Gus! Access
Keyboard
Click here to download FREE evaluation copy
Windows
95/98/NT/2K
Price: $495 US
For users who want "type" (send keystrokes) to a Windows application but
cannot use a standard keyboard due to a physical disability.
This on-screen keyboard (with
switch/scanning) is fully optimized for Windows 95/98/2000/NT and is unmatched in its ability to let you "type" into Windows or
any software application running therein. If you need "switch/scanning"
access to Windows to type a letter, surf the internet, or do anything else, then this is
the solution you've been looking for!
How do I use this on-screen
keyboard"?
The Gus! Access Keyboard can be operated with any Windows compatible pointing
device including a mouse, trackball, touch screen or "head pointing" device.
This latter device enables the user to remotely move the cursor anywhere on the screen and
make selections by simply moving the head (hands free). Select a key on the
on-screen keyboard and it will be "typed" into the computer for you! The Gus! Access Keyboard can be operated with any Windows compatible pointing
device including a mouse, trackball, touch screen or "head pointing" device.
This latter device enables the user to remotely move the cursor anywhere on the screen and
make selections by simply moving the head (hands free). Select a key on the
on-screen keyboard and it will be "typed" into the computer for you!
Another way to operate the keyboard is using the included
"switch/scanning" feature. The "switch/scanning" method is
extremely valuable to people who do not have the head control to use a "head pointing
device" but have enough movement somewhere on their body to activate a switch.
As an example, if a user could only move their right index finger very slightly, then a
very sensitive switch can be mounted beside that finger. When the letter they want
to type is highlighted by the "switch/scanning" feature in the software, they
simply need to activate the switch to make their selection.
For a more detailed explanation and demonstration of
"switch/scanning" click here.
What is "Word
Prediction"?
Note: The word prediction feature is INCLUDED with the Gus!
Access Keyboard at no additional charge.
Selecting one letter at a time could be a tedius way to type,
if it weren't for three included features called "word completion", "word
prediction" and "abbreviation expansion." If you look at the picture
above, you will see a list of words on the right side. This is the word
completion/prediction box. It also displays abbreviations which are explained below.
Word Completion (completes
the current word)
As you begin to enter a word (eg. the letter "a"),
the box displays a list of choices based on what letters you have typed. As you continue
to type, the list narrows the choices down further and further. This feature is called
"word completion." To select on of the words from the list, simply press the
corresponding function key (F1-F9). The program learns new words as you type (Autolearn)
and builds your own personalized vocabulary. In fact, the words are presented based on
"frequency of use"; meaning the words that have been used most often appear at
the top. In our example above, you can see that the words are not in alphabetical order.
The are in order of frequency.
Word Prediction (guesses the next
word)
After you finish entering a word, the box will display a list
of words that normally follows the word you just entered, based on your own vocabulary.
For example, suppose you have entered the phrase "I want to go home" on
more than one occasion. Hence forth, after you type the word "want" the
box will display the word "to" as an offering for the next word. If you
select the word "to", the box will display the word "go"
along with 8 other words that have, in the past, followed the word "go." As you
can see, word completion and word prediction will greatly accelerate your
"typing" speed with switch/scanning.
Abbreviation Expansion (expands an
few characters into a word/sentence)
Suppose you would like to type/speak "good morning
everyone!" on the Gus! Access Keyboard to greet your family. That is 3 words or
20 letters to type. What if you could type only "gme" and the program would
expand it, automatically, to "good morning everyone!". That is exactly
what "abbreviation expansion" is all about. You simply type the
abbreviation ("gme") and the program automatically inserts the expansion
("good morning everyone!"). You can create as many abbreviations as you
like!
Speech output (Microsoft Speech
Synthesizer included!)
Our most recent versions of the Gus! Access Keyboard include
the Microsoft Speech Synthesizer at NO additional cost. Using the marvelous sounding
voice, the Gus! Access Keyboard can speak each letter, or word, or
sentence...automatically using the best sounding speech synthesizer on the market.... and
its included...FREE.
 Integrated World Wide Web Navigation (an
industry first!)
In this, our most recent version, we've added an
indespensible feature for internet cruising....integrated www navigation with "web
prediction". With this feature, single switch users can quickly move from web site to
web site without fussing with the URL line in Netscape or Explorer. Once again, the
Gus! Access Keyboard sets the standard for full function on-screen keyboards.
What makes the Gus! Access
Keyboard "better" than other on-screen keyboards?
1. Unique Task bar application with integrated Start Menu and task switching..
There are significant differences between our on-screen keyboard and every other
product that attempts to complete with it...look closely. The Gus!
Access Keyboard embeds itself into the Windows task bar!! It isn't just another
window taking up valuable space on your screen but is a fully functioning task bar
application! What this means to you is that the critical functions of the task bar
(starting applications, switching between applications etc) are nicely embedded into the
Gus! Access Keyboard. Of the over 100 on-screen keyboards currently available today,
this is the only one that offers true integration with the Windows operating system.
There are significant differences between our on-screen keyboard and every other
product that attempts to complete with it...look closely. The Gus!
Access Keyboard embeds itself into the Windows task bar!! It isn't just another
window taking up valuable space on your screen but is a fully functioning task bar
application! What this means to you is that the critical functions of the task bar
(starting applications, switching between applications etc) are nicely embedded into the
Gus! Access Keyboard. Of the over 100 on-screen keyboards currently available today,
this is the only one that offers true integration with the Windows operating system.
2. Embedded links to cursor control and communication software.
The Gus! Access Keyboard is the only on-screen keyboard that offers
switch/scan users simple, fast access to the Gus! Scanning Cursor and the Gus!
Multimedia Speech System (sold separately). Therefore, the switch/scan user can
move seamlessly between keyboard control, cursor control and communication (speech) using
only a single switch. We are the only company that offers this level of integration
of all three areas and it is the fundamental reason for our success in this industry
3. Full-time technical support staff and FREE upgrades forever!.
There are literally hundreds of weekend programmers selling or giving away
on-screen keyboards over the internet. Not surprising considering the fact that even
a novice programmer can write a rudimentary on-screen keyboard in about an hour. But
almost without exception, they are missing most, if not all, of the critical features
required by the disabled community including... "switch/scanning access",
"cursor control", "word prediction", "abbreviation
expansion" and "speech output". Furthermore, most of these
programmers plainly state that the software is provided "as is" and no technical
support is available. The assumption being that if it is cheap or free, than who are
you to complain about it.
The reality for the people we serve is that
there is a much higher requirement for strong technical support than with an average
consumer buying a simple word processor. Our customers depend on our software to
communicate with their families, to assist them with work or school, to cruise the
internet or to compose a letter or email to their friends and relatives. These are
the truly important things in life and it is important that they get technical support
when they ask.
What about "EZ Keys" from
Words+ ?
Words+ is a competitor of ours
so our opinion of EZ Keys must be viewed in that regard.
However, the following paragraph from the EZ Keys manual is
insightful...
"Warning: If by installing
additional hardware or software, you corrupt the installaion of EZ Keys, we briefly will
try to assist you by telephone. If the problem cannot easily be solved in a few
minutes, we will require you to ship your system to us so that we can correct the problem.
You will have to pay the shipping and the hourly rate for our
techniciuans/engineers who do the work, even if they are unable to make your new items
work and have to reset your system to a configuration that works with EZ Keys. In
order to minimize such problems, call us before you purchase or install anything new to
ensure there are no known conflicts."
EZ Keys manual (page 6) (http://www.words-plus.com/products/pdf/ezmanual.pdf)
At Gus Communications, you can call for
technical support as often as you like and talk for as long as you want. And, of
course, we provide free upgrades for life.
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