WSR And Windows Seven

I have been using Windows 7 for a little over a month at this point.  Of course, it is not the finalized version due for release in October so there are a few quirks here and there.  Overall, I would have to say that it performs exceedingly well in that it is very stable, it is reliable, and it is faster than my experience with any other Windows operating system to date.  Regarding accessibility issues, I would like to share a couple of thoughts with you.

WSR has been significantly improved in comparison to its performance in Vista.  I am much happier with dictation accuracy and extremely happy with its ability to manipulate the Windows environment.  It comes very close to being hands-free in its ability to operate most aspects of Windows and most software.  One of the quirks that I ran into was dictating and watching the cursor move with no words being printed out, only empty space.  When I got to the end of the sentence, the words would appear if I said the word "space".  This would happen randomly.

The on screen keyboard has been changed.  The function keys are no longer present and a very nicely done word prediction option has been added.  Using it to type words is much easier.  My son has a higher form of autism which impacts his ability to spell and create sentences even though he is in high school .  With this on-screen keyboard he was able to write 7 sentences without me having to spell any words for him as he was able to recognize them from the word prediction component .  That was absolutely the 1st time he has ever been able to do so!  However, I do miss the function keys.  I have tried to find an option to bring them back but am unable to.  The keyboard itself is now black with the letters being white.  I do find it easier to see.  Also, the keyboard itself is resizable which is a very nice feature depending on how you like your Windows desktop to be laid out.

The screen magnification feature has also been changed in that it gives you the option of magnifying the whole screen, or having a magnification panel at the top of the screen.  It takes a little getting used to if you're used to using it in other versions of Windows.

So, do you think that I will upgrade my computers to Windows 7?  Absolutely!  We have a home network which includes my wife's computers, my son's computer, and my daughter's.  The new home networking features will allow a seamless integration and sharing of music files, photographs, etc., as well as allow for streaming media among computers.  This is not particularly disability related but it is very nice to be able to do so!