1) the pwWebSpeak product line described here has been discontinued as of Jan 1st, 2001 - pwWEBSPEAK/PLUS ($150) is an awesome award winning non-visual audible browser (it reads websites directly to you from the internet - ie. the browser is reading website content to you while you are surfing the net - you do not need to save websites, although you can); you can obtain a 30 day evaluation copy of this browser by clicking on the icon below and scrolling to the bottom of the page that the link takes you to --> look for the link marked "get an evaluation version."

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pwWEBSPEAK provides audio links to the internet and to e-mail... and will read other pages to you as well.  It takes a bit of getting used to but once I began to learn the F-key shortcut commands, the program became much easier to use.  The next step was to learn to skip the garbage at the top of most web pages... pwWEBSPEAK reads everything, including the garbage... but, again, it is very easy to skip all the garbage using the short-cut commands... within a very short time, I was able to visit and "LISTEN" to all kinds of websites... it takes next to no time to learn how to "listen" to websites that you know how to find... it takes a bit more time and patience to "get used to" listening to search results and finding weblinks based on searches (but it is quite do-able!!!)... I initially had to slow the speech down to 120 words per minute (default is 180) but within a few minutes I got used to the voice I chose for WEBSPEAK and cranked the speed back up to 150 (there are several voices to choose from; several are fun to listen to)... this program seems to have great potential for users who would benefit from audible assistance while browsing the internet!

March 8th, 2001

2) The OPERA special needs browser allows extraordinary screen adjustment to improve text readability and to remove undesirable visual clutter from the screen... keyboard operation may also be enhanced to reduce the number of keys required to navigate!  Click on the icon below to purchase Opera 4.02 or to get a 30 day free trial version.  Quite frankly, this browser is becoming so good... that if they would produce a free version... this browser might displace one of the BIG TWO browsers in the next year or two!  The Bull says, "Watch out big guys, the Opera is comin' to town!"

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3) Dragon Naturally Speaking V. 5.0 is great for anyone who experiences discomfort when typing... for example, carpal tunnel syndrome or lack of finger motion... or for people who just don't like typing.  The program comes in several versions, with prices ranging from $65 to $550... I use the preferred version valued at around $150... and I can type over 100 words per minute without touching the keyboard!  I can't guarantee that you will like the lesser priced versions, but if they are anything like the "preferred" version and its more expensive counterparts, this program will make most people happy!  The Bull is snortin' and stampin' up a storm over this nifty little tool, even if it is a bit on the costly side!