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Enable complete switch access with scanning to Mac OS X applications and games

SwitchXS 2.5 now Universal Binary and with full Leopard support

SwitchXS provides virtually complete access to Mac OS X and all standard Mac applications for people who can only use one or more switches.

It offers full mouse and keyboard emulation by means of a so-called scanning mode. With each click on the switch the user selects an action, such as “move the cursor up” or “type B”, from a “scanning” menu. SwitchXS is typically used by people who are, for example, quadriplegic due to an accident, or living with neuromotor diseases such as Motor Neurone Disease (ALS) or Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) with very limited limb movement.

SwitchXS provides a number of predefined scanning panels that the user can choose to move the cursor, click, and type into all standard Mac applications. It also allows the user advanced control over features such as audio-cueing, speech-cueing, key repeat, scanning speed and cycling, mouse speed and movement, and SmartTransparency, which makes the scanning panel partially or fully transparent when no scanning is taking place to enjoy optimum use of screen real-estate.

SwitchXS works with any HID compliant USB gamepad, joystick and keyboard, and starting with Mac OS X 10.3 also with any HID compliant USB mouse or trackball. SwitchXS also works with USB switch interfaces emulating any of the above devices.

SwitchXS includes LayoutKitchen 2, an editor that allows users to make their own scan panels. For word prediction, in languages using the Roman alphabet as well as many other languages, SwitchXS can be combined with KeyStrokes.

“I feared that I would be stuck in Mac OS 9 forever, but then SwitchXS saved me! SwitchXS is a robust solution for anyone that wants to access Mac OS X with a switch. I use it to type in Word, create digital images in Photoshop and play games, such as Shadowbane and Warcraft III. With SwitchXS, I was able to seamlessly make the jump from OS 9 to OS X without missing a beat. It’s fast, flexible, easy to use and thanks to SmartTransparency, never gets in my way. SwitchXS totally rocks!” – Michael Phillips, Journalist, Digital Artist and AppleMaster

Click here to view sample scan panels made with LayoutKitchen

SwitchXS Key Features

• Full mouse and keyboard emulation
  
• Works seamlessly with all standard Mac OS X and Classic applications and even with multiple monitor setups
  
• Supports multiple switches with user configurable scanning methods, including inverse and step scanning
  
• Provides auto-stepping and auto-selecting single switch scanning methods
  
• Provides automatic menu scanning
  
• Includes SmartTransparency technology, which makes the scan window become transparent when not used and makes it automatically reappear when the switch is pressed
  
• Handles command-key combinations, dead-keys, and modifier key – click combinations
  
• Provides audio-cueing and speech-cueing
  
• Works with US and international keyboard layouts
  
• Offers multiple pre-built interactively resizable scan panels, including one giving direct access to iTunes
  
• Offers customisable scan speed and cycling, menu scan speed, mouse speed, and reduced mouse speed to tune to each user’s preference.
  
• Works with a wide range of input devices
  
• Buttons can now trigger AppleScripts to perform multiple actions
  with a single button
  
• Includes LayoutKitchen 2, which allows users to design their own custom scan panels with many advanced features, including coloured buttons and text as well as images
  
• SwitchXS also gives access to word prediction when combined with KeyStrokes 3.6 and later, which can dramatically speed up typing while reducing effort


• SwitchXS speaks Japanese when the user has the Japanese DTalker application installed on their machine. This way, SwitchXS can provide voice cueing during scanning in Japanese. What is more, when combined with the PCS for LayoutKitchen communication symbol collection SwitchXS can now be turned into a complete switch accessible communication solution for Japanese Mac users who cannot speak. For English, French, German, Spanish and other languages SwitchXS can be combined with Proloquo software or with Infovox iVox for the same purposes.

For an animation and screen capture videos of SwitchXS in action in games, etc. click here.

Compatible Devices

SwitchXS works with any HID compliant USB gamepad, joystick and keyboard, and starting with Mac OS X 10.3 also with any HID compliant USB mouse or trackball. SwitchXS also works with USB switch interfaces emulating any of the above devices.

SwitchXS has been successfully tested with the following switch interfaces: Crick USB Switch Interface, USB JoyBox, miniJoyBox, JoyCable 2 and many more listed below. SwitchXS has also been successfully tested with Logitech Wingman Precision and Extreme gamepads and with a Logitech Wingman Attack 2 joystick.

Testimonies

Click here to read stories of successful SwitchXS and KeyStrokes users.

System Requirements

• Apple Mac
  
  • Operating System: OS X 10.4-10.5 or higher. Does not work with keyboard-emulating switch interfaces in Mac OS X 10.5.
    
  • PowerPC or Intel processor
    
  • Minimum Display Resolution: 800×600

Download

• SwitchXS Manual (pdf 1.1 MB)
  
• SwitchXS 2.5 Trial version ~ 22.8 MB – for Mac OS X 10.4 or higher

Prices

	Code	Media	Platform	$AUD Price	$AUD GST
	SwitchXS - Single User Licence
	AWAW-XS-CD1	CD-ROM	Mac OS X	$359.00	$0.00
	SwitchXS - Five User Site Licence
	AWAW-XS-CD5	CD-ROM	Mac OS X	$1,359.00	$0.00
	SwitchXS - Ten User Site Licence
	AWAW-XS-CD10	CD-ROM	Mac OS X	$2,349.00	$0.00
	AssistiveWare Access Bundle - Single User Licence	Includes KeyStrokes, SwitchXS and LayoutKitchen
	AWAW-KX-CD1	CD-ROM	Mac OS X	$559.00	$0.00