Introduction and getting started with SpeakOn:
Why SpeakOn was developed
Like many blind users I enjoy and need to use audio and text media in every day life. I use the computer with a screen reader to play audio files through a software player and read text using a text processor or a specialized reader. I use a podcast receiver to download my podcasts and a separate player to play my DAISY files. To get media files, I usually access a remote website is required which may need a username and a password. The file needs to be downloaded and unzipped, and the relevant application needs to be started. Each application has a different user interface with keystrokes to remember. To operate the computer, I need to sit upright in front of the keyboard; hardly a way to relax!
SpeakOn is an attempt to provide easy access to general and specialized media through a simple interface which can be operated by one hand in the comfort of your armchair or even when lying in bed.
SpeakOn is self voicing and therefore does not required a screen reader. It does not have a visual interface and therefore a screen magnifier is not required either. SpeakOn is not designed to be a replacement for a screen reader - it is simply a fast and convenient way to access and play audio and text files and provides an easy interface to some services provided by blind-related organizations.
I am using SpeakOn every day to listen to my music, download and read TNAUK newspapers and magazines, play podcasts files directly from the internet or downloaded by other applications, listen to DAISY books and internet radio. SpeakOn is a platform software meaning that more plugins and applications for it will be available in the future to provide even more functionality.
As SpeakOn is so useful in my every day life, other blind people may enjoy it too.
SpeakOn is free. It will run on Windows, Mac and Linux. Currently there is only an installer for the Windows operating system, but if there is a demand for it, we will consider offering installers for the other operating systems too.
Enjoy!
Isaac Porat