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Intelligent speech & Braille for Windows®

You don't have to see a computer screen to use the latest IT applications. Hal Screen Reader provides the very best intelligent screen access for visually impaired computer users through speech and Braille.

User friendly

Right from the word go, Hal will talk you through its automatic and user friendly installation. Hal's sophisticated technology makes all kinds of Windows applications, the Internet and email, easy to use. Hal works by recognising and reading information from the computer screen aloud through your computer's soundcard. Screen information is also displayed in Braille for users of the many supported Braille devices. The information provided is comprehensive: Hal not only reads text but also recognises Windows dialogs, icons, buttons, menus and controls. Hal comes complete with online and context sensitive help and full manual both in print and on audio CD. Interactive tutorials are also included to make getting started with Windows easy, and Dolphin also offers lifetime technical support by telephone and email.

Browse the Internet

With Hal, reading a web page can be as simple as reading a word processor document. Dolphin's Virtual Cursor allows you to browse the Internet without a mouse. Hal announces graphics labels automatically and reads through frames and tables quickly and accurately. The Dolphin Links Navigator makes sorting through links on a complex web page quick and easy. With the Internet Updater, keeping up with Dolphin's latest software updates is as simple as clicking a button.

Reliable and automatic

Dolphin is proud of its reputation for producing well engineered, reliable products. Dolphin software has more built-in intelligence than any other screen access system. This allows Hal to work automatically with most off-the-shelf Window's applications; it can also be configured to work with complex or proprietary applications.

System compatibility

Hal is designed to meet the ever changing needs of today's IT environment. Accordingly, Hal does not alter either the operating system or application software in any way. This means that Hal is stable and reliable, whether installed on a home PC or business network server. It also ensures that your computer and software will remain compatible with that of friends and colleagues, thus keeping your lines of communication wide open.

Network independence

Hal Screen Reader is designed with independent operation in mind. Installed on a network or a server, Hal can be used from any terminal and can be switched on or off as required, giving the user the freedom to move around a building or campus. With many features to choose from, users can save their preferred settings and retrieve them from wherever they choose to log on. Dolphin offers flexible licensing options and discounts for organisations with more than one Hal user.

Features

Hal works on all of the supported Windows platforms, including Windows Terminal Server and Citrix MetaFrame.

Speech

•  Easy browsing of Internet web pages and other applications with the Dolphin Virtual Focus even where there is little or no keyboard access.

•  Internet Updater for fast, automatic updates.

•  Comprehensive online and context sensitive help.

•  Intuitive hotkeys for easy operation.

•  Reads or spells out any text on screen: documents, menus, web pages, emails.

•  Reads icons and Internet graphics labels and announces font and style information.

•  Talks as you type, by character, by word or both.

•  Spoken prompts allow easy navigation through Windows menus, dialogs, file systems and other Windows controls.

•  Works with any font, including accented characters and symbols.

•  Navigate internet tables by row or column and also detect multiple or nested tables.

•  Choice of two software speech synthesisers: Dolphin Orpheus Speech System and Microsoft's MSAPI Speech Synthesiser.

•  Orpheus' intelligent pronunciation recognises similar words by context.

•  Orpheus voice editing facility allows customisation of voices.

•  Choice of 18 Orpheus languages including: English (UK and USA), Cantonese, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish (Latin and Castilian) and Swedish. New languages are being added all the time.

•  Speech verbosity controls allow you to choose how much speech feedback you want to hear.

•  Automatically recognises many other hardware and software synthesisers.

•  Dolphin List Utility allows you to bring up a list of hyperlinks, frames or html headings with a hot key, then jump to the item you want.

Braille

•  Fast and responsive Braille output.

•  Text and graphical information at your fingertips.

•  Choose computer or literary Braille (Grade 1 or Grade 2).

•  Works automatically with a wide range of Braille displays and note takers.

•  Accurate information on formatting, style and physical layout.

•  Intelligently reads ahead so dialog information is conveyed in context.

•  Braille hotkeys, pre-programmed and user-programmable, speed up and facilitate operation.

•  Braille verbosity controls allow you to choose how much information you want and how it is displayed.

Hal comes with a print manual, quick reference cards in print and Braille, audio manual and interactive tutorials on CD. Technical support is available by telephone and email.

Professional Edition

Simple, comprehensive and flexible configuration is the secret to Hal's Professional edition. It can solve IT accessibility issues for a business's staff and customers quickly and cost-effectively. Business software applications, corporate intranets and databases are often designed without consideration for visually impaired users but the flexibility of Hal Professional means it can be quickly trained to deal with even the most complex applications.

The benefits of Hal Professional are particularly valuable in the workplace. Employees in fast moving IT environments, such as call centres and banks, can set Hal to give them exactly the information they want through speech or Braille. Hal Professional also improves access to web sites, bespoke databases, and to mainframe data and applications through Telnet and terminal emulation software.

Despite the advanced technology involved, configuration is straightforward. This means businesses do not have to pay out vast sums for scripting consultants or computer programmers to write new accessible software. The technology behind Hal Professional may be complex - but as a result, its operation is easy.

Your System

Hal Screen Reader works with Microsoft Windows 98, Me, NT v4.0, 2000 and XP and can be installed on wide and local area networks, laptops and home PCs. No special equipment is required.

Minimum system requirements:

* Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT v4.0 (SP 6), Windows 2000, Windows XP Home & Windows XP Professional.
* Microsoft Internet Explorer v5.5 or later
* Intel P2 400 Mhz equivalent or higher, 125 MB free hard disk space, 128 MB Memory or higher
* PCI or AGP graphics card (not "on-board" - Windows Hardware Compatibility List approved.)
* Sound Blaster compatible sound card (not "on-board")

Please note, for best performance on desk-top PCs we advise against on-board sound and video cards.
Visit Dolpin's  knowledge base for more information on compatible video cards

To find out what other users of Supernova are saying, visit Dolphins case studies section.

Try Supernova for yourself, and download a free HAL demo.

Click here to download PDF versions of the product brochures

Click here to download mp3 audio versions of the product brochures

Click here to view licensing information