Re: Free JAWS licence that was anounced today
Devin Prater
At the AT department I work for, we teach NVDA. We don’t put $1000 licenses, or even $100 ones, on our clients. Really, I think all that NVDA needs now is good hints, like JAWS has “tutor messages.” I know, there is an add-on, where one has to remember to press a keyboard command to open a help message, but if we have help messages built in, and extendable by other addons to other apps, configurable right from the welcome dialog, and turned off for people updating NVDA, NVDA will be even easier to learn. My students have me to teach them, but not all blind people are so fortunate.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Let’s say that NVDA does become the industry standard. What then? There are professionals who just dump equipment on blind people’s doorstep and leave it for blind people to learn. There are blind people who are told to just go buy a PC and have sighted help to slap NVDA on it, with the blind person knowing little to nothing about Windows. Sure, blind people may always need training, but they understand the iPhone quickly, and JAWS too. Can’t we emulate them at least as far as giving good beginner hints on using controls, or even basic tips for using Windows, using Tab, Arrows, Windows key, and maybe a link to Windows keyboard commands? Narrator does some of this, and I could see it, after its web navigation is tightened up, gaining lots of usage for it.
|
|
locked
Re: Statement from Joseph Lee regarding NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support requests: no more, period
Hi, Believe it or not, someone just published an article noting that there is already a zero-day exploit targeting unpatched Windows systems, including, unfortunately, Windows 7. This zero-day exploit relates to font handling by Adobe Font Manager, and I expect Microsoft to issue a patch to supported Windows releases; in case of Windows 7, no consumer-level patch will be issued through Windows Update unless it becomes too urgent to do so. With that in mind, as far as public relations goes, Windows 7 is unsupported. Microsoft does sell extended security updates (ESU’s) for Windows 7 but only to businesses. As for NVDA dropping support for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2, not for a while unless it becomes hard to justify Windows 7 support (one of my upcoming summer projects will look into what it takes to support Windows 8.1 and higher and potential impact for users). Cheers, Joseph
From: nvda@nvda.groups.io <nvda@nvda.groups.io> On Behalf Of Gene
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2020 1:29 PM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: Re: [nvda] Statement from Joseph Lee regarding NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support requests: no more, period
Joseph and all
You and others may want to comment, but I doubt that Windows 7 will be a problem. Whether and for how long it is supported, I suspect that Windows 7 is enough like Windows 10 that add-ons and NVDA will continue to work, at least for quite a while. Of course, there are apps that are not usable in Windows 7 and of course attachments related to them won’t be usable. But it is my impression that Windows 7 is much more like Windows 10 than XP was to Windows 7 and higher.
Gene ----- Original Message ----- From: Joseph Lee Sent: Monday, March 23, 2020 12:58 PM Subject: Re: [nvda] Statement from Joseph Lee regarding NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support requests: no more, period
Hi, The exact statements from NV Access and developers back then were that using XP is now a security risk for many, and that people can use NVDA 2017.3 and old add-ons should they need to use XP and friends. As for my statement back then, it referred to my own add-ons. The statement I wrote below covers cases where a user would write to developers asking us to make certain new features available for old releases, which cannot be done, particularly now that we have fully moved onto Python 3. Cheers, Joseph
From: nvda@nvda.groups.io <nvda@nvda.groups.io> On Behalf Of Arlene
Hi, I don’t remember the time you and NVDA developers did say xp support was no longer going to work for users who still want to continue using xp. You did say maybe 2 or 3 years ago you were going to no longer support xp and vista. I think windows 7 is next.
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
From: Joseph Lee
Hello NVDA users and add-on developers,
First, I would like to reiterate how important it is that everyone listen to advice from reputable sources regarding COVID-19, including public health officials recommending folks to exercise social distancing for a while. Even if you do not feel sick, please help others by washing hands, practice social distancing, and monitor the situation regarding the pandemic and community spread. And since the NVDA community is a global movement, please support each other.
Onto the matter at hand: for several days I have received requests about NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support. Requests have included making add-ons compatible with Windows XP again, compatibility issues, and backporting newer NVDA bug fixes and features to users of NVDA 2017.3, the last version compatible with Windows XP.
At the moment there is no community guidance on support for Windows XP, with many people asking others to upgrade to newer Windows releases. But as an individual add-on author and a contributor to NVDA screen reader project, I would like to take this time to make the following personal announcement:
Effective April 15, 2020, if you ask me to do one or more of the following for Windows XP users, the answer you will get is, “sorry, no more, period.” These include:
Most importantly, I will flatly say “no” if you ask me privately to ask NV Access and/or add-on developers about Windows XP support. Many features introduced in newer NVDA releases cannot be backported for various reasons, including risk of crashing NVDA (grammar error announcement, for example), incompatibility with Python 2 (broader Unicode support, for example), features that will not work properly with XP (screen curtain, for example), support for apps no longer recommended for wider use (outlook Express, for example), and broad changes that alters how add-ons work (speech refactor and multi-category settings dialog, for example). Several add-on authors have indicated reluctance to support XP, and in case of add-ons I’m either maintaining or have passed onto the community, none of them support NVDA 2019.2.1 or earlier, let alone Windows XP and friends.
My personal statement above will not be in effect until April so that you can help others going through COVID-19 and for my statement as an individual developer to sink in. Note that I’m not speaking on behalf of other developers – others have their own policies regarding support for Windows XP. NV Access does provide a download link for NVDA 2017.3, the last version compatible with Windows XP.
I know my statement is a huge blow to many of you. As much as I wanted folks to understand that end of support means end of support, and I understand that many of you cannot afford newer equipment and software releases (including moving to newer Windows releases), I felt it is time to make a bold statement and say “no” to Windows XP support. In the past, I did note on various NVDA forums that my add-ons will not and does not support Windows XP, but didn’t announce a statement like this then, hoping that folks will understand the reality at last. But alas, it is time to officially close the doors to Windows XP support from my end – once again, this is an individual developer saying this, not on behalf of the community at large, knowing that others will make statements on their own.
Thank you for understanding. Cheers, Joseph
|
|
Re: Free JAWS licence that was anounced today
On Mon, Mar 23, 2020 at 04:24 PM, Jesse Farquharson wrote:
an opensource program, means that you can have someone who is qualified come in to externally audit the software and say, "yes, this program is absolutely safe," if you are inclined to do so.Yep, and not just for NVDA. It seems that slowly, but surely, many IT professionals are getting "the powers that be" to recognize this. There is far less resistance to open source software in the business market than there once was. But since that resistance started out as absolute, it's still nowhere close to the degree of acceptance that should prevail. That being said, there are many ways that current security suites use to analyze closed source code to see if it's been compromised. There is good reason, very good reason, to believe that commercial software makers are not going to rob their customers (of passwords or cash, anyway - data is another matter altogether). -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 1909, Build 18363 Power is being told you're not loved and not being destroyed by it. ~ Madonna
|
|
Re: PodCast Reader
Andrea Sherry
Thanks
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On 23/03/2020 7:47 pm, Jacob Kruger wrote:
This might not be specifically relevant to usage with NVDA, but, it's specifically accessible:
|
|
locked
Re: Statement from Joseph Lee regarding NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support requests: no more, period
Gene
Joseph and all
You and others may want to comment, but I doubt that Windows 7 will be a
problem. Whether and for how long it is supported, I suspect that Windows
7 is enough like Windows 10 that add-ons and NVDA will continue to work, at
least for quite a while. Of course, there are apps that are not usable in
Windows 7 and of course attachments related to them won’t be usable. But
it is my impression that Windows 7 is much more like Windows 10 than XP was to
Windows 7 and higher.
Gene
----- Original Message -----
From:
Joseph Lee
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2020 12:58 PM
Subject: Re: [nvda] Statement from Joseph Lee regarding NVDA add-ons
and Windows XP support requests: no more, period Hi, The exact statements from NV Access and developers back then were that using XP is now a security risk for many, and that people can use NVDA 2017.3 and old add-ons should they need to use XP and friends. As for my statement back then, it referred to my own add-ons. The statement I wrote below covers cases where a user would write to developers asking us to make certain new features available for old releases, which cannot be done, particularly now that we have fully moved onto Python 3. Cheers, Joseph
From: nvda@nvda.groups.io <nvda@nvda.groups.io>
On Behalf Of Arlene
Hi, I don’t remember the time you and NVDA developers did say xp support was no longer going to work for users who still want to continue using xp. You did say maybe 2 or 3 years ago you were going to no longer support xp and vista. I think windows 7 is next.
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
From: Joseph Lee
Hello NVDA users and add-on developers,
First, I would like to reiterate how important it is that everyone listen to advice from reputable sources regarding COVID-19, including public health officials recommending folks to exercise social distancing for a while. Even if you do not feel sick, please help others by washing hands, practice social distancing, and monitor the situation regarding the pandemic and community spread. And since the NVDA community is a global movement, please support each other.
Onto the matter at hand: for several days I have received requests about NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support. Requests have included making add-ons compatible with Windows XP again, compatibility issues, and backporting newer NVDA bug fixes and features to users of NVDA 2017.3, the last version compatible with Windows XP.
At the moment there is no community guidance on support for Windows XP, with many people asking others to upgrade to newer Windows releases. But as an individual add-on author and a contributor to NVDA screen reader project, I would like to take this time to make the following personal announcement:
Effective April 15, 2020, if you ask me to do one or more of the following for Windows XP users, the answer you will get is, “sorry, no more, period.” These include:
Most importantly, I will flatly say “no” if you ask me privately to ask NV Access and/or add-on developers about Windows XP support. Many features introduced in newer NVDA releases cannot be backported for various reasons, including risk of crashing NVDA (grammar error announcement, for example), incompatibility with Python 2 (broader Unicode support, for example), features that will not work properly with XP (screen curtain, for example), support for apps no longer recommended for wider use (outlook Express, for example), and broad changes that alters how add-ons work (speech refactor and multi-category settings dialog, for example). Several add-on authors have indicated reluctance to support XP, and in case of add-ons I’m either maintaining or have passed onto the community, none of them support NVDA 2019.2.1 or earlier, let alone Windows XP and friends.
My personal statement above will not be in effect until April so that you can help others going through COVID-19 and for my statement as an individual developer to sink in. Note that I’m not speaking on behalf of other developers – others have their own policies regarding support for Windows XP. NV Access does provide a download link for NVDA 2017.3, the last version compatible with Windows XP.
I know my statement is a huge blow to many of you. As much as I wanted folks to understand that end of support means end of support, and I understand that many of you cannot afford newer equipment and software releases (including moving to newer Windows releases), I felt it is time to make a bold statement and say “no” to Windows XP support. In the past, I did note on various NVDA forums that my add-ons will not and does not support Windows XP, but didn’t announce a statement like this then, hoping that folks will understand the reality at last. But alas, it is time to officially close the doors to Windows XP support from my end – once again, this is an individual developer saying this, not on behalf of the community at large, knowing that others will make statements on their own.
Thank you for understanding. Cheers, Joseph
|
|
Re: Free JAWS licence that was anounced today
Jesse Farquharson
On 3/23/2020 2:49 PM, Austin Pinto wrote:
also many people have told me that nvda is not as secure as jaws whichJAWS is a closed source program, just like, for instance, Microsoft Word or Outlook. That means that you can't crack them open and see what they're doing, and as such, for all you know you could be installing key loggers on your computer. And yet, schools all over the world use both programs. JAWS could be a simple screenreader, but as I said, it's closed source. So the security risks are unknown. NVDA, being an opensource program, means that you can have someone who is qualified come in to externally audit the software and say, "yes, this program is absolutely safe," if you are inclined to do so. There are only real risks when you install addons from unknown sources, as all of those which are on the community addons page have been verified as safe by the rest of the community. So really, which is the bigger risk here? On 3/23/20, Sky Mundell <skyt@shaw.ca> wrote:Correct! I totally get your point and I agree with you 100%.
|
|
Re: Q Read alternative
hurrikennyandopo ...
Hi Isaac
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Will contact you shortly off list. Through the website? or I will see if it is in the header for it. Just downloaded the latest 2020 beta 1 for a sus and see if any problems. I will test with the beta unless you want it with the stable for the moment? Till any problems are sorted? if any. Gene nz
On 23/03/2020 10:38 pm, Isaac Porat wrote:
Hi Gene
|
|
Re: Q Read alternative
hurrikennyandopo ...
Hi
Speak on is a no only windows.
Gene nz
On 24/03/2020 3:03 am, Akshaya
Choudhary wrote:
Hllo guys,
|
|
Re: Free JAWS licence that was anounced today
Rosemarie Chavarria
I also have friends that don't want to try NVDA. I'm sure if we keep spreading the word about NVDA, It will be used both in commercial as well as home settings. Last year my sister gave me the annual home license for Jaws for muy birthday but I told her not too long ago that I wouldn't be renewing it this year because of the high cost.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Rosemarie
On 3/23/2020 11:02 AM, Sky Mundell wrote:
Hello guys . I do agree with everybody about what they're saying. However, I
|
|
Re: Free JAWS licence that was anounced today
Angel
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
From: Sky Mundell
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2020 2:02 PM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: [nvda] Free JAWS licence that was anounced today
Hello guys . I do agree with everybody about what they're saying. However, I am going to point something out to you, and that is, as a 6 year adaptive tech trainer who has trained blind students in screen readers, I have to say that there are folks out there that won't give up there screen reader too easily. As an example, I do have friends out there that know that NVDA exists, and so on and so forth, but a lot of them think that if something is cheaper, it is inferior. I'll give you an example. I do have a friend in California who has heard of NVDA, and her blind friends know that NVDA exists, and they have tried it but they end up going back to JAWS because its what they know. Also Many of the institutions that I've come across have never heard of NVDA, or if they have heard of it, they assume that it is incomplete or inferior because they have seem more than one person use JAWS and iPhones so they think, all blind folks use, are JAWS screen reader, and iPhones. Which, as you and I know, is not true. As, while JAWS and iPhone's are certainly used, not everybody uses, or cannot afford, either JAWS, or iPhone. Another example is that I have a relative that works at a university, and they use JAWS and I bet if they have heard of NVDA they would be reluctant to try it because they would, once again, assume it is incomplete, and inferior. Sadly, there is no support for NVDA in the school districts that I am aware of where I am. I am certainly in favor of client choice and I am in favor of cheaper stuff but at the moment its going to be real tough to get organisations to realize that NVDA even exists let alone trying it out.
|
|
Re: Free JAWS licence that was anounced today
Austin Pinto <austinpinto.xaviers@...>
also many people have told me that nvda is not as secure as jaws which
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
i think is totally wrong.
On 3/23/20, Sky Mundell <skyt@shaw.ca> wrote:
Correct! I totally get your point and I agree with you 100%. --
search for me on facebook, google+, orkut.. austinpinto.xaviers@gmail.com follow me on twitter. austinmpinto contact me on skype. austin.pinto3
|
|
Adobe connect
Justin Harford
Hello I wanted to see what people's experience has been using NVDA with Adobe connect for webinars. The Association on higher education and disability uses Adobe connect, as well as various government agencies, and there is lots of wonderful material about the accessibility of Adobe connect. Yet when I try to install it, I find that I can't even interact with the controls using Windows 10 and NVDA. I get similar results when using voiceover and iOS. There was a short while a year ago when I found that I was able to go to a webinar using Adobe connect by memorizing the badly labeled or non-labeled buttons, but when I tried more recently to get onto a webinar as a panelist, I found that the buttons were not even visible anymore. Has anyone had a different result and do have any thoughts about why it's not working for me? I'm in the process of asking partner organizations of the place where I work to use different webinar platforms like zoom or go to webinar and I wanted to be more informed, since all of the material online seems to contradict my advice. Regards Justin Harford program Coordinator (NCDE)
|
|
locked
Re: Statement from Joseph Lee regarding NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support requests: no more, period
It is generally a given, and always has been, that compatibility with non-supported Windows versions will not be maintained if any changes to upcoming code are required to achieve same (at least for the general public, there have been private, and very expensive, arrangements for extended support).
Most backward compatibility is the result of chance, not intent, when the OS that the application happens to be compatible with is out of support. It just depends on when the next "tectonic shift" in a given piece of code occurs to keep it current and able to keep moving forward. If a break occurs when that happens, then it's always been considered a normal part of the bargain. All software has a finite service life, whether OS or application. And it works in both directions as well. There are applications from virtually all pre-Windows 7 versions that won't run on 8 or later. 'Twas ever thus. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 1909, Build 18363 Power is being told you're not loved and not being destroyed by it. ~ Madonna
|
|
Re: Free JAWS licence that was anounced today
Sky Mundell
Correct! I totally get your point and I agree with you 100%.
From: nvda@nvda.groups.io <nvda@nvda.groups.io> On Behalf Of Brian Vogel
On Mon, Mar 23, 2020 at 02:02 PM, Sky Mundell wrote:
And having slogged that road I can say you're correct. That being said, it's only if we keep beating the NVDA-option drum that it will ever make inroads in both commercial and academic environments to a much greater extent than it already has. Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 1909, Build 18363 Power is being told you're not loved and not being destroyed by it. ~ Madonna
|
|
locked
Re: Statement from Joseph Lee regarding NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support requests: no more, period
Jackie
It's unfair to ask developers to support unsupported software. They've
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
got enough on their plate to keep up w/new technologies, & often these are incompatible w/older ones. Not only so, but by extension, folks who ask this are basically asking developers to support software which both parties have been warned are a security risk, & ethically many developers don't feel they either can or want to do that.
On 3/23/20, Joseph Lee <joseph.lee22590@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi, --
Subscribe to a WordPress for Newbies Mailing List by sending a message to: wp4newbs-request@freelists.org with 'subscribe' in the Subject field OR by visiting the list page at http://www.freelists.org/list/wp4newbs & check out my sites at www.brighter-vision.com & www.mysitesbeenhacked.com
|
|
Re: Free JAWS licence that was anounced today
On Mon, Mar 23, 2020 at 02:02 PM, Sky Mundell wrote:
I am certainly in favor of clientAnd having slogged that road I can say you're correct. That being said, it's only if we keep beating the NVDA-option drum that it will ever make inroads in both commercial and academic environments to a much greater extent than it already has. JAWS being the "granddaddy of all screen readers" means that it has a massively huge head start. But I think Vispero sees the writing on the wall, as both NVDA and Narrator are both strong competitors, and will only keep becoming stronger ones. I believe that's why the whole new subscription licensing came into existence. People are now balking at what had historically been asked as far as price for JAWS. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 1909, Build 18363 Power is being told you're not loved and not being destroyed by it. ~ Madonna
|
|
Free JAWS licence that was anounced today
Sky Mundell
Hello guys . I do agree with everybody about what they're saying. However, I
am going to point something out to you, and that is, as a 6 year adaptive tech trainer who has trained blind students in screen readers, I have to say that there are folks out there that won't give up there screen reader too easily. As an example, I do have friends out there that know that NVDA exists, and so on and so forth, but a lot of them think that if something is cheaper, it is inferior. I'll give you an example. I do have a friend in California who has heard of NVDA, and her blind friends know that NVDA exists, and they have tried it but they end up going back to JAWS because its what they know. Also Many of the institutions that I've come across have never heard of NVDA, or if they have heard of it, they assume that it is incomplete or inferior because they have seem more than one person use JAWS and iPhones so they think, all blind folks use, are JAWS screen reader, and iPhones. Which, as you and I know, is not true. As, while JAWS and iPhone's are certainly used, not everybody uses, or cannot afford, either JAWS, or iPhone. Another example is that I have a relative that works at a university, and they use JAWS and I bet if they have heard of NVDA they would be reluctant to try it because they would, once again, assume it is incomplete, and inferior. Sadly, there is no support for NVDA in the school districts that I am aware of where I am. I am certainly in favor of client choice and I am in favor of cheaper stuff but at the moment its going to be real tough to get organisations to realize that NVDA even exists let alone trying it out.
|
|
Can't install NVDA 2020 beta I
Lino Morales
Hi all. Can’t install NVDA 2020 beta I. Just beeps away. Running WIN 10 current Insider build. I don’t know if this a bad file that was uploaded or not.
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
|
|
locked
Re: Statement from Joseph Lee regarding NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support requests: no more, period
Hi, The exact statements from NV Access and developers back then were that using XP is now a security risk for many, and that people can use NVDA 2017.3 and old add-ons should they need to use XP and friends. As for my statement back then, it referred to my own add-ons. The statement I wrote below covers cases where a user would write to developers asking us to make certain new features available for old releases, which cannot be done, particularly now that we have fully moved onto Python 3. Cheers, Joseph
From: nvda@nvda.groups.io <nvda@nvda.groups.io> On Behalf Of Arlene
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2020 10:55 AM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: Re: [nvda] Statement from Joseph Lee regarding NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support requests: no more, period
Hi, I don’t remember the time you and NVDA developers did say xp support was no longer going to work for users who still want to continue using xp. You did say maybe 2 or 3 years ago you were going to no longer support xp and vista. I think windows 7 is next.
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
From: Joseph Lee
Hello NVDA users and add-on developers,
First, I would like to reiterate how important it is that everyone listen to advice from reputable sources regarding COVID-19, including public health officials recommending folks to exercise social distancing for a while. Even if you do not feel sick, please help others by washing hands, practice social distancing, and monitor the situation regarding the pandemic and community spread. And since the NVDA community is a global movement, please support each other.
Onto the matter at hand: for several days I have received requests about NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support. Requests have included making add-ons compatible with Windows XP again, compatibility issues, and backporting newer NVDA bug fixes and features to users of NVDA 2017.3, the last version compatible with Windows XP.
At the moment there is no community guidance on support for Windows XP, with many people asking others to upgrade to newer Windows releases. But as an individual add-on author and a contributor to NVDA screen reader project, I would like to take this time to make the following personal announcement:
Effective April 15, 2020, if you ask me to do one or more of the following for Windows XP users, the answer you will get is, “sorry, no more, period.” These include:
Most importantly, I will flatly say “no” if you ask me privately to ask NV Access and/or add-on developers about Windows XP support. Many features introduced in newer NVDA releases cannot be backported for various reasons, including risk of crashing NVDA (grammar error announcement, for example), incompatibility with Python 2 (broader Unicode support, for example), features that will not work properly with XP (screen curtain, for example), support for apps no longer recommended for wider use (outlook Express, for example), and broad changes that alters how add-ons work (speech refactor and multi-category settings dialog, for example). Several add-on authors have indicated reluctance to support XP, and in case of add-ons I’m either maintaining or have passed onto the community, none of them support NVDA 2019.2.1 or earlier, let alone Windows XP and friends.
My personal statement above will not be in effect until April so that you can help others going through COVID-19 and for my statement as an individual developer to sink in. Note that I’m not speaking on behalf of other developers – others have their own policies regarding support for Windows XP. NV Access does provide a download link for NVDA 2017.3, the last version compatible with Windows XP.
I know my statement is a huge blow to many of you. As much as I wanted folks to understand that end of support means end of support, and I understand that many of you cannot afford newer equipment and software releases (including moving to newer Windows releases), I felt it is time to make a bold statement and say “no” to Windows XP support. In the past, I did note on various NVDA forums that my add-ons will not and does not support Windows XP, but didn’t announce a statement like this then, hoping that folks will understand the reality at last. But alas, it is time to officially close the doors to Windows XP support from my end – once again, this is an individual developer saying this, not on behalf of the community at large, knowing that others will make statements on their own.
Thank you for understanding. Cheers, Joseph
|
|
locked
Re: Statement from Joseph Lee regarding NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support requests: no more, period
Arlene
Hi, I don’t remember the time you and NVDA developers did say xp support was no longer going to work for users who still want to continue using xp. You did say maybe 2 or 3 years ago you were going to no longer support xp and vista. I think windows 7 is next.
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
From: Joseph Lee
Sent: March 22, 2020 3:01 PM To: nvda-addons@nvda-addons.groups.io Subject: [nvda] Statement from Joseph Lee regarding NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support requests: no more, period
Hello NVDA users and add-on developers,
First, I would like to reiterate how important it is that everyone listen to advice from reputable sources regarding COVID-19, including public health officials recommending folks to exercise social distancing for a while. Even if you do not feel sick, please help others by washing hands, practice social distancing, and monitor the situation regarding the pandemic and community spread. And since the NVDA community is a global movement, please support each other.
Onto the matter at hand: for several days I have received requests about NVDA add-ons and Windows XP support. Requests have included making add-ons compatible with Windows XP again, compatibility issues, and backporting newer NVDA bug fixes and features to users of NVDA 2017.3, the last version compatible with Windows XP.
At the moment there is no community guidance on support for Windows XP, with many people asking others to upgrade to newer Windows releases. But as an individual add-on author and a contributor to NVDA screen reader project, I would like to take this time to make the following personal announcement:
Effective April 15, 2020, if you ask me to do one or more of the following for Windows XP users, the answer you will get is, “sorry, no more, period.” These include:
Most importantly, I will flatly say “no” if you ask me privately to ask NV Access and/or add-on developers about Windows XP support. Many features introduced in newer NVDA releases cannot be backported for various reasons, including risk of crashing NVDA (grammar error announcement, for example), incompatibility with Python 2 (broader Unicode support, for example), features that will not work properly with XP (screen curtain, for example), support for apps no longer recommended for wider use (outlook Express, for example), and broad changes that alters how add-ons work (speech refactor and multi-category settings dialog, for example). Several add-on authors have indicated reluctance to support XP, and in case of add-ons I’m either maintaining or have passed onto the community, none of them support NVDA 2019.2.1 or earlier, let alone Windows XP and friends.
My personal statement above will not be in effect until April so that you can help others going through COVID-19 and for my statement as an individual developer to sink in. Note that I’m not speaking on behalf of other developers – others have their own policies regarding support for Windows XP. NV Access does provide a download link for NVDA 2017.3, the last version compatible with Windows XP.
I know my statement is a huge blow to many of you. As much as I wanted folks to understand that end of support means end of support, and I understand that many of you cannot afford newer equipment and software releases (including moving to newer Windows releases), I felt it is time to make a bold statement and say “no” to Windows XP support. In the past, I did note on various NVDA forums that my add-ons will not and does not support Windows XP, but didn’t announce a statement like this then, hoping that folks will understand the reality at last. But alas, it is time to officially close the doors to Windows XP support from my end – once again, this is an individual developer saying this, not on behalf of the community at large, knowing that others will make statements on their own.
Thank you for understanding. Cheers, Joseph
|
|