn't something you care to use alot then System Access will be a fine choice.
it is ok but i'm a jaws user
i just use a regular one not sure of the brand but it doesn't talk. i just know what it is by hearing the song
If you buy System Access and install it, does it run from your computer, or from the web? I know System Access to Go runs from the web and it appears you have to download it everytime and be able to use the internet without speech to get to the System Access to Go website.
If it is cheap, I'd be interested in using it as the people I am teaching how to use computers can't all afford Jaws.
Has anyone heard anything lately about the WebAnywhere software? It was supposed to be a project from a university that ran via the web and basically provided support for the web from any computer, any OS, being it's written in PHP mostly. It's not a screen reader, it's a browser redirect - using whichever modern browser is the system's default. The advantage was supposed to be that the internet cafe which doesn't allow any ActiveX or other downloads would still let Web Anywhere work. Of course internet cafes aren't popular anymore but I suppose the public library that has no access software could use it ... Dunno. Just heard about it a few years ago but know nothing about it really, except it was a research project at a university.
Thanks for the input. I will probably move to Serotek at home and keep JAWS at work. At home, I don't require any scripted programs that Serotek doesn't appear to support. I will try it further this weekend.
Senior, SA runs from your computer if you purchase a license. If I remember right, a license is about $300 and allows you to install on 2 computers. For an extra $100, you get the ability to install it on a flash drive which you can then plug into any computer and SA will start up automatically and run from the flash drive. I carry my flash drive everywhere and have used it on numerous machines. It's great.
SA itself is something that you need to buy, which will cost you around 300/400US$, depends on what sort of package you bought with it.
SAToGo, in another hand, its a free software that saratec provide for free, which require you to use an internet connection whenever you want to use it.
when you log in to saratec.com, it will have a voice promp pretty much from there onwards. it might take a few minutes before SAToGo fully load on your computer.
i've tried disconnect from the internet when SAToGo is fully load, it working all right, as long as keeping the SAToGo website open, it will work even without an active connection.
personally i'll recommend SAToGo over NVDA.
but yet, as i said it before, if you expect SAToGo work just like Jaws, it may disappointed you, but if you use to window eyes and how it function, you won't have any drama with SA, or SAToGo.
it is a great option for user that travel alot, and does not want to install Jaws or deal with FS.
the word 'Key To Freedom' explain it all, before FS demand Saratec to change their name to System Access.
It would be great if all libraries made it possible for people to use System Access to Go on their computers. Unfortunately the libraries where I live don't allow you to run programmes that are not already installed to their computers.
If you want to run System Access to Go over an entire network, such as a library or college network, how much would that cost?
I used SA to Go at my university library with no problems. It doesn't leave anything behind after being used...If I'm correct.
hmm, the idea of System Access to go is for a computer to run thru internet, by logging in to saratec website, or satogo.com, and its free.
the website for SA to go to run directly or load directly with voice promp is satogo.com.
i'm not too sure how it work, but apparently, it didn't install any software in to the computer, it just run as temtpary using the internet. it might actually load it thru your tempt foulder, but i can't tell the exact of it, as i've not figure it out. perhaps a real geek could help out in that department.
it is weird if you can't use it in a public library, i'm sure i've friends that done it before over in England, and i done it myself using work computers, who have all the computer and network admin setting for softwares etc etc.
I think libraries should allow people to use System Access to Go, because it saves them money on installing Jaws, and if local libraries use the same network, it doesn't matter which library you go to, you will be able to run System Access to Go.
I have enquired about the possibility of using System Access to Go in my local libraries.