FYI -- Jeff
Still A Ways to Go: Comparing AOL 6.0 and MSN Explorer
By Richard Holborow
On the 10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July
2000, America Online (AOL) and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
announced the NFB had decided to drop its lawsuit against AOL. The lawsuit
charged the company with non-compliance of the ADA. AOL agreed to make the next
version of its software accessible to blind subscribers using screen readers.
Software developers worked with consumers to deliver on AOL's promises of
improved accessibility and AOL 6.0 was introduced in October.
At the same time Microsoft was preparing MSN Explorer. The concept behind it
was to provide "an accessible interface that offers all users an easy and
personal doorway to the web." The product is an integrated software package
linked to MSN's portal to the web. Microsoft claims that MSN Explorer was built
from the ground up with accessibility in mind, and it is compatible with screen
readers and screen enlargers.
Setting up a head-to-head comparison
Considering that two years ago accessibility was hardly a blip on the radar
screen for many, it is heartening that AOL 6.0 and MSN Explorer profess to be
designed with access issues high on the list of priorities.
For a totally blind computer user, the features that make a particular software
program accessible can basically be determined by answering the following
questions:
Are the graphics, icons, and control buttons labeled?
Can a user navigate through the program and know where he/she is on the screen
-- that is -- can a user reliably find what he/she is looking for?
Can a user use keystrokes to perform a task instead of a mouse?
I used the popular screen reader JAWS for Windows 3.7 on a Dell Pentium III
desktop running Windows 98 with a T-1 connection to evaluate both America
Online 6.0 and MSN Explorer.
I consider myself an intermediate computer user. I know most Microsoft Windows
applications and can navigate through them using menus and controls to perform
desired tasks. I have had some experience surfing the Internet.
I couldn't wait to try AOL and MSN Explorer; especially after hearing about all
the neat features my friends were talking about -- the cool content, e-mail,
and chat rooms.
Evaluation Criteria
I will use the following simple scale to measure the difficulty or ease of
performing a particular task or accessing specific features in the two
programs:
1: Having no accessibility; unable to perform a function unassisted
2: Borderline inaccessibility, but repeated trial & error yields results
3: Extreme difficulty performing a function
4: Somewhat difficult
5: Moderate degree of accessibility and ability to use
6: Accessible, needs some improvement in usability
7: Very accessible, easy to follow and manipulate
Installation
AOL: 3
MSN Explorer: 5
First of course, came the most difficult step that one often experiences with a
new program: downloading and installing it.
I went to <http://www.aol.com>AOL's website and <http://www.msn.com>Microsoft's
website to find the instructions for downloading the software to my computer.
With AOL, I was able to rather easily go to their website and "sign up" for
their AOL 6.0 version, obtaining a screen name and password. The tricky part
came with the actual download. I was able to tab to have access to most of the
links, but at times I had to guess when to use the enter key and when the space
bar would be the correct keystroke.
Also, not all the messages were voiced, and at one point I had to reboot and
have sighted assistance to complete the install.
On Microsoft's website I downloaded the software with moderate difficulty. The
site had actual information regarding screen readers and how one should go
about downloading the software. For the most part, the instructions were
accurate, but there a few times I got lost in the large number of edit boxes
that needed to be filled out.
Fortunately, I was always able to find a back button when in trouble -- so I
could go back to a point I was familiar with and then continue until I had
successfully installed and obtained a user name.
Moreover, once the software was installed, MSN Explorer had a very nice
"Accessibility Tour" which prompted you with accessible links to explore just
what the browser had to offer.
Getting Around
AOL: 3
MSN Explorer: 4
In terms of simply having access to maneuver about in each of the programs, MSN
Explorer had a number of features familiar to a Microsoft Windows user. There
were various tool bars I could use to access a certain feature of the program,
such as e-mail or the media player. The buttons are labeled, and I could use
the tab to move from one button to the next. Unfortunately, I was not always
sure just where I was on the tool bar, and at times lost focus altogether and
landed somewhere else in plain text. It took quite an effort to find the tool
bar again.
On the plus side, I had success with some keystroke commands that MSN.com made
a point of telling me about.
AOL took more work. Not all the buttons were labeled and menus, if one could
find them, were hard to manage. Also, some of the typical tasks one is used to
in Windows, such as using 'enter' to activate a button, were not consistent in
AOL. Often, I was supposed to use the space bar rather than 'enter' to activate
a button.
Browsing the World Wide Web
AOL: 3
MSN Explorer: 6
I found it difficult to access most of the content specific to AOL. The links
did not seem to function as they do in other browsers. Therefore, instead of
having access to AOL's particular content to its network, I had to rely on my
browser of choice to surf the Web.
Since Microsoft's Internet Explorer is well suited to JFW 3.7, I had little
trouble accessing any of the links on MSN's homepage. I did find at times,
however, that I got lost amidst a bunch of links that hadn't been there before.
It seemed as though links appeared and disappeared in and out of the browser
window. In this case, I would have to back track in order to determine my
position, and attempt to forge ahead.
I've got mail!
AOL: 5
MSN Explorer: 5
E-mail is certainly one of the most exciting aspects of being online.
With both AOL and MSN Explorer, I found it relatively easy to compose a
message, send it, and retrieve mail sent to me. At times with MSN, however, not
all the edit boxes and buttons were neatly labeled, so I had to try a number of
times until I found a pattern of keystrokes that would usually -- though not
always -- allow me to send mail.
Also, in both AOL and MSN Explorer, I found it difficult to perform some more
advanced tasks, such as forwarding mail to someone else, and creating folders
in which to save mail.
People and chat rooms
AOL: 2
MSN Explorer: 2
One thing I've always wanted to do is chat with others online. Well, I found
the conversation rather unintelligible with both programs.
At times I was able to get bits and pieces of a conversation, but I wasn't able
to keep up with what was being said because of the constant scrolling of the
messages. I also found that with both AOL and MSN Explorer my computer could
easily freeze up in the process of trying to input my chat and trying to listen
to who was out there.
Other noteworthy items:
One component of MSN Explorer that I liked was its media player. I could "dial
into" a particular type of music I liked or news broadcast I wanted to listen
to. I had to be careful though because if you didn't turn off one station
before selecting the next, you could have two streams of music and conversation
occurring at the same time. Unfortunately, this problem was always lurking
about since it was difficult to find the 'play' and 'stop' buttons.
Conclusion:
Overall, MSN Explorer seemed more usable than AOL 6.0. With MSN Explorer, there
were more keystroke commands I could use, and since the web browser essentially
works like Internet Explorer, I could go to my favorite sites. Both America
Online and MSN Explorer have a ways to go before they can be called 100 percent
accessible.
About the author: Richard Holborow is an instructor at Baruch College Computer
Center for Visually Impaired People in New York City.
May 2001
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