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Reviews For Spyware Terminator version 2.1
Average Rating: 1 Based On 1 Reviews


Date: February 27, 2008, 3:46:50pm


user: gepley
computer: Intel Celeron D, 3.33GHZ, 2 GB RAM & AMD Turion 64 Mobile, 1.58GHZ, 1 GB RAM
operating system: Windows XP Media Center & XP Pro
screen reader: JAWS 9
rating: 1
comments: I finally decided to give this program a try, having heard rave reviews about it, but obviously all of them are from sighted persons.

The program's supposed to be spyware protection and removal, like Ad-Aware or Spybot S&D, and judging by the reviews for it, I was hoping for something that might allow me to get rid of Windows Defender and Spybot S&D and such programs, but no dice here.

Perhaps the company will improve the accessibility of this software in a future version, but as of this version, don't waste your time, unless you have a lot of time to waste.

Among the problems I noticed, and I'm sure I'm leaving some out here...
1. Installation seems to start out okay, then goes downhill as focus seems to leave the setup window, which could easily confuse less advanced users.
2. A so-called Setup Wizard is nothing but a bunch of text to read with the JAWS cursor. Tabbing does you no good. You can tell there are some options for things to do, but you have no idea exactly where to click.
3. You have to be very careful when using the JAWS cursor to click on what appear to be buttons, because if you go past some of them, the window you were in seems to have vanished, although it really hasn't, it's still there, it's just you have to refresh the screen and route the JAWS cursor back to the active item to find your way back to the program and try again.
4. The actual program interface itself is nothing but a bunch of text to read with the JAWS cursor. Completely unclear what you're to click on versus what's just text that doesn't do anything. I managed to get it to run a scan, but then couldn't seem to get into any of the lists of things it found, and while I could figure out how to remove items, I backed out of it, simply because the program's lousy user interface wouldn't allow me to tell what it was doing.

It escapes me why the makers of spyware removal and protection software feel some overwhelming need to avoid using standard Windows programming controls and conventions for such software, and instead use all manner of custom controls that are inaccessible to most screen readers. Utility software such as anti-virus, spyware protection, firewalls, registry cleaners and various other utilities should all be designed with basic controls that screen readers can communicate to the user... without the need for any scripts or other files to make them accessible, then add some glitz for the sighted users, if desired, not the other way around. Spyware Terminator might be a very good program, in terms of function, but in terms of form, it, well... it sucks... royally... and while some JAWS scripts might help, a bigger help would be the company making the software the right way in the first place. Stick to Spybot S&D and such programs, which seem to do a good job and are at least usable.




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