Windows Vista Narrator - Text to Speech.
Windows Vista Narrator is a basic but powerful text to speech software package that
is included with Windows Vista operating system. Narrator will read aloud what is on screen
as you navigate using both your keyboard and mouse.
Narrator Reads:
Program Windows: Switching between program windows, Narrator will announce which
window currently has focus.
Keystrokes: Narrator will echo each keystroke. Note: If you type very, very slowly
the echo of the keystrokes works well. If you type fast, all you hear is "space",
"space", "space" and the odd letter or number between pauses.
Reads text within some programs:
Narrator will read text or selected text within some programs but not all programs.
Example: Narrator reads text from Notepad, yet not many people use notepad. Narrator
does not read text from Internet Explorer or Windows Mail which many or most of
us will use daily.
Configure Narrator.
To start Narrator, click start, Control Panel and double click "Ease of Access Center".
Click "Start Narrator".
On the Narrator dialog box, you can configure basic settings for how Narrator reads
text aloud.
Conclusion:
Microsoft Vista Narrator is very limiting in control. But what is does, it does
well. There are many other free and commercial Text to Speech programs that offer greater
control and better performance over what the TTS speaks. Microsoft has included
a default TTS voice for use with Narrator called
Microsoft Anna (Chinese version - Microsoft Lili).
Controlling what Narrator reads aloud. Use the following keyboard short cuts to
control what Narrator reads. Remember Vista Narrator reads text only from certain
programs, not all programs.
|
keyboard shortcut |
do this |
|
CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER
|
Get information about the current item
|
|
CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR
|
Read the entire selected window
|
|
CTRL+ALT+SPACEBAR
|
Read the selected window layout
|
|
ALT+HOME
|
Get information about the current item
|
|
ALT+END
|
Get a summary of the current item
|
|
INSERT+SHIFT+G
|
Read a description of the dependent elements of the currently selected element
|
|
INSERT+CTRL+G
|
Read a description of the non-dependent elements adjacent to the currently selected
element
|
|
INSERT+CTRL+HOME
|
Enter Virtual Menu navigation mode, which allows you to access Narrator commands
without switching from the program that you're currently working with
|
|
CTRL
|
Stop Narrator from reading text
|
|
INSERT+Q
|
Move the text selection to the start of the previous text pattern
|
|
INSERT+W
|
Move the text selection to the start of the next text pattern
|
|
INSERT+E
|
Move the text selection to the start of the current text pattern
|
|
INSERT+R
|
Move the text selection to the end of the current text pattern
|
|
INSERT+F2
|
Select all of the text with the current text pattern
|
|
INSERT+F3
|
Read the current character
|
|
INSERT+F4
|
Read the current word
|
|
INSERT+F5
|
Read the current line
|
|
INSERT+F6
|
Read the current paragraph
|
|
INSERT+F7
|
Read the current page
|
|
INSERT+F8
|
Read the current document
|
|