2006 sounds about like the right timeframe. I may have mentioned the wrong NFB convention, it could have been Atlanta. It was going back-and forth between Atlanta and Dallas back then.
It was a real nightmare for those of us to which it happened, and the people at Freedom were disappointingly unconcerned about solving the problem on their end. I do not exaggerate when I tell you they said "we have no plans to support 64-bit hardware", and they made it clear they meant with JAWS 9 or any future releases. Obviously, they got past their hesitation, but it would have been quite a wait to get a 64-bit version of JAWS back then; a year or more, I suppose.
It isn't like this hasn't happened before with similar migrations from 8-bit to 16-bit to 32-bit, and with all of the other major changes like drive access limitations, RAM limits, etc., but maybe that was the first time it happened with a Freedom Product? Vista had just come out and there were like 6 different versions of that as well, so there was much confusion in the marketplace. Actually, I think Vista came out in January of 2007, so I expect this was Summer 2007.
We had already ordered a PAC Mate so there would be seamless use of JAWS on both platforms and so we could use the braille display from the PAC Mate on the computer, etc., so we were feeling awfully committed to this financially and then all of the mis-info began to catch up with us. Had we just spent that many thousands of dollars for a solution that was effectively "broken" before it even arrived at our home?
All I know was I was a sighted and rather braille-needs-clueless parent of a blind child, just coming of age to start having computer needs and it turned into a really expensive and time-consuming fiasco. I've dealt with computers professionally for over 20 years now, but in this situation I was entirely at their mercy-- basically the only game on town (or the only real "player"), especially based on what was available and the information we had back then.
My level of concern is probably less warranted with today's technology situation, but it is hard not to advise others to be really careful about assuming it is a simple as tossing something into a special folder and the problem will solve itself.
Richard Holloway, Vice President
Georgia Organization of Parents of Blind Children
www.gopbc.org
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Aug 1, 2011, at 12:03 PM, Lisle, Ted wrote: I guess it all worked out. I'd have been royally hacked if I'd bought a
64-bit OS, only to find I couldn't use JAWS, which would have been the
case back in 2006.
-----Original Message-----
From: jfw-bounces@...
[mailto:jfw-bounces@...] On Behalf Of James Homuth
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2011 9:09 AM
To: 'The Jaws for Windows support list.'
Subject: RE: Windows 7 32 bit or 64 bit
It used to be the case that 64-bit systems couldn't support very easily
32-bit programs, and the other way around. Mostly that was due to the
fact
those programs weren't written with the possibility of 64-bit systems in
mind. Most of those issues have been worked out where they can be, with
some
exceptions already noted on this list.
-----Original Message-----
From: jfw-bounces@...
[mailto:jfw-bounces@...]
On Behalf Of Lisle, Ted
Sent: August-01-11 9:05 AM
To: The Jaws for Windows support list.
Subject: RE: Windows 7 32 bit or 64 bit
Early reports from supposedly reliable sources stated that 64-bit OS's
could
not run 32-bit programs. That's the main reason I stuck with 32-bit
when
going to XP. Only later did I learned the error.
-----Original Message-----
From: jfw-bounces@...
[mailto:jfw-bounces@...] On Behalf Of Steve
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2011 6:00 PM
To: The Jaws for Windows support list.
Subject: Re: Windows 7 32 bit or 64 bit
Richard,
I don't know of any 32-bit programs that won't run on a 64-bit system,
although I suppose there may be some. But, that is what the
Programs\x86
folder is for, that's where the 32-bit programs that run in Win 7 or
Vista
64-bit editions live.
Jaws is available in either 32 or 64-bit editions. If you have the Jaws
installation DVD, it will recognize which version you need for your
system;
if not, just go to the FS site and download the correct version.
Take my advice, I don't use it anyway.
Steve
Lansing, MI
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Holloway" <rholloway@...>
To: "The Jaws for Windows support list." <jfw@...>
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2011 5:32 PM
Subject: Re: Windows 7 32 bit or 64 bit
32 vs. 64 bit has to do with the way the computer physically addresses the
data; literally 32 or 64 pieces of information at a time (specifically that many ones or zeros at a time-- that's what a "bit" is, a one or a zero in binary computing. Multiple bits comprise a byte. Enough bytes make
a "k", then megs, gigs, etc.)
You must run the correct bit OS on the appropriate processor. Applications
vary. You can run some 32 bit applications on some 64 bit machines which I
assume requires some sort of emulation mode by the OS which may be
transparent to the user. 64 bit applications won't work for 32 bit.
JAWS 9 was 32 bit only. At the time that was out, Freedom told me they had
no intention of supporting 64 bit machines in the future. Once most new
machines started going 32 bit, they changed their tune a bit. (Pun
intended.)
I assume current JAWS has a dual installer that works on both? I know both
are currently supported one way or another.
Sent from my iPad
On Jul 30, 2011, at 5:00 PM, "Crystal French" <raincrow@...> wrote:32
Hi,
I have Jaws 12, but have reverted to Jaws 11 as 12 was crashing too
often.
I'm afraid I need to think seriously about a new computer.
I'm still with XP Home.
Can someone tell me what would be the major difference between Windows 7
32 bit or 64 bit?
Thanks.
Crystal
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