The Benefits of the Dolphin Pen

Access to freedom

1^st Nov, 2005

Using the Dolphin Pen, it is possible for blind and low vision computer users around the world, to walk up to any compatible computer and find their access program running automatically, and configured just the way they like it.

Unlike most other screen access products, the Dolphin Pen runs from a USB Pen Drive - a small portable device that measures just 6cm long and 2cm wide, which plugs straight into the USB slot of a computer. This allows a user to carry their software with them to any "Dolphin Pen Friendly" PC and run Supernova, Hal, Lunar or LunarPlus instantly, as if it were on their own system. The Dolphin Pen automatically saves a user’s own preferred settings, so that every time the Pen is used there is no need to reconfigure the settings. Just plug it in and go! When the Pen is removed all of the user settings are automatically saved back to the Pen.

Some other access companies are now offering their products on portable USB pen drive or thumb drive devices, opening up new levels of portability and mobility for access technology users. Dolphin is proud that it was the first company in the world to offer a full range of full screen reader and magnifier products on a USB pen, and has set the standard by which other companies are now measured.

Dolphin welcomes the increased availability of pen drive and thumb drive access devices, ensuring that customers are offered a maximum choice of products.

Why the Dolphin Pen is better:

• The Dolphin Pen provides full and unlimited access to your software regardless of which computer you use it on - there are no limits on the functionality or limits on the time of use. Many other products that are available only offer limited access to the software (some of which are freely available to download onto your own thumb drive device). Other popular thumb drive devices only offer time limited access to your software up to 40 minutes at a given time - in effect offering only a demonstration version not a full unlimited version.
• The Dolphin Pen will work as a full version on any computer that has the Dolphin Interceptor installed. The Dolphin Interceptor is available as a free download from the Dolphin website, and when installed this will automatically make your PC "Dolphin Friendly". In order for other popular thumb drive screen readers to function as a full copy (rather than a 40 minute demonstration version), an authorization key has to be installed on each of the computers where the thumb drive will be used. Other screen readers will only run as a full version if it can find local or network authorization already in place on the computer you are using. Otherwise you are only able to run it as a 40 minute demonstration.
• If you wanted to have the same levels of portability and mobility as the Dolphin Pen from another thumb drive screen reader, you would need to not only carry your thumb drive but also your USB dongle for product authorization. Not only would you need to carry two USB devices with you, but for the screen reader to function fully, the computer would need two spare USB ports. With the Dolphin Pen the authorization is present on the Pen, and so you do not need the full product installed or authorized on the individual computers and you do not need to carry around any additional authorisation dongle.
• The Dolphin Pen includes patented anti-corruption protection, designed to help protect your software and your computer. Each Pen produced by Dolphin has been quality assured and guaranteed to be safe. The last thing you want is for your access software to malfunction or even worse to adversely affect your PC or network settings. All Dolphin Pens come with Dolphin’s free lifetime technical support.
• Beware that USB thumb drives vary greatly in quality and integrity, if you decide to use your own thumb drive and download a screen reader onto it from the internet, there is no guarantee that the device will not be corrupted. Whilst it appears that users are being offered greater flexibility in the type of thumb drive they want, by being able to buy their own and then download a screen reader, there are many low cost USB devices and many imitations available for purchase; all of which offer no guarantee against corruption.
• The Supernova Pen offers a combined full screen reader and screen magnifier in a single package, providing full support for a range of visual impairments. Other products that are available offer screen readers or screen magnifiers on a thumb drive. In some cases you are able to include both on a single thumb drive, but this does mean that users would need to have two different products on their thumb drive in order to have the same range of access as that offered by Supernova.