The Voice Settings dialog configures PAC Mate to speak the way that suits you best. There are two approaches you can take to adjust speech.
Open the Start menu and press S to choose Settings. Next, press V twice to move to Voice Settings and press DOT 8.
When this dialog opens, the PAC Mate is in a combo box where you can select the "voice" you want to modify. There are five choices:
Press DOTS 4-5 CHORD to move to the Speech Rate slider control. Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to increase or decrease the speech rate. To move forward to the next control, press DOTS 4-5 CHORD.
The voices control is a combo box that allows you to choose from a selection of eight voices. With combo boxes, use the UP or DOWN ARROW keys to make your selection. You will hear the actual voice as you arrow through this list.
Each time you move to a control, you should notice that JAWS indicates what type of control it is. For the voice pitch slide control, use the LEFT and RIGHT ARROWS to adjust the pitch to your liking. When you are done, press DOTS 4-5 CHORD to move forward to the next control.
This control, Upper Case Pitch, is a little different than anything discussed so far. It is an edit box and when you pressed DOTS 4-5 CHORD to move to it, you should have heard JAWS say, "Upper Case Pitch increment edit twenty." This means that the number twenty is the increment that JAWS uses when it reads an upper case letter. To change the pitch, type in a new number. When you are done, press DOTS 4-5 CHORD to move to the next control.
The last control in this dialog is the punctuation combo box. This control has four choices that you can use to control the amount of punctuation that you hear. They are none, some, most or all. Use the arrow keys to select your choice. When you are done, press DOT 8 to return to the Settings Multi-page dialog. To exit the Settings dialog and return to the Today Screen, press F1.
The second approach to adjust speech settings uses S CHORD, which you can press at anytime, in any program.
Note: If you adjust speech with S CHORD and later perform a warm reset (DOTS 1-2-3-4-6-7-8 CHORD) your speech settings will revert to the previous adjustments made from the Settings dialog.
The commands introduced here are called layered commands because you only have to press S CHORD once to have all the speech parameters settings available. For example, press S CHORD, then use the arrow keys to adjust the voice rate and volume. When you are done, press P until you set the punctuation to the level you want and so on. To move out of settings, press DOTS 4-5 CHORD.
Appendix A lists all the commands used to adjust speech.
There are several types of keyboard combinations in the PAC Mate. Most key combinations are pressed once and released, and the command performs a function.
There are also layered commands. These are layered key combinations, where one set of keys is pressed and released, then another set of keys are pressed and released resulting in the command performing a function. For example, press I CHORD, T to read the current window title.
Repeating layered commands allow you to press the second key combination in the sequence multiple times. For example, press S CHORD, RIGHT ARROW to increase the speech rate. After pressing S CHORD, press RIGHT ARROW repeatedly until the speech rate you desire is reached. If you think it's too fast, press LEFT ARROW to decrease the rate. You don't have to press S CHORD again unless you pressed a key combination that is not assigned to the second layer for repeating commands that start with S CHORD.
If you do press the first key combination in a layered command, followed by a key combination that is not assigned to the second layer, the PAC Mate plays a sound to indicate that the command is invalid.
Press two cursor cross keys that are 90 degrees out of phase (for example, UP ARROW and RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW and DOWN ARROW simultaneously to exit the layer.
The PAC Mate also provides help for Layered Commands. Press the first layer command sequence followed by QUESTION MARK to display a listing of all the commands in that layer. Move to a command in the list and press DOT 8 to activate the command. For example, press S CHORD, QUESTION MARK to list the settings commands. Adjust the speech rate and volume right from the list.
This section explains how to read and manipulate text, lists all the associated commands and provides examples on the more frequently used actions performed with text.
Currently, Grade 2 Braille is available in the following applications: FSEdit, Pocket Word, Inbox, Contacts, Tasks, Calendar, and Notes. For each new file created in a program, Grade 2 Braille must be enabled, as Computer Braille is the default in PAC Mate.
Note: If you want to write literary Braille using Grade 1, you should enable Grade 2 and write using the rules for Grade 2. For example, single letters should be preceded by a letter sign (DOTS 5-6).
Because FSEdit was developed to include Braille input and output, the Grade 2 Braille feature in FSEdit works differently than it does in Pocket PC programs. For more information on FSEdit and Grade 2 Braille, please see Using PAC Mate Programs, FSEdit.
For Pocket Word and Inbox, pressing S CHORD, G enables Grade 2 Braille. But, unlike the other speech commands, this is not a repeating layered command, which means you can immediately begin brailling your text in the multi-line edit field (i.e., a Pocket Word document).
In edit fields where you can only type a single line of text, such as the To: or Subject: fields of an e-mail header or the Appointment Information dialog of Calendar, you must type in computer Braille as the PAC Mate (with Tutor Messages enabled) announces, "Computer Braille only."
This function is accessed by way of layered keystrokes. To enter the function, press DOTS 2-4-7-8 CHORD. Your PAC Mate will announce, "character entry."
To enter an ASCII value, press DOTS 1-2-3-6 (the letter V) after entering the layer. The PAC Mate announces, "ASCII," and you can enter the three-digit ASCII value. This value should be entered using lower-cell values. For example, to enter the Ascii equivalent of the capital letter P, press DOTS 3-5-6 (low j), DOTS 2-3-6 (Low H) and DOTS 3-5-6 (low J) to represent the equivalent of the number 080.
This procedure works regardless of the translation setting (uncontracted or contracted).
To enter a ctrl character, press DOTS 1-3-5-6 (the letter x) after entering the layer. The PAC Mate announces "control," and you can enter the control character value. This value is an alphabetic character. For example, to enter a Control F character, press DOTS 2-4-7-8 to activate the character Entry layer, followed by X. Next, press DOTS 1-2-4 (the letter f) to enter the Control F character.
When writing in Grade 2, it is sometimes necessary to insert symbols so the text will be read or translated as Computer Braille. To mark the beginning of Computer Braille text, use DOTS 4-5-6, DOTS 3-4-6. To mark the end of the Computer Braille text, use DOTS 4-5-6, DOTS 1-5-6.
To translate a file from one grade to another:
Once your Grade 2 Braille document, message, or note is complete, you should translate to computer Braille before saving or synchronizing it. To translate, press T CHORD. Although T CHORD works for translating an e-mail message, the command SH CHORD, T is more convenient as it translates and sends the e-mail message. See Using PAC Mate Programs, Inbox for more information about creating or sending e-mail. Grade 2 back translation (T CHORD) is important because when you, your friend, or colleague opens an untranslated Grade 2 Braille file on an other device or desktop computer, the text is recognized and read as Computer Braille. Similarly, any e-mail or document composed in Grade 2 Braille that is sent to a friend or colleague who uses JAWS and/or a Braille display with Grade 2 translation enabled will read a Grade 2 translation of Grade 2 Braille.
When working in Pocket PC applications that support Grade 2 Braille it is important to remember that this feature has been implemented for input convenience only. Thus, in situations where you are co-creating or co-editing a document with a colleague, it is recommended that when working on the PAC Mate BNS you use FSEdit as your word processor.
Depending on what you are trying to achieve, you may find reading by character, sentence or paragraph more suitable than reading with the Say All command (DOTS 4-5-6-8 CHORD). For instance, if you are trying to understand the syntax of a paragraph, you may want to read by line or by sentence. If you want to know how a word is spelled, you would want to read by character or press the command for "Spell Current Word" (DOTS 2-5 CHORD twice quickly). To access the table that lists all the reading/moving commands available on PAC Mate, go to Appendix A: PAC Mate Commands.
Alternate reading commands use the arrow keys. LEFT and RIGHT ARROW move and read horizontally. LEFT ARROW is for prior, RIGHT ARROW is for next, and when pressed together read the current line. Press them alone for character, or add DOT 5 for word or DOT 4 for sentence.
The UP and DOWN ARROW move and read vertically. UP ARROW is for prior; DOWN ARROW is for next, and when pressed together read the current line. Press them individually for line, add DOT 1 for paragraph, or add DOT 2 to move by page.
Adding DOT 3 to your cursor cross movement lets you move to the edges of your document (i.e., margins of the current line, or top/bottom of the file). Just press DOT 3 plus the arrow key that points in the direction you want to move. If you don't want to move the cursor, but want to read what's between that edge of the file and the cursor, add DOT 7 to the command. For example, DOTS 3-7+RIGHT ARROW reads to the end of the line.
When you want to read text in its entirety without stopping, use the Say All command (DOTS 4-5-6-8 CHORD). With Say All, PAC Mate reads text from the point where you initiate the command to the end of the document or until you press the Stop Speech command (DOTS 6-8). During a "Say All" there are several commands you can use to move swiftly through the text you are reading. For example, you can press the LEFT or RIGHT ARROW to rewind or fast-forward through a document. In addition, you can decrease or increase the speech rate and volume. The commands available during a Say All are listed in Appendix A.
While there are many aspects to editing a document, this section focuses on the commands used to edit text and provides an example with their implementation.
First, it is helpful to know that while most programs have an Edit Menu from which you can select an action, the PAC Mate has its own keyboard edit commands. Appendix A lists PAC Mate’s editing commands, which can be used in any program.
In many cases, any editing that you do requires that you select text.
Example1: In the following two sentences, copy the word "stylus," cut the word "pen" and then paste the word "stylus" in the place of "pen."
Do you have a pen?
No, I have a stylus.
If you typed these sentences into one of the word processing applications on your PAC Mate and then followed the directions, you would have had to select text twice. (Once to cut pen, and once to copy stylus.)
To view all of the selecting commands available on PAC Mate, please see Appendix A: PAC Mate Commands.
Alternate selection commands are extensions of the alternate reading commands with the SPACEBAR added to make it a chorded command. For example, LEFT ARROW CHORD selects the prior character, and RIGHT ARROW CHORD selects to the next character. Add DOT 5 to select by word, or add DOT 4 to select by sentence.
UP ARROW CHORD selects the prior line, and DOWN ARROW CHORD selects to the next line. Add DOT 1 to select by paragraph, or add DOT 2 to select by page.
Description |
Command |
Select to |
DOT 3+LEFT ARROW CHORD |
Select to |
DOT 3+RIGHT ARROW CHORD |
Select to |
DOT 3+UP ARROW CHORD |
Select to |
DOT 3+DOWN ARROW CHORD |
The alternates for these selection commands are based on the notetaker reading commands. Just add DOT 7 to the equivalent reading command. DOTS 1-3-7 CHORD selects to the beginning of the line, and DOTS 4-6-7 CHORD selects to the end of the line. DOTS 1-2-3-7 CHORD selects to the top of the file, and DOTS 4-5-6-7 CHORD selects to the end of the file.
Like the Edit Menu, many programs provide a Format Menu or dialog where you can change the appearance of text. But rather than use a menu or dialog, you should get familiar with PAC Mate’s keyboard formatting commands as they are quick and easy to use. Appendix A lists the formatting commands available on PAC Mate.
Much of the process used to format text is similar to the process involved in editing text.
Example2: Center the following word "pac mate." Capitalize p, a, c and m. Then bold the whole word.
Now that you have created a title for your document, you are on your way to writing its content. When you press DOT 8 to start your first sentence, it will be centered. To left justify, press F+DOT 8, L.
Embossing a document can be done only in the FSEdit program. This section covers only the basics of embossing. For more information on this topic, please see FSEdit, Embossing a Document.
Embossing is initiated from FSEdit’s Emboss dialog. To open the Emboss dialog you must open the File Menu (F2, DOT 8) then select Emboss (E). With the Emboss dialog open, you have several controls that allow you to change the way your document is embossed. If you do not want to change any of the parameters and are ready to emboss, press DOT 8.
Your PAC Mate offers several printing solutions. Perhaps the most widely known solution is to synchronize your PAC Mate documents and print from your desktop or laptop computer and printer. With this solution, you create a partnership with ActiveSync through the USB port or infrared port.
Another solution, which may be less widely known, uses a Pocket PC printing utility called PrintPocketCE. This easy-to-use program lets you print Pocket Word, Excel and Inbox files directly from your PAC Mate to a PrintPocketCE compatible printer. You find the PrintPocketCE program in the PrintPocketCE folder on the User's Documentation CD. Once you add the program to your PAC Mate, go to the Programs submenu and select PrintPocketCE. To read about its important features view PAC Mate's help.
The latest solution recently added to PAC Mate is the ability to print directly to a printer from FSEdit.
Before you purchase an off-the-shelf program for your PAC Mate, make sure JAWS supports it and that it is compatible with the Pocket PC 2002 platform and your PAC Mate’s processor. For more information on the processor, please see Personalizing Your PAC Mate, Knowing About Pocket PC.
Any application that you want to add to your PAC Mate must be installed using ActiveSync and your computer. For more information on ActiveSync, please see Connecting the PAC Mate, Connecting with ActiveSync.
Before you can add a program to PAC Mate, you must install it on your PC. You do not need to be connected or have a partnership established. After you install the program, it remains on your PC in ActiveSync so you can add or remove it from your PAC Mate when needed.
If you have yet to make a connection between your PAC Mate and your PC and only want to add or remove programs, establish a guest partnership in ActiveSync. If you want to synchronize and add or remove programs, establish a standard partnership.
With a guest partnership, the Add/Remove Programs dialog automatically launches to your PC desktop where you can check the box next to the program(s) you want added to your PAC Mate. With a standard partnership, you go to the Tools Menu (ALT+T) in ActiveSync on your PC and select Add/Remove Programs. Once you have checked the program(s) you want to add, press DOTS 4-5 CHORD to move to the OK button and press DOT 8 to close the dialog.
Note: Any listed program that does not have a check in the box is removed from PAC Mate.
If additional installation is required, installation dialogs will automatically open on your PAC Mate and step you through the rest of the process.
Programs that come with your PAC mate cannot be removed. Only programs that you install can be removed.
There are a couple of ways to remove programs from your PAC Mate. The easiest way is to use the Add/Remove Programs dialog in ActiveSync on your PC. This dialog lets you remove any applications you are not currently using, but because they remain on your PC, you can re-add them to your PAC Mate at anytime.
To remove programs, establish a partnership in ActiveSync. With ActiveSync open on your PC desktop, go to the Tools Menu (ALT+T) and select Add/Remove Programs from the menu. In the Add/Remove Programs dialog, uncheck the box next to the program(s) you want removed from your PAC Mate. Once you have unchecked the program(s) you want removed, move to the OK button and press DOT 8. The program(s) are automatically removed from your PAC Mate.
Note: Any listed program that has a check in the box remains on PAC Mate.
The second way to remove programs installed is to use the Remove Programs dialog on your PAC Mate. To do this, go to Settings on the Start Menu and press DOT 8. Press DOTS 5-6 CHORD to move to the System page. Then press R twice to move to Remove Programs and press DOT 8.
On the Remove Programs dialog use the DOWN ARROW to select the program(s) you want removed. Press DOTS 4-5 CHORD to move to the Remove button and press DOT 8.