Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Carla Campbell) (04/05/91)
Index Number: 14640
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
another neat thing about Qedit is that there is also a version of it
designed especially for use with speech synthesis. If you purchase the
software (something I strongly recommend: their phone support is excellent,
and it's really only fair, after all, if you use it anything like as much
as I do.) you can ask them to send you the "blind" version as well as your
registered copy. It is supposedly a "Beta" version, but I really have not
found any bugs in it-- at least none which do not relate to its speech
functionality. It writes the prompts through BIOS and places them in a
consistant place on the screen.
I used the standard version of Qedit for many months, but when I
registered, I requested they send me the Beta version as well. They did,
and I now use it all the time. When you type the command to save a marked
block to a file, the prompt "file to write" is spoken-- no need to monitor,
read current line, or a window or whatever to be sure you got that key
pressed! Same for search and replace and the other prompts. The only
complaint I have about it is the way it repeats the words you input at
these prompts with each new character. (it obviously re-writes the line
with each additional character). I have mentioned that and do not know if
they plan to do anything about it. But I can live with that for the
automatic feedback. For all I know a nice little silent window would take
care of that. <grin> I'm just too lazy to have tried it so far.
Anyway-- that's just my plug urging you all to support a company which is
willing to modify their program to make it more speech friendly-- whether
you prefer the modified version or the standard one. I, for one, am glad
to know that there's a company out there producing good non-adaptive
software who _is_ aware of the needs of the blind user!
--Carla
... Read what I mean, not what I write!
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Internet: Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.orgWilliam.Wilson@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (William Wilson) (04/11/91)
Index Number: 14675
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
WS> Carla, I wonder if the version they send you for speech,
WS> is the same as the one Willie has on his board. I tried
WS> that one, but it has been a long time, and I didn't find it
WS> work to well, and I have heard others say the same thing.
Walter,
No, the version Carla is using is more recent than the one I have
here, and although I do have the newer version on a floppy somewhere, it
isn't clear to me whether or not it is allowed to be distributed as of
yet, as is the version I have.
Actually, the speech friendly version I do make available is no big
deal, and I don't use it myself. One of the things I notice is people
grab it without getting the regular version, and since the configuration
program isn't included in the speech friendly package, you can't really
set it up right without having the regular version too. Yeah, I know
this isn't too efficient, having to download both versions to get the
speech friendly version to work, but I don't like touching the contents
of an archive, and so can't just add the configuration program to the
speech version in good conscience.
Since the only thing the speech program does differently than the
none speech friendly version is put the menus in a consistant spot on
the screen, it probably isn't worth it to most of us. I will, however,
check more into the newer speech friendly version Carla is running and
see if it can be distributed.
Willie
... BlinkTalk, Dr. Deb and Silver in Pittsburgh!
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Internet: William.Wilson@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.orgWalter.Siren@p18.f5.n396.z1.fidonet.org (Walter Siren) (04/11/91)
Index Number: 14690
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
WW> Since the only thing the speech program does differently than the
WW> none speech friendly version is put the menus in a consistant spot on
WW> the screen, it probably isn't worth it to most of us.
I think that would be a good thing, then you could define a window
to read them without reading the other stuff at the same time.
Walter
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Internet: Walter.Siren@p18.f5.n396.z1.fidonet.orgCarla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Carla Campbell) (04/11/91)
Index Number: 14720
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
WW> Since the only thing the speech program does
WW> differently than the none speech friendly version is put the
WW> menus in a consistant spot on the screen, it probably isn't
WW> worth it to most of us.
You may be right, Willie-- I would probably not have used it if I had
not received it automatically after asking about it when registering.
But I did, and I tried it, and I love it. It is not just that the menus
are placed in a consistant place on the screen: they are written through
BIOS so that they speak automatically. Wehn you hit "ctrl-k, w" (or
whatever you have "write block to file" tied to, it says "write to
file:". When you enter your choice and hit return, it says "writing
file". This sounds trivial, but I like the confirmation of what I am
doing more than I thought I would. When I hit "ctrl-s" to start a
search, it says "search for". I like that. I like hearing "more" when I
hit ctrl-k. and this from someone who complains about "excess chatter"
from "made for speech" software, too. <grin>
You don't have to set up monitors/hyperactive windows. You just load 'er
up.
The one annoying thing is that the things you enter at the prompts are
also written through BIOS so that it repeats as you type. But I can live
with that for the spoken prompts-- particularly when using features like
"jump to line" of which I am unsure, having not used them extensively.
(I'm too lazy to set up a silent/quiet window. <grin>) I don't have to
check the current line or look up two lines or whatever to see that I
hit the right key. It says "jump to line:".
<shrug> Different strokes, and all that. but I like it. I have found
myself using features of Qedit which I did not previously use just
because they speak.
You are correct, however, in saying that the version I have is slightly
newer than the one you have on Blink Link.
--Carla
... Read what I mean, not what I write!
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Internet: Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.orgCarla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Carla Campbell) (04/11/91)
Index Number: 14723
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
AH> have you had it in 43 lines mode? I was messing around with
AH> that today and it didn't seem to be going into 43 line mode
AH> for me
Well, I can't take advantage of 43-line mode on any program for a couple of
reasons. The first is that I use a monochrome video card. That limits
applications programs to 25 lines per screen. You need EGA or VGA to get
43 lines on your screen/in your video memory.
The second reason I can't use more than 25 lines per screen is that even if
I had something besides a monochrome video adapter, none of the various
speech programs I have here are capable of handling a screen larger than 25
lines. Even if your program is set to 43 lines and they display on your
monitor, they're still not going to be seen by the speech program-- it will
continue to look at the first 25 lines and first 80 columns, no matter
what is physically on your screen.
You're using IBM Screen Reader, right? I don't know if it has the
ability to read screens larger than 25x80, and if so, if you have to
tell it to look beyond those parameters. If you do have EGA or VGA, you
might check into this, as it might be what is preventing you from using the
Qedit 43 line mode. If it does, I would be very interested, as I do not
know of any screen reading software which will deal with more than 25x80,
--Carla
... Read what I mean, not what I write!
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