Hi
Debbie,
We
have been using K3000 here at the ANU for quite a few years now, and have
found it a great program. We have also used Read and Write Gold, and I am
trying to find time to test the latest version of WYNN. They all have
different strengths and emphases. We like the speed, accuracy and features
of K3000, and the retention of the original image file and its
synchronisation with the reading from the OCR file. Price is a
negative issue, as is the use of the .kesi file format in some
instances, although that is the means of enabling the effective
sync.
I
also like Read & Write Gold, particularly because of its integration
with mainstream programs such as Word & Explorer as well as its much
friendlier price tag. I saw a demo of the latest version of WYNN
recently, and although I haven't had the chance to comprehensively test it,
it seems to have addressed most of the concerns I had about previous
versions.
We also use textAloud for creating
audio versions of text material. Along with the very effective and natural reading
functions (particularly using the AT & T or NeoSpeech voices) what I
really love is the Read to File function which allows you to create audio
files at faster than real time, which can then be played back on the
computer or burnt to CD for playback on other devices as wav or MP3 formats.
The File Splitter and Batch Processing facilities in Version 2 have really
helped with organising and creating audio versions of large files. You can
also incorporate the reading functions in a web browser. It's a great
program for its intended function, particularly when used in conjunction
with K3000, Read & Write Gold or WYNN.
Cheers,
Trev
Trevor
Allan
Disability Liaison Officer,
Disability Services Unit,
Student Facilities Building
(17A)
The
Australian National University
Canberra ACT 0200
Phone: 61 2 6125 5036
Fax: 61 2 6125 9881
TTY: 61 2 6125
3008
Web: http://www.anu.edu.au/disabilities
ANU CRICOS Provider Number
00120C
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Our college has been using Kurzweil 3000 for the last few
years and have started using ReadPlease as
well. We were looking into other programs such as WYNN and Read
& Write form TextHelp, but wondered if anyone out there could tell me
how those two compare to K3000. The only complaint I've received
from students using Kurzweil is that they don't like most of the
voices. Any input would be
appreciated.
Thank
you.
Debbie Barton
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Hi
Terry,
I would also
add the portable Franklin dictionaries and spell checks,
etc: http://franklin.com/
They have a
wide assortment of handheld devices that
students find extremely beneficial, such as the Speaking Language
Master.
I also find
that we don't use the built-in features of Microsoft Word enough (e.g.
thesaurus, spell check, etc).
Donna
From: *
EASI: Equal Access to Software & Information
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ter;ry
Martin
Sent: Thursday,
March 10, 2005 1:57 PM
To:
[log in to unmask]
Subject: Help with LD
clients.
What seems to be the hot
products out there to help LD students improve there writing and
spelling besides K3000, WYNN, and Naturally Speaking? I'm working
with mostly HS/college students. There are a few older people as
well. I'm looking for products in all price ranges and of course,
ease of use.