[gui-talk] Fwd: Thunder screen reader

[Steve Pattison]

Thunder can be downloaded from www.screenreader.net.  I tried the latest
version of Thunder on Vista and while it was useable I found it very
slow to respond and it has potential but needs a lot of work.  My PC is
a quad core with 4GB of RAM.  -Steve.

From:    Screenreader.net reply at screenreader.net

NEWSLETTER August 2010

NEW THUNDER VERSION 2 BRINGS US UP TO DATE

Remember us? We're the people that provided you the no cost download of
the Thunder screen reader software. We now have a new version of
Thunder, V2, up and ready for everyone at www.screenreader.net. It’s
really good and I hope we get lots of feedback from you. So what’s new?

Obviously, Thunder has been brought up to date and now works well with
Windows 7, both 32 and 64 bit versions. Don't be put off by wise guys
telling you that Windows 7 and Office ‘07 are not good for blind users.
Microsoft has made great efforts to improve the accessibility and it’s
just a case of learning a few new keystrokes and tricks of the trade.

Until now, we’ve relied on the WebbIE text browser for the Thunder
internet experience. That’s great and we have no plans to stop using
WebbIE and Alasdair at WebbIE amazes us by constantly updating and
improving his software. He’s a mighty supporter of blind computer
users. But now, for the first time, Thunder users can start to enjoy
Internet Explorer mainstream and Sensory Software Ltd have been pretty
ingenious with their keystrokes. What I mean is that you can achieve a
great deal with very few and easy keystrokes. As an example; you can
keep pressing the PGDN key and hear much of what is available on
websites. Pressing the END key takes you through any form filling you
encounter. The function keys are used to deal with other matters: F4
gives you that fantastic easy Web search facility and F2 then F3
permits you to search for a word within the webpage you are on. F7
hops between headers and F10 brings up the list of links. All very
easy and works whatever the language. Of course, the TAB key takes you
from link to link. There are plans to develop all this so that we are
well ready for when IE9 comes along. But if you find that WebbIE suits
your purpose, just stick with it.

Thunder is more stable than ever and the memory stick version is now
almost as responsive as if the software were installed on the machine
you are using. It’s absolutely amazing that, for the price of a memory
stick, around £6 in the UK, and maybe with a bit of help from a mate,
you can use your Thunder on other machines, in the library, internet
cafe or at your friend's home, without installing anything at all on
the host computer. Compare this with the price of commercial
alternatives and, if money becomes short, well, why spend? Keep your
money for training or something else.

We have been busy in other ways too. Since the end of last year, we
have been organising fifty web learning days around England for
combined audiences of blind and seeing people. At each learning day,
we have aimed to recruit a Thunder Champion to spread the word locally
and encourage other blind people to get connected. We are pleased that
all this has given work to three blind certificated IT trainers at a
time when work is hard to come by as the larger blindness
organisations take the cream.

We have landed a second European Commission contract to put Thunder
into more languages: Greek, Turkish, Polish, Bulgarian and Spanish. In
all these countries, many blind people are poor and will never be able
to spend out on commercial products. We remain passionate that by
right access to computers should be there for all blind people. It’s
taking a little while but we are not put off by lack of support from
organisations with money and we continue to get great feedback from
Thunder users round the world.

When we started Thunder in 2006, we were the only "nuts" to be doing
something at no cost to the user which others were charging an arm and
a leg for. But now we are not alone. NVDA comes out of Australia and
is a great product too and the Mighty innovating Apple Corporation
integrates its Voiceover talking and magnifying software into all of
its products, from the iPod to the 27 inch screen desktop as well as
the iPhone and the iPad, which are to us out of the box. We have never
had so much choice or accessibility.

Ever wondered whose behind Thunder and Screenreader.net? We're Roger &
Margaret and you can hear us talking about our software and the
challenges we face in keeping it up to date by copying and pasting the
following url into your browser: http://www.seethedifference.
org/charities/communication-for-blind-people/screen-reading-software-
for-the-blind. Or why not visit the blind blogger at:
http://theblindblogger.blogspot.com

Our mailing address is:
Screenreader.net
7 The Rookery
Orton Wistow, Peterborough PE2 6YT

Our telephone:
0044 (0)1733 234441

Regards Steve
Email:  srp at internode.on.net
MSN Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com
Skype:  steve1963
Twitter:  steve9782