2017-05-15 20:18:20

And, sure as the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening, AI Squared discontinues Window-Eyes sales, and offers JAWS migration by way of an alternative. Existing users can migrate freely, before a July 31 deadline.

We suspected that this would happen, of course, and now it has. Crying shame. I was really quite fond of Window-Eyes, but the slow progress of development and the VFO acquisition would inevitably put it at a disadvantage. And now, finally, it has been taken out back and shot.

Rest In Peace, Window-Eyes. sad

Just myself, as usual.

2017-05-15 20:55:21

And the shark bites, my friends. Watch out NVDA, just kidding of course.

2017-05-15 21:42:46

Rest in peace to window eyes.
I like old versions like 6.1 and I am sad for it.
I am using nvda but nah, I liked it with qualiti voices and much, much more.

I am myself and noone is ever gonna change me, I am the trolling master!

2017-05-15 22:08:54

I cut my teeth on Wineyes, starting from 3.0 on Windows 3.x. Gosh, happy days. Happy days ...

Just myself, as usual.

2017-05-15 22:24:12

All I'll say is good riddance to that crummy screen reader. It wasn't worth the $1200 we spent on it. It crashed a lot and seemedly generally unstable. I wonder if I could get me a free copy of JFW? I own Window-eyes 9.2 or something like that, but we quit paying for the upgrades so I'll probably be stuck on Jaws 18. Then again, I don't really like Jaws.

Grab my Adventure at C: stages Right here.

2017-05-15 22:46:55

The best thing that could happen is that they change the pricing model for jaws. Perhaps they offer jaws for free if you have office installed, or god for bid drop the price.

2017-05-15 23:15:54

If you have a current Window-Eyes, you can get a current JAWS. And if you have SMA counts, they'll transfer. Check out the podcast on the linked page.

I found Window-Eyes far more stable than JFW. YMMV. I don't think FS will be giving JFW away though, not even to free Window-Eyes users for Office (apparently, the contract is winding down and MS were sponsoring it more-or-less exclusively).

Just myself, as usual.

2017-05-15 23:16:17 (edited by afrim 2017-05-15 23:17:42)

This is an epitaph for Window-eyes, written and published by cool blind tech.com. Quite profound, I'd say.
“Here lies Window-eyes,
After it was bought, met its demise.
Gave customers flexibility,
Unfortunately, no software is immune to mortality.”

Reference: https://coolblindtech.com/breaking-wind … vfo-group/

2017-05-16 01:36:19

Well, I am definitely not surprised about this. Window Eyes had been declining in popularity for quite awhile, and, of course, when VFO came into existance, everybody knew one of the major screen readers had to go. And, well, most of us knew which was considered the weaker of the two. Still, this does feel sort of like a bullying tactic. I'm glad I switched to using NVDA. Now I only have to watch from the sidelines, and I don't have to feel betrayed by this bullshit.

The glass is neither half empty nor half full. It's just holding half the amount it can potentially hold.

2017-05-16 02:32:47 (edited by cw 2017-05-16 02:33:26)

Here is the comment I left on the blind bargains article about this very thing. I am not sure if it went through. what does everyone else here think?

In one sense this is sad news indeed, but on the other hand it was expected that something like this would happen. After all, one company like BFO cannot be expected to sell two software packages that does roughly the same thing. In a way, I liked some of the features that WwindowEyes had in it. For example, take a look at the scripting language of WwindowEyes. You could use some of what you knew already of other computer languages and the like into account when scripting WindowEyes. I doubt that the scripting of WindowEyes will not be carried over. I am used to JAWS myself, but those who are transferring over maybe not be used to it. I do wonder how hard it would be for those people to transfer over. The next to go maybe magic or zoom text. I will let others decide which one of those make it out on top. Then again, zoom text maybe?

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.
DropBox Referral

2017-05-16 05:10:19

This is like McDonalds buyhing out Burger king and getting rid of the whopper.  Nicely done, guys; very very creative indeed.

When life gives you oranges, demand lemons since everyone else is obviously getting them.

2017-05-16 06:21:16

Yeah, but even then, there'd still be Wendy's, Backyard Burger, Sonic, Waterburger, Cheeburger, and so on to Infinity and Beyond. Meanwhile, this leaves NVDA and Supernova and System Access, and that's effectively it. And I hadn't even heard of any of those before 2010, where I was aware of Window Eyes and Connect Out Loud by 2001. I'd say this is more like Microsoft buying Apple and discontinuing OSX.

看過來!
"If you want utopia but reality gives you Lovecraft, you don't give up, you carve your utopia out of the corpses of dead gods."
MaxAngor wrote:
    George... Don't do that.

2017-05-16 06:52:12

hahaha!  I like that one better!  Linux is left fighting windows, the ruler of the world!

When life gives you oranges, demand lemons since everyone else is obviously getting them.

2017-05-16 07:23:48

Yeah, I'm definitely getting the monopoly vibe here. I decided to send a request for a JFW license. If I get a free copy of 18 that's cool. If not, I don't really care. I know I'm definitely not buying any SMA upgrades unless I have a very good reason. JFW has a few interesting features, but it's definitely not worth $1000. I'm just concerned about the future. NVDA is the only other major competitor now. SuperNova isn't all that popular and I think System Access is even less. Of course, Microsoft might really turn the tables if Narrator continues improving. I just wish I never purchased Window-eyes. At the time I thought that since it was a commercial product, it must be good. I was an idiot.

Grab my Adventure at C: stages Right here.

2017-05-16 09:16:15

Hmmm, I can't say I am surprised at this since ever since I've heard fs took over gw micro I sort of expected this to happen after all, Fs behaviour in the past has been rather typical of the corporate takeover mentality, what with buying up nearly every government contract they could lay their hands on, and then expecting individual users to pay governmental prices.

I will confess in fairness my own experience with window eyes, trying to get it to run with my lady's computer was far from positive. At the time I wondered if this was due to me being too used to Supernova, but transfer to nvda has been absolutely fine.
Still I do know a lot of people swore by Window Eyes in the past and apparently like supernova quality has tailed off, indeed I do wonder if the Shark will be going after the dolphin next.

Btw, I asked my lady if she fancied digging out her window eyes license number and getting a Jaws license, her response was a very grim "no!"

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2017-05-16 09:41:45

R.I.P to window-eyes
I've only used it once, but i didn't like it.
It's just so sad to see less competitors around.
and what's vfo anyway? Variable-frequency oscillator?
smile

:)

2017-05-16 15:34:29

System Access, eh? Now, can somebody here tell us what that's good for? Honest question ...

@Dark: since there is absolutely no copy-protection on Window-Eyes whatsoever (one of its genuinely wonderful features, quite apart from either Supernova or JAWS) it's entirely possible to request your JAWS 18 license, and not suffer any penalty. And, after all, it's a major screen reader, that's still maintained, and works with many (mostly bespoke) applications that NVDA probably never will. There is a deadline to apply, so I'd suggest the lady reconsider, if I were you.

Just myself, as usual.

2017-05-16 20:00:41

Actually Sebby given that her Window eyes license number is somewhere on a cd in a box inn Germany the question was mostly an idle one big_smile.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2017-05-16 20:43:41 (edited by afrim 2017-05-16 20:44:09)

@Dark, If I were your lady, I would take the offer. JAWS is a wonderful screen reader and it is fairly integrated with Windows, and especially the office package. I've not been disappointed by JAWS on its performance in Microsoft word, which I need to use daily, and have been doing so for the last five years. It's not absolutely bad, especially when you don't pay $1000. Since you have recently switched to NVDA, you may have a chance to try it yourself and if satisfied with its performance, why not consider working with it in daily basis?
P.S.: I'm not bashing about NVDA here. And by the way, I'm using NVDA at the moment of speaking.

2017-05-16 21:04:31

There are far too many elitists on either side promoting their favorite product; can someone just get me a brailler already? :d

When life gives you oranges, demand lemons since everyone else is obviously getting them.

2017-05-16 22:49:38

Well, I cannot say I'm surprized.
I didn't like window eyes, because at that time I cannot get the spanish version of it...

73 Wj3u

2017-05-16 23:39:28

I figured this was coming. Once FS bought AI Squared and then merged, one of the products had to go. And of course it was window eyes, because FS would go for the product under their wing as it were rather than their own product.

2017-05-17 05:36:02

@Afrim, as I said, my lady's window eyes license number is in a cd in a box in Germany, that is assuming it's still valid, unfortunately her x husband apparently handled all of that sort  of thing. Unfortunately I think the Window eyes license was a casualty of their divorce.

For curiosity if nothing else I possibly would consider at least trying jaws a little more extensively if I wouldn't have to pay stupid amounts of money for it, both for initial license and program compatibility maintenance (whether I decide to bother with the next supernova full version is slightly debatable at this stage).

But Hay, I've lived without Jaws quite successfully thus far, actually I just mentioned my lady's response to my asking if she wanted to try getting the jaws license because her extremely grim tone and clear dislike of old Sharky was rather amusing, perhaps something I didn't put across in text.

Actually, she migrated from jaws herself, or rather her ex husband migrated her from jaws, though she's actually  got on better with supernova and Nvda than either, though of course to what extent this is to do with the qualities of each program and to what extent to do with simply having different circumstances for using each I don't know.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

2017-05-17 05:53:27

Dark, you can download the JAWS 18 demo and try it out for yourself. The only limitations I know of are the 40 minute timer and the inability to be the controller for JAWS Tandem. Speaking of JAWS, why is the installer still so large? I thought they got rid of the video intercept drivers since they don't work with 8 and 10. I didn't think they were used with 7, but I could be wrong. Maybe the install file will get smaller if JAWS is still around when Windows 7 becomes obsolete and those drivers are hopefully scrapped for good.

Grab my Adventure at C: stages Right here.

2017-05-17 06:12:28

why is the installer so large?

This seems to affect all the software, these days. It's like software is a gas: the more diskspace available, the more it expands to fill its container. I can only hope that the filesize bloat all over the everything is due to "security", or something. Otherwise, I'd have to blame it on a "because we can get away with it, now" attitude.

看過來!
"If you want utopia but reality gives you Lovecraft, you don't give up, you carve your utopia out of the corpses of dead gods."
MaxAngor wrote:
    George... Don't do that.