Talking Directory version 1.0 Copyright 1994 by Access Success TD is a powerful, speech friendly file, directory, and program manager for DOS based personal computers. It provides "point and shoot" control over single or multiple files. Copy, delete, move, rename, and sort files and directories. View ASCII or WordPerfect files. Format floppy disks, set volume labels, and set the system clock. View, create, and extract files compressed with the .ZIP format. Attach descriptions to files-- automatically with .ZIP files. Search for files by name, description, or keywords--even inside .ZIP files. Protect files from accidental modification or deletion. Stamp the date and time of files. Define a dozen external programs that can be launched--without limit on the size of a program. All this and more comes with an integrated visual and verbal interface, allowing blind and sighted users to operate with equal ease and efficiency! The following files are included in this distribution archive: README.TXT = this file TD.EXE = the executable file TD.TXT = the documentation file INSTALL.BAT = a batch file for installing TD REGISTER.TXT = a form for obtaining the registered version of TD FILE_ID.DIZ -- A description file used by bulletin board systems I wish to thank the following Beta testers who identified bugs, revealed points of confusion, provided encouragement, and gave suggestions for enhancing TD's power and friendliness: Don Breda Richard Briggs Heewon Chun Charlie Crawford Ted Filteau Bob Gildea Bonnie O'Day Talking Directory has been many months in the making. It has been inspired by the notion that reaping the benefits of the information age means effectively managing, not just having electronic information. Unfortunately, the many DOS based directory and program managers on the market are generally difficult to use with speech access. They tend to make extensive use of multiple, adjacent screen windows rather than one window displayed at a time, lightbars that track independently of the system cursor, and status indicators shown with color enhancements or graphic characters rather than standard text and punctuation symbols. I hope that Talking Directory and its users show the competitiveness of a speech friendly environment! Jamal Mazrui Access Success 745 Somerville Avenue Somerville MA 02143 U.S.A. (617) 666-9856 The following is a testimonial from Don Barrett, a TD customer: One of the problems I run into as a speech writer is that I collect a lot of information in little bits and pieces scattered throughout numerous little files. TD has made a huge difference in helping me to manage this material, and to put it into some cohesive order. One of the functions that has allowed for this is the file description capability, which lets you add lengthy descriptions to files listed in a directory. So, for example, a given description might say, good statistical data to support more program funding, or, good opening for speeches, or good closing, promotes action on part of audience. Get a whole list of these together and you have a compendium of files that you can decide how and when to use at a glance by just cursoring up and down through their descriptions. Another great feature, especially for blind folks like us, is the ability to do key word searches throughout an entire directory. Let's say for example, I am looking for info on employment that I want to use in a given speech. I just hit the letter k while in directory mode, type the word employment, and hit enter. TD will stop at each file that contains the word employment, and yes, thank God it is not case sensitive. The great thing is that after you finish either viewing that file, or working with it in your word processor, both of which you can do from TD, you just hit K again and the enter key, and TD continues to search, actually excluding files you've already seen. It's like having a sighted reader skimming your hard disk for you. I for one like to sort my directories by time in descending order, for in doing so, I can tell at a quick listen, the most recent things I've been working on, something that can be quite useful when you want to do a quick mental review of what you've been doing. The wonderful thing about a program like TD is that it was written to work in tandem with the way we think about how we want to manage information. Manipulating information according to the way your mind wants to process it is where td's real value is shown. I suppose it's what the G U I tries to do for the sighted in presenting a screen in which you can manipulate data through mind-hand coordination; TD does the same thing, but gives it to us the way we need it and can best utilize it, one orderly piece of information at a time.