I’ve known about the following matter for almost two weeks, but have taken a wait and see attitude about writing it up here, to see if anything came out about it on the assistive technology front. I know the subject has trickled out some in A T circles, but I have still yet not heard anything mentioned anywhere about the impact of this change on accessibility products such as screen readers that run off portable, USB thumb drives.
Also, one has to wonder how will the use of Serotek’s wonderful, U3 Smart drive accessibility tool, System Access Mobile, be impacted?
The information I’m worried about is from the Technet blog Security Research & Defense, which touts itself as, “Information from Microsoft about vulnerabilities, mitigations and workarounds, active attacks, security research, tools and guidance,” so I give it some credibility. The subject is a new security fix in the latest release candidate of Windows 7, in a post titled
AutoRun changes in Windows 7
In a nutshell, the post cites that the Conficker virus, and other types of malware, have been spreading via the autorun function in Microsoft Windows. To remedy this from occurring, they have instituted a security fix in Windows 7 that will no longer allow the autorun function to come up when USB devices are plugged in.
That wouldn’t bother me, except that this includes thumb drives that give portability to screen readers and allow users to use virtually any computer. The post does share the difference in autorun and autoplay, which makes sense, but it is pretty clear that this will keep the latest version of Windows from running portable applications from a jump drive, but still allow them to run when launched from a CD or DVD.
And, if you’re sitting there grinning, saying that you just won’t upgrade to Windows 7, the post also states that this fix will be made available to Windows Vista and XP as well. I don’t see how we’re going to avoid this change. I don’t know when this will happen, but figure it will come as one of those Windows automatic updates.
I’m not a total geek, so some of the language in the article is not always clear to me. It does raise the issue of U3 smart drives, which I use in training students on using System Access, but I’m not totally clear how that will be affected. I’m happy to append this post with more information if anybody would care to enlighten me.
I know that there are other options, such as System Access’s ability to burn a CD to run the program, but I have liked the portability of just popping in a thumb drive.
I’ve been using thumb drives for access for a couple of years for my own use when away from home. When training, I’ve actually begun to carry around three drives in my pocket. On one, I have System Access; on another, I have JAWS, which I use with a couple of students; and, on my most recent addition, I’ve got NVDA, the open source, screen reading program, which I demo as a free alternative.
I hope I’m not coming across as some Chicken Little on this subject. Its just that I know there are many applications which run on thumb drives, including many assistive technology programs and I’m just trying to either get some answers or discussion going on a matter that I’m afraid is going to negatively impact computer accessibility for many.
Showing posts with label System Access. Show all posts
Showing posts with label System Access. Show all posts
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Merging technologies is an accessibility solution to consider
Today, I’m sharing a technology pairing that is working well for both myself and the students I train on assistive technology.
For Christmas, I received an HP netbook, one of those slimmed down, ultralight notebook computers. It has a 16 GB solid state hard drive, making boot up and shutdown go faster than on a computer with a conventional hard drive. It weighs in a just under 2.5 pounds and has a 10-inch display screen. What It comes with is a 1 gig processor and 1 Gb of RAM, with 2 USB slots and an SD card reader. I also enjoy the built-in B/G WiFi and count this as a big addition to my personal computing experience.
What it doesn’t have is either a CD or DVD drive, which probably accounts for the trimmed weight and compact size. It does come with a recovery CD of the Windows XP Home operating system, just in case it ever crashes. To install the CD, though, will require using an external, USB disk drive. I don’t have one of these, but hope I won’t ever need one.
One of the best things on this HP model versus other makes is that the keyboard is 92% of the size of regular HP notebooks. That fuller size, versus mashed-together keyboards on other makes, really helps screen reader users who require a keyboard for operating the machine.
I’d heard that one could run a screen reader on these netbook computers and wanted to put that to the test. Being I’m a
JAWS
user by practice, I slapped the latest version of it on there and authorized it. It takes a little while for JAWS to start when booting up, but once it does, the machine runs along very well. My biggest hangup is getting used to the JAWS laptop configuration on this while using the desktop configuration at home. I recently purchased a USB keypad to let me use the more comfortable desktop configuration on this. I haven’t hooked that up yet, but will in the next few days.
Yes, with JAWS, This is a perfect road machine for me. When I travel and need a computer, I’ve got one that won’t break my back to carry. Neither did it break the bank, costing only $399. It does the primary tasks I want when away from home—surfing the net, email, and document writing. Any heavier jobs I wouldn’t usually do away from home anyways.
Still, I’ve also installed several of Jim Kitchens’
Kitchensinc games,
As well as some from other gamemakers, For my own entertainment. I use these myself, but also with the students I teach on assistive technology. I’ve yet to meet a blind or visually impaired student who knew that there were computer games made for folks who couldn’t see the screen. There are learning aspects to many of the games, but even for those which are just fun, these easily fall into the extended core curriculum.
The primary drawback of this netbook is that the battery only gives it about three hours of juice. I understand that HP is supposed to offer a supplemental 6-cell battery that will last longer than the current 3-cell model.
Aside from working well, this sleek, little thing looks great. My wife liked mine so much, she bought herself one, too.
Just this week, one of my students also received his own HP netbook, identical to mine. However, instead of using JAWS, he is using the thumb-drive version of
Serotek’s System Access Mobile,
Which is also running great for him.
My final comment on these netbooks is that, for blind students who need technology with a screen reader, they offer a very affordable alternative to the expensive, stand-alone electronic notetakers like the Pacmate or Voicenote, which run into the thousands of dollars. Granted, adding a screen reader like JAWS adds to the cost, but if you enroll your student in Serotek’s
KK-12 program,
That doesn’t need to be the case. The student will get a computer that gives the power of a full computer in a lightweight and easily-toted netbook that looks good to his/her peers. That also includes full Windows functionality, not the Windows Mobile version like on Pacmate. If there are additional programs that the student needs to run on the product, the compatibility will be near 100% on these as compared to to an “iffy” chance for compatibility on products like the Pacmate or Voicenote.
This post isn’t meant to slam those stand alone notetakers, but the more mainstream we can make products for our students, the better off they will be. Accessibility doesn’t need to come in a proprietary product., which has so often been the case in the past. Granted, Windows Mobile is better than a proprietary operating system, but it still isn't the full Windows package that one can get on a netbook.
For Christmas, I received an HP netbook, one of those slimmed down, ultralight notebook computers. It has a 16 GB solid state hard drive, making boot up and shutdown go faster than on a computer with a conventional hard drive. It weighs in a just under 2.5 pounds and has a 10-inch display screen. What It comes with is a 1 gig processor and 1 Gb of RAM, with 2 USB slots and an SD card reader. I also enjoy the built-in B/G WiFi and count this as a big addition to my personal computing experience.
What it doesn’t have is either a CD or DVD drive, which probably accounts for the trimmed weight and compact size. It does come with a recovery CD of the Windows XP Home operating system, just in case it ever crashes. To install the CD, though, will require using an external, USB disk drive. I don’t have one of these, but hope I won’t ever need one.
One of the best things on this HP model versus other makes is that the keyboard is 92% of the size of regular HP notebooks. That fuller size, versus mashed-together keyboards on other makes, really helps screen reader users who require a keyboard for operating the machine.
I’d heard that one could run a screen reader on these netbook computers and wanted to put that to the test. Being I’m a
JAWS
user by practice, I slapped the latest version of it on there and authorized it. It takes a little while for JAWS to start when booting up, but once it does, the machine runs along very well. My biggest hangup is getting used to the JAWS laptop configuration on this while using the desktop configuration at home. I recently purchased a USB keypad to let me use the more comfortable desktop configuration on this. I haven’t hooked that up yet, but will in the next few days.
Yes, with JAWS, This is a perfect road machine for me. When I travel and need a computer, I’ve got one that won’t break my back to carry. Neither did it break the bank, costing only $399. It does the primary tasks I want when away from home—surfing the net, email, and document writing. Any heavier jobs I wouldn’t usually do away from home anyways.
Still, I’ve also installed several of Jim Kitchens’
Kitchensinc games,
As well as some from other gamemakers, For my own entertainment. I use these myself, but also with the students I teach on assistive technology. I’ve yet to meet a blind or visually impaired student who knew that there were computer games made for folks who couldn’t see the screen. There are learning aspects to many of the games, but even for those which are just fun, these easily fall into the extended core curriculum.
The primary drawback of this netbook is that the battery only gives it about three hours of juice. I understand that HP is supposed to offer a supplemental 6-cell battery that will last longer than the current 3-cell model.
Aside from working well, this sleek, little thing looks great. My wife liked mine so much, she bought herself one, too.
Just this week, one of my students also received his own HP netbook, identical to mine. However, instead of using JAWS, he is using the thumb-drive version of
Serotek’s System Access Mobile,
Which is also running great for him.
My final comment on these netbooks is that, for blind students who need technology with a screen reader, they offer a very affordable alternative to the expensive, stand-alone electronic notetakers like the Pacmate or Voicenote, which run into the thousands of dollars. Granted, adding a screen reader like JAWS adds to the cost, but if you enroll your student in Serotek’s
KK-12 program,
That doesn’t need to be the case. The student will get a computer that gives the power of a full computer in a lightweight and easily-toted netbook that looks good to his/her peers. That also includes full Windows functionality, not the Windows Mobile version like on Pacmate. If there are additional programs that the student needs to run on the product, the compatibility will be near 100% on these as compared to to an “iffy” chance for compatibility on products like the Pacmate or Voicenote.
This post isn’t meant to slam those stand alone notetakers, but the more mainstream we can make products for our students, the better off they will be. Accessibility doesn’t need to come in a proprietary product., which has so often been the case in the past. Granted, Windows Mobile is better than a proprietary operating system, but it still isn't the full Windows package that one can get on a netbook.
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