2020-07-30 04:24:02

Don't kno when this happened

2020-07-30 04:37:56

There were plans for a long time to prepare a version for Microsoft store so people on Windows 10 S can use NVDA, so this now seems to be released. Important limitations to know are that this version does not support NVDA addons, does not run on the log on screen or read UAC prompts, as well as doesn't have support for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox and incomplete support for Excell. All of these are technical limitations of the store apps.

2020-07-30 11:51:30

Why would someone want to download this version with the limitations?


We have narrator now and it works fine on chrome and edge so you can just download NVDA using that.

I'm gone for real :)

2020-07-30 11:59:26

yeah... why

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2020-07-30 12:41:45 (edited by nolan 2020-07-30 12:47:02)

Is it installable on the Xbox One by chance? Being in the store doesn't necessarily imply that, but it is a requirement for running software there.

Edit: Just looked and it isn't. Not sure why it technically couldn't be, though. Could just be a matter of doing a bit of local testing and checking the appropriate boxes in the store submission if everything works.

2020-07-30 13:57:58

I just downloaded this and it appears it's still using 2019.3.1 as its version. How long has this been in the Store? I'm surprised this wasn't announced on their website.

Grab my Adventure at C: stages Right here.

2020-07-30 15:47:32

As for why, as I said for Windows 10 S users, which is an addition of Windows 10 allowing only store apps.

2020-07-30 15:54:57

@Brad and @Ogomez92: Not just for windows 10s users. I assume neither of you have dealt with a locked down, regulated corporate environment, where no one gets in or out that does not have legitimate business. If a business admin is a risk-taker and goes off of an honor system, if the line of work even allows for that, then they'll install the regular nvda or allow it to run portable no problem. Trust that people on't install malicious addons. If that is either not allowed or not possible, the n that's what the windows store version is for. Typically the businesses that are locked down at least allow store apps to be installed. IF this is how we get NVDA more or less accepted by the corporate world, this is the first step in doing so. I'd like them to include addon signing so that NVDA can actually make a regulated addon store, complete with a review team, but that's a long way off. We still have the problem of not being able to install addons that could be very much needed for applications in the workplace, which is why there are still inhouse JAWS scripts. But if we can have a carefully vetted addons section with addons that are signed and checked server-side before installation, then maybe there can be be the same locked down version of NVDA with addon previsioning.

2020-07-30 16:08:43 (edited by Rastislav Kish 2020-07-30 16:17:55)

Hi there,
hmm, quite interesting.
But if neither Chrome nor Firefox arre supported, how does one access Internet, when Edge switched its core to Chromium?

Best regards

Rastislav

2020-07-30 17:04:33

@jack, ah, that makes sense.

I'm gone for real :)

2020-07-30 17:09:33

I hope this will make it easier for people to use NVDA in a corporate environment. Choice is always a good thing.

2020-07-30 17:29:36

I work for a corporate environment. And I'm not saying it's the same for all such environments, but you can best believe they lock down the Windows Store. I won't say which company, as you could probably get that info if you really looked hard, but in place of the store, they have a software portal. and users can only download apps from that portal. I had to get JAWS/NVDA approved to be on it.

2020-07-30 18:00:48

@12: tHe fact that there's a locked down nvda distribution probably gave it a bit more leverage in being approved, tantamount to JAWS and even scripts being limited in nature, unlike NVDA addons.

2020-07-30 19:26:33

Oh yeah,
I actually reached out to NVAccess regarding the UWP limitations that they were facing about a year ago.
If MicroSoft really wants people to create UWP apps, isn't it time that  they make it a bit more powerful. Sure security is important, but usability is too.

2020-07-30 20:12:56

Well, I personally could not care less about the UWP apps. In my entire usage of Windows 10, I have used literally 3 UWP apps excluding the built in ones.

2020-07-30 21:06:22

I think Windows is getting rid of UWP sooner or later, and going with x86. Didn't take off as much as they'd want. Better still, limitations are limitations no matter the platform. Store apps can't access certain areas of the machine even if it were technically possible. THere's a reason things like vmware fusion aren't in the mac app store, for example.

2020-07-30 21:06:48

@13, perhaps you're right.
They also won't allow addons to be installed. I tried running an addon at some point, and the firewall straight up blocked it. Needless to say, I'm stuck on NVDA 2018.3. lol And I don't want to go to great lengths to upgrade it by having to contact IT and such.
If it says anything, for all the libraries and stuff I need because I'm a dev, they run a custom registry of dependencies and developer tools. Understandable really since they handle private and confidential information. It's just annoying when I want to get my nice screen reader tools running on my machine. Not that I use many really.

2020-07-31 23:45:30

This is a step in the right direction. By making this heavily locked down NVDA, we may be able to convince businesses be more open to allowing NVDA

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2020-08-01 19:45:57

That's not true.
I love UWP apps such as calculator, sticky notes, mail, snip and sketch, Skype, Unigram, Spotify etc.
They are absolutely fine and work very well. Infact, in our college exams, I have the UWP calculator app as my calculator in place of the scientific calculator. And yes, everyone is permitted to use calculator, no one would survive without that in exam, the subjects requires so.
NVDA on windows store could have been very good for me only if it didn't come with so many restrictions. But, I'm fine with win32 as well.
Hope that they somehow manage to work around the restrictions in future, having a common place for these things is good for me.
Also, did you guys know that Microsoft is working on a package manager for windows, similar to Linux oporating systems. It would be cool to just smash a command and get all the programs installed on my machine without worrying about permissions and buttons.

2020-08-01 21:13:26

I did say, excluding the built in ones, and calculator is a built in app. Incidentally, one of the UWP apps I use is in fact Unigram. That is one of the most accessible UWP apps I ever saw. Though how someone can say Skype is good I don't know,  since even Microsoft abandoned it and it is now the same Electron app.

2020-08-01 22:14:31 (edited by jack 2020-08-01 22:14:40)

@MyDearWatson: You miss the point. UWP apps are great, yes. But any app in the store, whether it's uwp or win32, has the same restrictions of not being able to get upclose and personal with the system. That's commonplace for any regulated app store.

2020-08-01 23:32:12

@nidza07, Skype's more accessible than Unigram. Despite being known as the accessible Telegram client for Windows, it suffers from accessibility issues itself. Unlabeled buttons is the biggest issue for me.

If you for whatever reason wish to contact me, the best way to do so is through Discord (Minionslayer#2980). You'll get the quickest response times, and by extension, a higher priority. I also sometimes post my thoughts (for the better or worse) over on Twitter at @Minionslayer2.

2020-08-01 23:41:13

Skype is never more usable than Unigram, despite any unlabelled buttons. The only major issue I have with it is the files section, but at least I don't have 15 seconds of lag when switching chats for half a year. Give me this classic interface and I'll take it any day. Just today I was making a comment on how annoying Skype became where you use it by pressing tab 15 times, then enter, then tab 3 times again, and so on and how it reminds me of swiping on a touch screen to find something. Granted, this is the case with any web app, but using something on Desktop should be a lot quicker with many more shortcuts available. For example, to share your system audio in a call, in the new Skype you first have to go into the active call, tab until you reach the screen share button, tab until you reach the include audio  checkbox, shift tab until you reach start sharing. In the old one, after getting used to how the app works, you'd just press Alt Q, y, and be done. But the biggest of all annoyances is with the contacts list. No first letter navigation, no home or end, no anything. You looking for somebody starting with V but don't know the exact spelling, tough luck, depending on how large your list is you might have to spam down arrow 50 times.
In any case, I don't assume this is going to change for the better anytime soon, and honestly using these web apps became way faster and more productive on a mobile than on a PC. At least there you have touch exploration to find something once you memorize the layout, which is better than shift tabbing or tabbing 20 times. This is kind of OT though so it can be discussed in some other topic.

2020-08-02 00:33:12

@nidza07, Well, I don't get the lag you comment about, but I do get what you mean about every (and I mean every) desktop control having a hotkey. The experience is just too similar. On one hand you want a unifying experience across your different operation systems so people aren't confused, but you don't want literally the same experience as different UIs match different types of device.

If you for whatever reason wish to contact me, the best way to do so is through Discord (Minionslayer#2980). You'll get the quickest response times, and by extension, a higher priority. I also sometimes post my thoughts (for the better or worse) over on Twitter at @Minionslayer2.

2020-08-02 00:40:23

You can give JAWS free reign too by hooking DLLs which JAWS fully supports. So I've never understood why the corporate world is so afraid of NVDA.