OutSPOKEN for Windows 3.1 and 3.11
Version 1.11
 
Please read this file before installing outSPOKEN 1.11.
 
OutSPOKEN 1.11 is the same as version 1.1 with the exception that it has a new
set of speech synthesizer drivers. The drivers now being used are the SSIL
drivers distributed by Arkenstone.
 
The program is shareware. By obtaining a serial number from ALVA
Access Group, Inc. (AAGI),
and installing outSPOKEN for Windows 1.11, You obtain a license to use
and distribute itthe only in
its entirety. You may not make changes to the software.
 
You are encouraged to order a support and documentation package from
AAGI.
Contact us  for updates such as Version 1.2 for Windows 95.
 
In order to install outSPOKEN you must obtain a serial number from
ALVA Access Group. Please call between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Pacific time.
 
ALVA Access Group, Inc.
1400 Shattuck Avenue
Suite 10
Berkeley, CA 94709
510-883-6280
Fax: 510-883-6270
Email: osw@aagi.com
URL and FTP: aagi.com
 
Note that the documentation for Version 1.11 is the same as for Version 1.1
except that all references to Omnichron drivers are no longer valid.
Instead, refer to documentation on SSIL contained in the drivers
directory of disk1. Note also that ALVA-bv has obtained all rights to the
outSPOKEN software and therefore Berkeley Systems is no longer responsible for
support and upgrades. All inquiries about outSPOKEN Macintosh and Windows
and inLARGE for the Macintosh should be directed to ALVA' U.S. office,
ALVA Access Group, Inc.
 
----------------------------------------
 
What is outSPOKEN
 
outSPOKEN for Windows 1.11 SSIL is an easy-to-use screen reading program
that works with virtually any standard Windows application and needs no
configuration setup.
This program will speak menus, dialog boxes, style information and all
visual elements of the Windows graphical user interface.
outSPOKEN intelligently follows the application focus and offers customization
options for keyboard echo, voice settings, tracking and graphics
announcement.
 
ALVA is offering this powerful and flexible screen reading program as a
free alternative to a limited demonstration version.
Work with it and see for yourself that Windows is accessible to blind
computer users.
Use it as long and as much as you would like and register only if you decide
that you want to use our support and information services.
You can purchase the support and documentation package from
any of our dealers at a cost of $295.00.
Registration entitles you to:
*A product package with discs, print, Braille and taped documentation.
*Tactile and reference sheets.
*Technical support via e-mail, fax and phone.
*The $695.00 price for the upcoming version 1.2 which will be compatible
with Windows 95.
 
----------------------------------------
INSTALLATION
 
This archive contains 3 files:
readme.txt--this file.
Disk1.zip--disk 1 of the outSPOKEN installer.
Disk2.zip--disk 2 of the installer.
 
Unzip the contents of disk1.zip onto a floppy disk using the -d switch to preserve
directory structure.
Unzip the contents of disk2.zip onto a second floppy disk using the -d switch to
preserve directory structure.
 
As an example of unzipping these files using the unzip program from PKWARE, you
would type:
 
pkunzip -d disk1.zip a:
 
Alternately, you can unzip the files to a directory on your hard drive by
replacing the a: with c:\oswtemp,
for example.
 
Unzip disk2.zip onto a separate floppy disk or into the same directory as
disk1, or a separate directory from disk 1 using the same method as used for
disk 1.
 
Now you are ready to begin the installation.
Before running the installer program do the following:
1. Make sure your synthesizer is properly attached and all manufacturer drivers
are installed and running. For example, if you are planning to use the
Text Assist driver, then make sure the
Text Assist software is working properly in Windows before installing outSPOKEN.
2. Take a look at the drivers directory on disk 1 of the outSPOKEN installer
and determine which synthesizer driver you need to specify during
installation. For example, if you are using an Accent
external speech synthesizer, you would choose a different driver name depending
on which serial port it is attached to and what the data bit setting is for
your Accent. it was not possible for us to test
all the synthesizer drivers. Use of the  drivers is the responsibility of the
user.
3. Obtain a serial number from ALVA Access to use during the installation
process.
4. Make sure that Microsoft Windows is installed on your hard drive.
5. Now you are ready to launch the osinstal program from the disk or drive
where you unzipped the outSPOKEN files. Run the osinstal.exe program from the
directory where you unzipped the contents of this archive.
6. If you are not using a DOS screen reader, and you are not able to read the
screen without one, the installer uses a series of tones to provide feedback
on the status of the installation process (See Section 2.2.3 of the
User Manual for a description
of these tones).
 
The outSPOKEN installer makes changes to 2 files on your hard drive:
WIN.INI, and SYSTEM.INI. Before making any changes, the
installer makes copies of the original files and gives them the file
extension ".OSW". For example, the copy of WIN.INI is named
WIN.OSW. For more information about these modifications, read
"Installing outSPOKEN Without The Installer" (Section 2.3 of the User Manual).
     7. The installer will prompt you for your name and serial number and
then proceed
as described in the user manual to create a directory for outSPOKEN, and to
modify the system.ini and win.ini
files, using information entered during installation. If you are installing
from floppy disks, you will
need to provide the installer with disk 2 when prompted.
A double set of prompt tones will be sounded when disk 2 is required.
     8. The Installer will copy the necessary files to the oSW directory.
Warning: do not copy all files from a synthesizer directory yourself.
9. The installer will also create a group in Program Manager for outSPOKEN
and the outSPOKEN Tour file.
10. The installer copies some relevant README files to a file with the
name of the synthesizer with the extension TXT or DOC. The information in
these files is meant primarily for use with OpenBook software from Arkenstone
and may not apply to outSPOKEN.
11. The installer renames old .INI files which may conflict with the new
synthesizer to files with the same name, with the osw extension. Note
the special case of Dolphin synthesizers. Arkenstone has made various
Dolphin synthesizer versions with different    File names. All these
versions need to use a
specific version of APOLLO2.INI.
12. The synthesizer drivers found in directories ARTIC215, INFO37AM, INFO37PC and
TASSIST require extra drivers to be loaded or settings to be changed in a
special way. This is not handled by the installer. If you have done a previous
installation for oSW or for Open Book from Arkenstone, these drivers may be
loaded already.
Please check the documentation files both in the DRIVERS directory
and in the respective subdirectories for more information.
Please keep in mind that the drivers documentation was written for installation
with OpenBook and not everything may apply.
13. After the outSPOKEN installer has copied files to your hard drive,
you will be asked to start Windows so that the installation can be
completed. The installer will finish its work, restart Windows
and outSPOKEN will be launched.
 
----------------------------------------
 
More Information About outSPOKEN for Windows
Version 1.1
 
This file contains important information that may not be
included in the outSPOKEN for Windows User Manual or other
documentation, including new features added and bugs fixed in Version 1.1.
 
----------------------------------------
 
If you are viewing this document with Notepad, you should
turn on the Word Wrap feature by pressing Alt-e, followed by a w.
Also, for better viewing in any word processor, this window
may be maximized by pressing Alt-spacebar, followed by an x.
 
----------------------------------------
 
CONTENTS
 
-New Features in outSPOKEN 1.1
-Before installing outSPOKEN for Windows
-Drivers and Synthesizers Supported by outSPOKEN
-Known Bugs and Notes on Compatibility:
 
* General
* outSPOKEN
* Access Pack
* Ami Pro
* Bookshelf
* Calendar
* Crosstalk
* Dashboard
* Lotus 1-2-3
* Mosaic
* Mouse
* Program Manager
* Quatro Pro
* Random House Webster's
* System Configuration Editor
* Windows Screen Saver
* WinFax PRO
* Word for Windows
----------------------------------------
 
New Features Added in outSPOKEN 1.1
 
READ CURRENT WINDOW -- KPD Plus
This command reads the entire current window from top to bottom without
moving the pointer from its current location.
 
AUTOMATICALLY READ DIALOG BOXES -- Window Preferences sub-dialog
When checked, this option in the Window Preferences sub-dialog reads dialog
boxes automatically when they open. This setting is checked by default.
 
READ REST OF DOCUMENT -- Ctrl-Shft-KPD 3
This command reads an entire text document from the current caret location.
In order for this feature to work, a trackable caret must be present in the
document window.
 
CURSOR NAME -- Shft-KPD Period
This command speaks the name of the current pointer.
 
----------------------------------------
Bugs Fixed in outSPOKEN 1.1
 
1. oSW now supports MS Access, MS Mail and Word Perfect 6.1
 
2. When tabbing between check boxes or radio buttons in a dialog box,
outSPOKEN now announces the current state of the control.
 
3. The outSPOKEN WINDOW MENU (Shft-KPD Slash) is now extremely reliable in
its ability to place the pointer in a given window without bouncing it out
again.
 
4. The pointer no longer jumps unexpectedly when clicking with the actual
mouse button, although there is no speech feedback when the physical mouse is
moved.
----------------------------------------
 
Before Installing outSPOKEN for Windows
 
Before you can install outSPOKEN, the following steps must
be taken:
 
1. Connect your speech synthesizer to the computer according
to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the
synthesizer.
 
2. Install any software that came with the synthesizer
according to the manufacturer's instructions.
 
3. Install Microsoft Windows. (For information about
installing Windows without sighted assistance, check Appendix C of the
outSPOKEN User Manual.)
Complete instructions on installing outSPOKEN for Windows
can be found in Chapter 2 of the outSPOKEN User Manual.
 
If you already have a synthesizer installed that was being used with another
screen reader, be sure to restore the factory default settings before
installing outSPOKEN. Consult your synthesizer's documentation for
information about default parameters.
 
*** Special note for users of the Messenger IC ***
When loading SystemSoft's card services software version
3.1, it is important that you do not use the "/EMS 1" switch on the
"CS.EXE" line, otherwise Windows will not load. SystemSoft
is aware of this bug and has no current plans to fix it. Your
line in the CONFIG.SYS file should look somewhat like the
following:
 
DEVICE=C:\CARDSOFT\CS.EXE
 
If you are using a drive and directory other than
"C:\CARDSOFT" substitute your drive and directory in the statement above.
 
----------------------------------------
Notes on Compatibility With Other Applications
 
outSPOKEN has been extensively tested with a wide range of software and
hardware. In the vast majority of situations outSPOKEN is extremely reliable
and robust. However, some applications may exhibit unusual behavior when
run with outSPOKEN.
 
The following notes on outSPOKEN's compatibility with
selected applications are intended to cover some common situations,
but do not represent a comprehensive list. There may be
additional issues of compatibility not represented on this list. If you
believe this to be the case, please contact Berkeley
Systems, and we will do our best to assist you.
 
*** General
 
In order to ensure that your data will be safe if you happen
to encounter a crash with any piece of software, we recommend
that write-caching be disabled when using SMARTDRV.EXE. When
calling SMARTDRV.EXE, if you give it the argument for the hard disk
you are using, write caching will be disabled. Type SMARTDRV /? for more
info.
 
*** outSPOKEN
 
1. When using READ REST OF DOCUMENT (Ctrl-Shft-KPD 3), the caret may move
several lines ahead of the speech. This means that when interrupting the
speech, you may need to read up several lines to find the text that was last
spoken. This feature relies heavily on the caret being trackable. Thus in
situations such as italicized text in word (see below), this feature may not
work properly.
 
2. If you are reading an entire window with Ctrl-KPD 3 or KPD Plus and
outSPOKEN is continuing to speak the same information over
and over, press the
Esc key to stop this looping. Note that the Esc key
will be passed on to the application. Thus, if you are in a
dialog box, it will likely be dismissed. Another way to
stop this looping is to move the mouse.
 
3. When reading an entire document with Ctrl-Shft-KPD 3, make sure the
Windows focus is in the document, not the menu bar. If, for example, the
File menu is highlighted, using the READ REST OF DOCUMENT command will pull
down the menu instead.
 
4. Some "System Error" dialogs leave the system in such a
fragile state that the most outSPOKEN can do is automatically read the
System Error dialog. outSPOKEN commands may not work
in these error dialogs. Most "System Error" dialogs, however, are
navigable with outSPOKEN.
 
5. If you are using outSPOKEN navigation commands to read
through a window and your pointer is getting stuck, make sure that
your window is maximized so that all the text is showing within
the window.
 
6. When the user highlights the Control Menu by pressing the Alt key
followed by Left Arrow, the graphic name is not spoken.
 
7. When turning SAY-ON with Ctrl-KPD Enter, remember that
EVERYTHING written to the screen will be spoken. It is
recommended that you toggle off this setting when pulling
down menus or invoking dialogs and windows.
 
8. In some cases outSPOKEN will not be able to function
properly if it is loaded after the application which you are using. Try to
load outSPOKEN before any other applications in Windows.
 
9. When Echo Other is turned on, the Pause key is
incorrectly called Control.
 
10. When using arrow keys to shift highlighting in a combo
box or list box, sometimes both old and new highlighted items are
spoken. The newly highlighted item (the one with the focus) is
spoken second.
 
11. outSPOKEN cannot read the dialog produced by pressing
Ctrl-Alt-Delete.
 
12. When reading by character in a menu bar, and in some
other situations, outSPOKEN skips the space between items, and
does not notify you of this space. This also happens in Program
Manager group windows.
 
13. outSPOKEN's Window Name command (Ctrl-KPD Slash)
does not give the proper response in menus.
 
14. outSPOKEN does not speak the focus when the item the
pointer lands on is a graphic (e.g., iconized buttons).
 
15. The visual representation of a graphic in the Rename
Graphic dialog may look strange and ugly if the graphic has not yet
been displayed on screen. Graphics larger than 32 by 32 pixels
will not fit cleanly into the Rename Graphic window.
 
16. Dimmed menu items are not automatically spoken when they become
highlighted. They can be read with
outSPOKEN navigation commands. This is actually a convenient way of
determining which items are unavailable in a menu.
 
17. Whenever you cannot get to a window, try the TOP
WINDOW command (KPD Slash), and, if that doesn't work, the MENU
BAR command (Shft-KPD 7).
 
 *** Access Pack
 
Access Pack does not link outSPOKEN keys with their
modifiers.
 
*** Ami Pro
 
When using Ami Pro in "Custom 91" view, outSPOKEN may place
the pointer in the wrong position because of rounding off
of pixel positions done by Ami Pro. We recommend "Standard
View".
 
*** Bookshelf
 
We recommend turning the toolbar and other status bars off when using
Bookshelf with outSPOKEN. If the toolbar is turned on, outSPOKEN navigation
will be quite difficult.
 
*** Calendar
 
The phrase "Edit Box" is sometimes spoken twice when reading
with outSPOKEN navigation commands.
 
*** Crosstalk
 
When using SAY-ON in this program, the best success can be
had when the program window is maximized and the session window
is auto-set by the program. This can be done by checking a
check box in the Window dialog of the Session Settings dialog.
 
*** Dashboard
 
When closing dialogs in Dashboard, the pointer tends to move
back to Program Manager.
 
*** Lotus 1-2-3
 
If you are experiencing trouble renaming symbols, try
turning off "Show Icon Descriptions" in the SmartIcons dialog chosen
from the Tools menu. These symbols are described in this dialog and
can thus be defined here. If your outSPOKEN navigation gets stuck
reading down in this dialog, use the RIGHT key (KPD 6) to move beyond the
line.
 
*** Mosaic
 
 1. If you are having trouble launching Mosaic with
outSPOKEN, launch Mosaic first, then switch to Program Manager and launch
outSPOKEN.
 
2. If you are having trouble reading the text of the main Mosaic
window, try turning off the toolbar by making sure "Show
Toolbar" is not checked under the Options menu.
 
*** Mouse
 
outSPOKEN currently only supports use of the left mouse
button. Do not check "Swap Left/Right Buttons" in the Mouse Control
Panel if you want to use outSPOKEN keyboard commands for clicking the
mouse.
 
*** Program Manager
 
Generally, Program Manager works best with Cascaded, rather
than Tiled, windows. It is not necessary to maximize the group
windows, but of course more items will show if you do.
 
Known Bugs with Program Manager:
 
1. Occasionally, outSPOKEN's pointer navigation commands may
get "stuck" on an icon that is partially obscured by the edge of
its group window. Selecting "Arrange Icons" from Program
Manager's Window menu should fix this problem. Maximizing
Program Manager is generally a good idea and may also fix
this problem.
 
*** Quatro Pro
 
The outSPOKEN menu command will not move your pointer to the
menu bar. Press the Alt key with focus following turned on
to move your pointer there.
 
*** Random House Webster's
 
outSPOKEN's caret tracking may malfunction in
this program.
 
*** System Configuration Editor
 
Sometimes when you use outSPOKEN to click the mouse at the
left edge of a line, the click is placed one character to
the right. This actually happens with the physical mouse as
well.
 
*** Windows Screen Saver
 
When this screen saver is active and you enter the outSPOKEN
Preferences dialog, outSPOKEN loses track of what is on the
screen.
 
*** WinFax PRO
 
If you are using an external synthesizer during installation of this
program,
do not allow WinFax PRO to guess the port where you have a modem attached.
 
*** Word
 
1. outSPOKEN cannot locate the caret if it is within italic
text.
 
2. When clicking in italic text, outSPOKEN will place your
caret one character to the left of where you click.
 
3. When text is both highlighted and italicized, outSPOKEN
only tells you of the italicized attribute and not the
highlighting when you use the INFO key.
 
4. outSPOKEN navigation keys will not respect the boundaries
of Word's combo list boxes. Thus your pointer may "fall out"
of them. Instead, in combo list boxes like "File Type," use the
Windows arrow keys with track focus and speak focus turned on.
 
*** Word 6
 
1. After a menu or dialog box goes away, toolbars will
sometimes disappear. To bring them back, first try waiting a few seconds
for an update. If that does not succeed, then try cycling out of Word and
 back again by pressing Alt-Tab.
 
2. Your pointer may get stuck in the Forms toolbar. If so,
turn off "Tool tips" in the Toolbars dialog box selected from the
Options menu.
 
3. If you are not hearing the pre-defined symbols of the
Standard Toolbar, make sure that "Color Buttons" and "Large
Buttons" are not checked in the Toolbars dialog.
 
 