Talking bios

[Allan Shaw]

... but that's not what you indicated.  You indicated that you feel that by 
connecting a Braille"n Speak to your system which allows you to access the 
bios makes that bios perfectly accessible.  that's only one option, what if 
you don't happen to own a braille'n speak?


At 19:54 12/23/03, you wrote:
>I should think the opposite is a bios you can't read without sight.
>
>Allan Shaw writes:
> > From: Allan Shaw <technews at sympatico.ca>
> >
> >
> > ... I wouldn't consider having to connect a Braille 'N Speak to your 
> system
> > a system with a perfectly accessible bios, in fact the exact opposit!
> >
> > At 11:45 12/23/03, you wrote:
> > >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.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> Speakup mailing list
> > >> 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
> > >
> > >_______________________________________________
> > >Speakup mailing list
> > >Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > >http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Speakup mailing list
> > 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
>
>_______________________________________________
>Speakup mailing list
>Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
>http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup