Symbol Software Comparison Chart
| Features |
Writing with Symbols 2000 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Operating Systems |
2000/XP/ Vista/7 |
2000/XP/ Vista/7 |
9x/ ME/NT/2000/XP |
98/ ME/2000/XP/Vista/7 |
XP/Vista/7 |
| Mac Operating Systems |
Mac OS X |
Mac OS X |
X
|
X
|
X |
| Installation details | Installation of core
files from CD. Needs CD in drive to run |
Installation of core
files from CD.
Needs CD in drive
to run |
Full or partial
installation. Can run symbols from CD |
Full installation from CD |
Requires
Internet/
Telephone/Email
activation |
| Networkable? |
X
|
X |
√
|
√
|
√ |
| Grids for Printing |
√
|
√ |
√
|
√
|
X |
| Grids for Writing (on-screen) |
X
|
√ |
√
|
X |
√ |
| Talking Symbol Processor |
X
|
√ |
√
|
√
|
√ |
| Talking Word Processor |
X
|
X |
√
|
√
|
√ |
| Pictorial Spell Checker |
X
|
X |
√
|
√
|
√ |
| Switch Access |
X
|
√ |
√
|
X |
√ |
| Core Widgit Symbols |
5500 symbols
|
5500 symbols (incl. colour rebus also) |
8000 symbols (incl. colour and black and white) |
||
| Australian Widgit Rebus Symbols | More information soon |
More information soon |
250 symbols
|
250 symbols
|
More information soon |
| Core PCS Symbols | 4500 symbols
|
4500 symbols |
3000 symbols
|
Only available if
linked to WWS wordlist
|
Will be available as an add-on |
| Australian PCS Symbols | 250 symbols
|
250 symbols |
250 symbols
|
Only available if
linked to WWS wordlist
|
More information soon |
| 1998 PCS Addendum Library | 600 symbols
(now included with v.6)
|
600 symbols (now included with v.6) |
600 symbols
(included)
|
Only available if
linked to WWS wordlist
|
|
| 2000 PCS Addendum Library | 1300 symbols
(optional extra)
|
1300 symbols (optional extra) |
1300 symbols
(optional extra)
|
Only available if
linked to WWS wordlist
|
|
| 2002 PCS Addendum Library | 1200 symbols
(optional extra)
|
1200 symbols (optional extra) |
1200 symbols
(optional extra)
|
Only available if
linked to WWS wordlist
|
|
| 2004 PCS Addendum Library | 1000 symbols
(optional extra)
|
1000 symbols (optional extra) |
1000 symbols
(optional extra)
|
Only available if
linked to WWS wordlist
|
|
| 2006 PCS Addendum Library | 1000+ symbols
(optional extra)
|
1000+ symbols (optional extra) |
1000+ symbols
(optional extra)
|
Only available if
linked to WWS wordlist
|
|
| 2008 PCS Addendum Library | 1300 symbols (optional extra) |
1300 symbols (optional extra) |
1300 + symbols (optional extra) |
Only available if linked to WWS wordlist |
|
| Training Resources Included | √ (Training CD, Manual and Printed Tutorial) |
√ (Training CD, Manual and Printed Tutorial) |
√ (Printed manual and on-screen tutorial) |
√ (Printed manual and on-screen tutorial) |
√ (Printed manual and tutorial) |
| Additional Training Resources Available | On-line training available from Mayer Johnson website |
On-line training available from Mayer Johnson website |
Resources from the Widgit Website |
Resources from the Widgit Website |
|
| Price $AUD – Single User Licence | $449 |
$549 / $999 |
N/A |
||
| Price $AUD – Single User Deluxe Licence | $599*
|
$699 / $1149* |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| Travelling Licence (Requires CD in the Drive to run) | X
|
X |
√ |
X
|
X |
| Price – Multi-user Licences | √ Writing with Symbols 2000 Multi-user Purchase Options |
||||
| Price – Network Licence | Boardmaker requires that the CD be in the Drive |
Boardmaker requires that the CD be in the Drive |
√ Writing with Symbols 2000 Multi-user Purchase Options |
N/A |
N/A |
| Protection – Licensing/Copyright | Boardmaker
requires that the CD be in the Drive
|
Boardmaker requires that the CD be in the Drive |
Warning if
registered number of installations are exceeded
|
N/A
|
N/A |
| Upgrades Available? | X |
||||
| Demo/Trial versions | √ 30 days |
√ 30 days |
X |
X |
√ 21 days |
| * Boardmaker Deluxe Bundle includes over 11,000 PCS symbols (over 4500 Core PCS symbols and over 6,000 extra Addendum symbols) as well as Aussie fonts. | |||||
Writing
with Symbols 2000
|
||||
| All programs are ideal for creating printed resources to assist students to communicate or develop early literacy skills. | Boardmaker v6 is
for use by teachers,
therapists, parents
and others to create
and print resources
for communication,
literacy and curriculum
activities, rather than
for student use. BM Plus and BM with SD Pro provide interactive features that enable students to use the program too. The program includes many sample activities to show how interactive and printable activities can be created for the classroom and beyond. |
For use by teachers, therapists or parents for resource creation – but also for use by students for writing. Talking symbol processor and onscreen grids provide extra scaffolding for students with writing needs. | A flexible tool for
creating printable
resources by teachers,
therapists, parents and
others. The program does provide supports for student writing in the form of text to speech, highlighting and a pictorial spell check, however does not include onscreen grid for writing. |
For use by teachers,
therapists or parents
to create accessible
and supported literacy
activities. Provides reading and writing supports for students. Different levels of writing support are included with the symbol processor to suit student abilities. |
| Templates and layout | Comprehensive
collection of
communication device
overlay templates,
calendars and curriculum
activity templates
included for printable
and interactive activities. Extremely flexible layout allows you to create books, song charts, worksheets, games, pictures cards etc. Layering of symbols within a cell allows you to create your own picture stories. |
Small number
of templates for
communication displays,
worksheets available and
other curriculum activities
included. Limited layout flexibility with onscreen or printable grids. |
Templates for communication displays, reading books and curriculum activities included. Flexible layout for creating books, worksheets as well as grids and cards. Layering of symbols within a box allows you to create your own picture stories. | Includes a range of sample writing and reading activities and grid templates for creating a range of literacy activities. |
| Creating accessible reading materials |
Text documents can
be imported to make
reading material
accessible to “nonreaders”
(eg. written
policies, minutes of
meetings or house
rules for adults with
intellectual disabilities). The new Symbolate tool in the Boardmaker family enables symbol-word association when working with words and sentences. Interactive versions enable symbolised text to be read aloud with highlighting. |
Smart symbolizing
feature ensures that the
grammatically correct
symbol is selected as
you type, reducing
the need for manual
alterations. Teachers and students can easily select the pictures they want displayed with words using symbol and graphics browsers. |
||
| Customising symbols |
PCS and Widgit Symbols can be installed with Boardmaker. Easy to import, drag and drop single or multiple images from clipart, saved files or web into cells, pages or into the symbol library (Symbol Finder.) Can change symbol colours and display as black and white only or invert colours. Colour coding behind black and white symbols (while symbols remain white) is useful for classifying words and for clear visual discrimination of images. |
The Widgit Symbols are considered more “adult” in
appearance than the PCS symbols of Boardmaker. Symbol qualifiers can be selected to indicate tense and plurals. |
Widgit Symbols plus a
comprehensive clip art collection (Widgit Pictures) included. Can easily import saved images from computer. Paint palette allows you to change the colours in symbols, move from colour to monochrome display and alter skin colour. Qualifiers to display tense and plurals. |
Can interchange
between PCS and Widgit Symbols from within the program. PCS will be an add-on. Clipart library of Widgit Pictures included. Easy import of saved images onto documents. Customise symbol colours as for Communicate: In Print. Qualifiers for tense, plurals, comparatives and superlatives (er, est endings.) |
| Synthesised/ recorded |
Text to speech feedback
available in interactive
versions of the program
only. Use of SAPI 4 and
higher quality SAPI 5
voices. High quality Australian voices (Lee and Karen) available if already installed on computer with another program. Recorded sounds and speech can be included in interactive versions of Boardmaker only. Reading text and symbols with highlighting available when using interactive versions. |
SAPI 4 Microsoft voices only for text to speech feedback when using word processor. | SAPI 4 and higher quality
SAPI 5 voices available
for text to speech
feedback with word
highlighting. High quality Australian voices (Lee and Karen) available if already installed on computer with another program. |
SAPI 4 and higher quality
SAPI 5 voices available
for text to speech
feedback with word
highlighting. High quality Australian voices (Lee and Karen) available if already installed on computer with another program. |
| More writing supports |
Word prediction and abbreviation expansion available with BM with SD Pro version. | Can be used with word prediction packages such as Co:Writer) for additional writing support. | Text to speech feature and pictorial spell check help students proofread their writing. | Multiple linked grids
with words, phrases or
sentences help support
writing. Activities can be created that structure the order of the words in the sentence for the student. |
| Animations and videos |
BM Plus and BM with SD Pro support animations and movie files. PCS animations can be embedded in interactive activities to explain concepts and verb actions. |
| Titles | Writing with Symbols 2000 |
|||
| Range of readymade add-ons for Boardmaker family | Ready-made activities for use with Boardmaker | Activities can be downloaded from the Widgit website | Activities can be downloaded from the Widgit website | Activities to be developed will be available from the Widgit website. |
| Therapy Friends Theme Kits | Ready-made Australian early literacy and communication activities – with Boardmaker files, comprehensive manual and training video clips on CD-ROM | Kits have symbol activities in PDF format so all users can open | Kits have symbol activities in PDF format so all users can open | Kits have symbol activities in PDF format so all users can open |
| Communicate: By Choice | A standalone or add-on to Communicate: In Print 2. Allows teachers to create their own onscreen symbol based activities for students. | |||
|
Picture
This Pro Photo Collection
Other titles include: School Routines and Rules, Functional Living Skills and Behaviour Rules Edition, Visual Essentials, Visual Foods |
Offers 5000 photographs that can be used in Boardmaker NOTE: they do not appear automatically until each one is individually cut and pasted into Boardmaker |
Offers 5000 photographs that can be used in Writing with Symbols 2000 NOTE: they do not appear automatically until each one is individually linked through to Writing with Symbols 2000 |
Offers 5000 photographs that can be used in Communicate: In Print 2 NOTE: they do not appear automatically until each one is individually linked with a word |
Offers 5000 photographs that can be used in Communicate: SymWriter NOTE: they do not appear automatically until each one is individually linked with a word |
| Softpics Image Collection | Offers 2000 images developed in Sydney by Speech Pathologist Ylana Bloom which can be cut and pasted into Boardmaker | Offers 2000 images developed in Sydney by Speech Pathologist Ylana Bloom which can be linked individually into Writing with Symbols 2000 | Offers 2000 images developed in Sydney by Speech Pathologist Ylana Bloom which can be linked individually into Communicate: In Print 2 | Offers 2000 images developed in Sydney by Speech Pathologist Ylana Bloom which can be linked individually into Communicate: SymWriter |
Sample Symbols |
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| PCS Symbols |  |
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| Widgit Symbols |  |
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