Talking bios

[Janina Sajka]

Let's generalize this a bit further.

Virtually all non Intel computers can be accessed over a serial port at
9600 baud. At least, this has been historically true for systems from
DEC, Sun, etc.

In other words, the inaccessible bios was first created for Intel
computing platforms.

I believe this is an important point which should not be forgotten in
any advocacy for accessibility on future bios implementations. We're not
asking for something new. We're asking that something be maintained.

For example, my DEC Alphastation 200 has a perfectly accessible bios. I
simply disconnect the monitor and plug a Braille 'N Speakup into its
first serial port and have at it. It's brilliant, and this is how I
configured the bios on the computer that is now my home server.

My experience with this ten year old DEC is the historic norm for
computing. 

Allan Shaw writes:
> From: Allan Shaw <technews at sympatico.ca>
> 
> 
> Back in the very early days of the 8286 CPU's one of the leading bios 
> manufacturers at that time whom i believe was called Phoenix had a utility 
> which came with any system containing there bios which would allow you to 
> modify/configure/set the parameters within the bios by running this utility 
> from at that time a command prompt.
> 
> I had a system with this type of bios and was using the Artic speech 
> product and could change anything I require within the bios and then only 
> had to reboot my machine to pick up the changes.
> 
> so as with many things, all we need to do is once again make the old 
> something new again and develop something similar for the modern day bios 
> and make our life a little easier.
> If the Phoenix company is still around, maybe that would be a good place to 
> start.
>  
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup

-- 
	
Janina Sajka
Email: janina at rednote.net		
Phone: (202) 408-8175

Director, Technology Research and Development
American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
http://www.afb.org

Chair, Accessibility Work Group
Free Standards Group
http://accessibility.freestandards.org