Thread: Crystal clear

One big change in Vista is that accessibility functions are no longer hidden away. Windows XP allows users to turn on the handy Sticky Keys function by pressing the Shift key five times at the Welcome screen, but few users know about this trick. Vista is far more straightforward, with a button on the Welcome screen giving access to all the main accessibility utilities. Once the user has logged in to Vista they can find many tools in the Ease of Access Center, found in the Control Panel.

that were previously found scattered around the outer reaches of Windows XP's Control Panel. Microsoft has also attempted to make it easier for users who need help before they can make use of the menu itself. Vista can read the first section of the menu aloud and will then rotate through four key functions: the narrator, the on-screen keyboard, the magnifier and the high-contrast mode.



The user can enable any of these options by waiting for the desired option then pushing the space bar. The Magnifier, which provides an enlarged copy of the area around the cursor that's easier to read, is much the same as the one included in Windows XP.

By default the area sits at the top of the screen and it can be set to follow text being typed into a word processor. It's useful for reading small print on websites or flyers and is handy for other delicate tasks, such as editing photographs.