Discontinued Screen Readers

In this section of the website, you can find a list of screen readers that have either been discontinued or were not well known.

COBRA (BAUM Retec)

COBRA is a screen reader developed by BAUM Retec from 2006 to 2011. It has been discontinued for over 10 years and works only on Windows XP and up to Windows 7. The following is a paragraph from BAUM's website: "COBRA simplifies working with Windows 7, Vista, or Windows XP for blind and visually impaired computer users. COBRA incorporates all standard functions of a modern screen reader in an environment also guaranteed for the future. COBRA prioritizes what it does on the user's requirements and outputs this important information from the computer screen into speech, Braille, or as a magnified form." There are three versions of COBRA:

COBRA 9.1 Braille: Provides braille and speech output.
COBRA 9.1 Zoom: Provides speech output and screen magnification.
COBRA 9.1 Professional: Offers all user modes - braille, speech, and magnified screen, allowing you to mix and match as needed.

Integrated screen magnification features:

Magnification from 1x to 32x
Full screen or split screen views
Edge smoothing with automatic recognition of foreground and background colors
Optical aids such as highlighting the cursor and focusing on borders and mouse pointer
Extra large mouse pointer available in different colors
Indicator showing the magnification area in relation to the full screen
Inverse display mode, greyscales, single color mode, and multi-color mode options

Please note that according to this website, COBRA is still available for sale, but since the copyright date says 2006 to 2011, I wouldn't risk wasting your money on it. There are much better alternatives out there. If you want to download the screen reader, the direct download link is here

iZoom (Issist)

iZoom allows you to change colors and read web pages without any installation or administrative privileges. iZoom USB is not locked down to any machine. You can attach it to your keychain and take it with you anywhere you go. All your settings are saved on the USB drive so you don’t have to reconfigure it on every new machine. You simply plug it in and start it up. No installation, no administrative access, no hassles. It simply works! So the next time you get on a machine at your library, school, or a friend’s place, you can relax knowing that their machine isn’t affected and you can use it as freely as you would your own. I am not entirely sure if this screen reader is still being sold or not, but either way, there is a download link available, here

Windows Light

Windows Light is a Windows-based software designed and developed as an assistive tool for two major user groups:

As a screen reader to help the visually impaired use the computer independently, thereby narrowing the digital divide that separates them from the sighted world.
As a reading aid for persons facing reading and/or writing difficulties (notably those with dyslexia) to help them cope with challenges in their studies and daily living.

And would you look at that, it's not a trial! Unlike certain other screen readers. Oh wait, I forgot that I was going to be biased. Oh well. Anyway, the download link can be found here

Window-Eyes

Window-Eyes is another screen reader for Windows. It's once again a trial. I did say that I was going to offer you installs of other software, right? Well, here is the thing: the download links that I found were from very well, shady sites that often include malware in their programs. But if you are willing to risk your PC, or if you have a virtual machine or anything of that nature, here are some examples of links I found: Link 1 Link 2 Link 3