This is because the product, Norton 2007, is designed to run on the new platform for WINDOWS VISTA, which is radically different than previous versions of WINDOWS. Freedom Scientific has been reluctant to make use of the built in MSAA which Microsoft provides for all assistive tech vendors and developers to use. Window-Eyes, however, has followed Microsoft's recommendations and has a beta which is VISTA and MSAA compliant. The bottom line is the problem is with JAWS and Freedom Scientific, not the Norton 2007. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rachel" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, September 22, 2006 12:20 AM Subject: [VICUG-L] FW: Fwd: Heads up: Norton Antivirus/Norton Internet Security 2007 incompatible with Screen Readers I'm only forwarding this; I'm not responsible for the writing or the content of the message. Rachel From: Aaron Howell [log in to unmask] Hello, As a long time user of Symantec products, I am saddened to inform everyone that the new Norton 2007 products are no longer compatible with Jaws. After purchasing Norton Internet Security 2007, and performing extensive testing on it, I've determined the following. * A blind person is unable to activate the product without sighted assistance. if Jaws is loaded, the Activation program immediately quits, rather than displaying its dialogs. This happens during the setup process, and causes your installation to be left in an unusable state. Fixing this requires sighted assistance to get through the activation process, at which time the product (mostly) repairs itself. * Once the product is installed, configuration is exceedingly difficult. The software is completely inaccessible from the keyboard, Unlike it previous versions the interface does not appear to take advantage of the Windows built in html rendering facilities, instead using its own rendering method. All configuration must be done with the jaws cursor, and Jaws's ability to see things like buttons is eratic at best. (admittedly, it may be possible to improve this via the use of a tool like Hotspot clicker, but getting to a state where you could would require heavy sighted intevention, and its questionable as to whether it would be worth it.) * When the product tries to alert with Jaws loaded (at least on my machine), it instead blue screens and reboots. I tested this with the standard antivirus test. Eicar? (not sure on the spelling), which is a harmless .com file intended to do nothing but trigger antivirus products. (all products use this as a standard, "hello world" test.) The combination of the three above points leads me to believe that ongoing persistance with this product would prove fruitless. (Note: while I did not perform testing with Window Eyes, it has been my experience in the past that WE has been less effective at accessing the Norton interfaces when they were accessible, so I have no reason to believe, and hence no inclination to try it, that the situation with 2007 would be any better, in fact, I suspect it would be dramaticly worse). This message is a heads up to advise others not to buy the Norton 2007 products. if you are a Norton user, stick with 2006, as that is, at least, accessible. If not, then it looks like its now time to find a new package (Microsoft's OneCare is looking good at this point). Regards Aaron VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List. Send comments on list operation to [log in to unmask] VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html Signoff: [log in to unmask] Subscribe: [log in to unmask] VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List. Send comments on list operation to [log in to unmask] VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html Signoff: [log in to unmask] Subscribe: [log in to unmask]