From the web page
http://www.afb.org/technology/prodevals/outspoken.html
Product Evaluation
Information Center
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New York, NY 10001
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Reprinted with permission from the Journal of Visual Impairment
& Blindness Vol. 92, No. 12 and is copyright 1998 by the
American Foundation for the Blind, 11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New
York, NY 10001.
A Review of OutSPOKEN for Windows
J.D. Leventhal, C.L. Earl
If you are or will be in the market for a Windows 95 screen
reader, this Product Evaluation of Alva Access Group's OutSPOKEN
for Windows (OSW) 2.0 will help you to make a more educated
purchase. The continuation of a series on screen readers for
Windows 95, the evaluation rated this particular product on how
well it performed Windows-related tasks. To compare OSW with
similar products, see Earl & Leventhal (1997, 1998) and
Leventhal & Earl (1997a, 1997b). For a step-by-step guide to
making an informed purchase, see "Selecting a Windows Screen
Reader" on page 5.
Rating scale Ratings were on a scale of 0 to 5 as follows:
0. No access; the equivalent of a sighted person with no mouse
and the monitor turned off.
1. Little access; the program gives users an idea of what is
going on but little opportunity to function well.
2. Less than adequate access, with much room for improvement.
3. Good access, but a definite need for improvement.
4. Very good access, with minor improvements expected in the
future.
5. Access as good as a sighted person has with a mouse and a
monitor.
OSW was tested with three different configurations: (1 on a Dell
Pentium 166 with 32 MB of memory, using a DECtalk PC
synthesizer, 2) on a Gateway Pentium using a Double Talk
synthesizer, and 3) on a Dell Pentium 450 using Windows 98 and a
DECtalk PC synthesizer.
A rating was given for installation and documentation and for
basic performance in the word processing programs Microsoft Word
97 and Corel WordPerfect 8.0 and for performance with the Web
browsers Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02 and Netscape Navigator
Gold 4.0.
Program profile
OSW provides the user with a small set of basic commands for
navigating and reviewing text. Speech rate and a few other
settings can be changed with hot keys. Other settings are
changed in a pop-up menu. There are no program-specific
configuration files, and no tools for creating them. As a
result, all settings--such as verbosity or punctuation
level--are global.
Unlike most screen readers, OSW's Find command works in menus,
making it a powerful tool for advanced users and less confusing
for beginners. OSW supports braille displays and provides Grade
2 braille.
Installation and documentation: Rating 3
OSW has a standard Windows installation that is compatible with
other Windows screen readers. Unfortunately, the installation
program does not speak by itself so, if no other Windows screen
reader is available, it is necessary to use either a DOS screen
reader or sighted assistance to edit a file called
"response.ini."
OSW's documentation is available in print, on cassette, on disk,
and in braille on request. It gives an excellent overview of OSW
and Windows commands. OSW is unique among screen readers in the
degree to which it emphasizes mouse navigation over Windows
keyboard commands.
Word 97: Rating 3
OSW read menus, dialog boxes, and text in Word 97. It frequently
broke words and pronounced words as though letters were missing.
The Read Rest of Document feature read documents without
interruption.
OSW did not announce the misspelled word in the spell checker.
The user can determine what the word is by arrowing to the left
and hearing it spelled in reverse. Other spell checker options
were read normally.
WordPerfect 8.0: Rating 2
OSW read menus in WordPerfect. In dialog boxes, OSW often
misidentified a control, reading check boxes as buttons or
announcing that there were no items in a list box when there
were. Editing text was problematic because OSW did not indicate
the position of the caret accurately. The Read Rest of Document
feature read without interruption. OSW struggled with the spell
checker--it was often not possible to identify the misspelled
word, and OSW sometimes gave misleading information.
Internet Explorer 3.02: Rating 2.5
With the Say On feature active, OSW sometimes read new Web pages
automatically when they loaded. It read links when the Tab key
was pressed. When the Page-down key was pressed, OSW read the
next screen of text if the Say On feature was active.
Filling out forms was possible, but it involved listening for
changes in the shape of the mouse pointer because OSW did not
announce edit boxes.
Netscape Navigator Gold 4.0: Rating 2.5
OSW Read text as new Web pages were loaded when the Say On
feature was active. It read text links when the Tab key was
pressed. For graphical links, it either read nothing or read the
"http://..." information on the status line. Again, filling out
forms was possible, but it involved listening for changes in the
shape of the mouse pointer because OSW did not announce edit
boxes.
Improving performance
OSW lacks any tools for creating application-specific
configurations. The user's Web browser is loaded with the same
settings that were active in WordPerfect. Beginners would
benefit from application-specific configurations--such as
specifying that the misspelled word be read automatically in
WordPerfect's spell checker or the Say On feature be active when
Web pages load but inactive in menus. Advanced users will
appreciate the powerful mouse navigation that allows them to go
directly to options on the screen, but they will be frustrated
by having to stop to change settings whenever they switch from
one application to another.
Conclusion
Performing basic tasks with OSW, such as editing text in a word
processor and reading an on-line newspaper, required a lot of
energy because the user constantly had to confirm that OSW was
providing accurate information about what was happening on the
screen. The basic parts of a good Windows screen reader are
present in OSW, but tools such as the ability to create, modify,
and save configurations are lacking. At the end of 1998, users
should expect more from a screen reader.
References
Earl, C.L. & Leventhal, J.D.(1997) Windows 95 Access for Blind
or Visually Impaired Persons: An Overview. Journal of Visual
Impairment & Blindness, 91(5), 5-9.
Earl, C. L., & Leventhal, J. D. (1998). A review of two speech
access programs for Windows 95: SLIMWARE Window Bridge and Artic
WinVision. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 92(4),
240-244.
Leventhal, J. D., & Earl, C. L. (1997a). A review of two speech
access programs for Windows 95: ScreenPower and Window-Eyes.
Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 91(5), 13-15.
Leventhal, J. D., & Earl, C. L. (1997b). A review of two speech
access programs for Windows 95: ASAW and JAWS for Windows.
Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 91(6), 17-19.
Manufacturers' comments
"We agree with the assessment that OSW's powerful features
appeal to advanced users, although beginner and intermediate
users find its unique mouse navigation and concise command set
provides a universal set of tools for accessing Windows. OSW
development has traditionally embraced the philosophy of using
the mouse pointer as the primary tool for effective screen
access. Future OSW development will build on these tools so that
more automated feedback of screens such as formatted Web pages
and complicated dialogs will be even easier for the user. OSW's
universal approach to graphical interfaces will also be
demonstrated with the release of our Windows NT product
scheduled for 1999."
Product information
Product: OutSPOKEN for Windows Solo and Ensemble 2.0
Manufacturer: Alva Access Group, 5801 Christie Avenue, Suite
475; Emeryville, CA 94608;
Tel: 510-923-6280
Fax: 510-923-6270
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Web site: www.aagi.com.
Price: Solo (speech only) $695, Ensemble (speech and braille)
$795.
SIDEBAR
Selecting a Windows Screen Reader
Before exploring specific products, potential users may need to
abandon some of the following misconceptions that could lead
them to make inappropriate choices about screen readers.
Misconception: The choice of a screen reader is a matter of
personal preference.
Reality: All screen readers do not perform equally well. There
are wide variations in the way they perform with particular
applications. Some even fail to read what is on the screen.
Misconception: The difference between one screen reader and
another is the way in which it gives you access to the
information on the screen (the command structure).
Reality: Although screen readers are differentiated by command
structure, it is not the most important factor in choosing a
screen reader.
Misconception: If a particular screen reader worked well in a
demonstration with WordPad, it will work well for all the
applications.
Reality: One screen reader may work well with one application
and badly with another. The screen reader and application must
be considered together.
Misconception: Windows screen readers can have all the same
commands that a DOS screen reader has.
Reality: Windows is not DOS. Some of the screen-reading concepts
carry over from one system to another, but users must be
prepared to learn a new way of doing things.
Steps for selecting a screen reader
Armed with the reality check just described, you are now ready
to follow the seven steps for finding the right product for your
specific needs.
* Get and review all the information the manufacturers and
vendors can provide on their products.
* Consider the accessibility features you absolutely must
have. For example, do you need: support for a particular
braille display or synthesizer; compatibility with other
assistive technology, such as a screen magnification
program; or does the manual need to be in a particular
language?
* What applications will be used: Word? WordPerfect? A 3270
emulator? Custom applications?
* Read the reviews of Windows-based screen readers written by
American Foundation for the Blind's (AFB) technology program
within the past 18 months. Become familiar with the profiles
of the screen readers, their special features, and their
shortcomings.
* You will probably have found that there is no screen reader
on the market that works with the braille display,
synthesizer, and applications you have specified. Reevaluate
your decision from steps 2 and 3. Do you still feel as
strongly about your needs in those areas? Consider the
possibility of having two screen readers. One hundred twelve
(21%) of the 526 Windows screen reader users in AFB's
Careers and Technology Information Bank have more than one
screen reader.
* Consider the general profiles of the screen readers. Which
work the way you like to work? Do you like a verbose system,
or do you prefer minimal speech? Do you want to be able to
"tweak" your system to your exact needs and preferences or
do you prefer simplicity over flexibility?
* Test run demonstration copies of the screen readers you
think you may want to use. Make liberal use of technical
support to determine whether the problems you are having are
simply your lack of familiarity with the program or an
actual shortcoming in the product.
Note: You may find that your choice of screen reader is
incompatible with system hardware such as the video card. If
this is the case, consider changing the video card first, since
the ideal screen reader is hard to find.
Jay D. Leventhal, senior resource specialist, and Crista L.
Earl, resource specialist, Technical Evaluation Services,
National Technology Program, American Foundation for the Blind,
11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001; [log in to unmask]
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