Kurzweil Educational Systems Announces Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh Version 2
Support for Mac OS X Augments Powerful Learning, Study and Test-Taking
Tools for Students
Minneapolis, MN (Closing the Gap Conference) October 15, 2003 =96 Kurzweil
Educational Systems, Inc., innovator of reading, writing and learning
technology products for individuals with learning and visual disabilities,
today announced Kurzweil 3000TM for Macintosh Version 2. Kurzweil 3000 is
the premier reading, writing and learning software for struggling students.
With the newly designed Macintosh version of Kurzweil 3000, students using
Mac OS X or Mac OS 9 can read for critical information, implement powerful
study strategies, and compose or take tests with flexible writing
assistance.
“Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh was designed exclusively for the Macintosh
platform,” said Michael Sokol, President and CEO, Kurzweil Educational
Systems. “While other reading and writing products run on a Macintosh
using a PC emulator, Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh operates smoothly,
seamlessly, and with better performance. In Version 2, we’ve added support
for Mac OS X in order to take advantage of the advanced features of that
operating system, and to meet the demands of schools wanting to run the
product on the latest Macintosh platform. Those schools can now also
benefit from the industry’s most powerful software for students who
struggle to read, write and learn.”
“For over 25 years, Apple has distinguished itself as a strong partner with
education, taking an industry leadership role in helping define what
technology can do in the hands of students and teachers,” said Ron Okamoto,
Apple’s Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations. “Kurzweil
Educational Systems shares the commitment to the special education market
with Apple and enables students with learning difficulties to experience
the power and pleasure of reading, writing and learning on a Mac.”
Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh Version 2 helps students with reading and
writing difficulties to succeed in the classroom. This new version of the
product empowers students to implement successful study practices in and
out of the classroom and to take tests and complete worksheets.
Enhancements to Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh include increased overall
flexibility for the testing experience, allowing students to leverage, when
needed, the visual and auditory features of the product.
Some of the new and improved features of Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh
Version 2 include:
=B7 Support for Mac OS X
The Mac OS X platform delivers advanced features, enabling Kurzweil
Educational developers to optimize ease-of-use and efficiency capabilities
in the latest version of Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh.
=B7 New User Interface
The simple and intuitive user interface has been designed specifically for
the Macintosh with features like the floating Kurzweil 3000 Reader that
provides users with instant access to the most frequently used features of
the product. The streamlined, clear and concise design of the user
interface significantly improves performance and enhances the learning
experience for both students and educators.
=B7 Powerful Study Skills Tools
Students improve their reading comprehension and retention with tools that
facilitate active reading including highlighting, sticky notes, text notes,
footnotes and extraction of outlines or word lists. Using the same tools,
teachers can personalize instruction to suit student needs and learning
styles
=B7 Quick Access to Reference Look-up Tools
One-click access to word support, including recursive dictionary, synonyms,
syllables and spell word, helps students with decoding and keeps them
reading with better understanding of words and their meanings.
=B7 Unique Test-Taking Capabilities
Students can independently complete worksheets, quizzes, classroom exams or
standardized tests with greater confidence and fewer mistakes. Students
can seamlessly answer fill-in-the blanks, multiple choice, true/false,
short answer and essay. Teachers can allow or activate the use of selected
writing tools, comprehension aids and visual modifications, as appropriate.
=B7 Access to Electronic Files
In addition to Kurzweil Educational’s proprietary format, Kurzweil 3000 for
Macintosh opens and works with many types of electronic files, including:
ClarisWorks, AppleWorks, MS Word, RTF, Text, PDF, TIFF, and BMP files.
Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh also shares files with Kurzweil 3000 for
Windows, so educators can easily extend a school’s library of electronic
books and documents in Kurzweil Educational’s accessible format. The
product also comes with the Kurzweil Educational Classic Literature CD that
contains hundreds of electronic texts including: literary classics for
adults and children, reference materials, and historical manuscripts.
Kurzweil Educational will be demonstrating Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh at
the annual Closing the Gap Conference, being held October 15-18 at the
Radisson South Hotel and the Hotel Sofitel in Minneapolis, MN. Visitors to
the Kurzweil Educational booth (#s 28-29) at the Radisson South Hotel can
receive a one-on-one product demonstration and register to win a free copy
of Kurzweil 3000. Kurzweil Educational will also be hosting a User Group
Meeting for Kurzweil 3000 users on Friday, October 17th at the Hotel
Sofitel in the Bordeaux Room from 6-8 p.m.
Pricing and Availability
The Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh Version 2 ScanRead and Read products are
scheduled to ship this month. The popular Kurzweil 3000 5-unit Learning
Lab Pack (1 ScanRead and 4 Reads) is priced at $379 per seat. Single unit
pricing and volume discounts are also available.
Until December 15, 2003, users purchasing a Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh
Learning Lab Pack will receive one free Read Station, and users purchasing
five Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh ScanReads will receive one free ScanRead.
These offers cannot be combined with any other promotion or discount.
Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh Version 2 can be purchased directly from
Kurzweil Educational Systems at 800-894-5374 or 781-276-0600, or from the
company’s worldwide network of resellers
(http://www.kurzweiledu.com/resellers.asp).
About Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc.
Kurzweil Educational Systems, founded in 1996, is the industry leader and
innovator of scanning, reading and writing solutions for people with
learning disabilities, and people who are blind or visually impaired. Ray
Kurzweil, a co-founder of the original company, invented computer-based
reading machine technology 25 years ago to provide access to printed text
for the blind. With a pioneering history in developing assistive
technology, the company has received worldwide recognition for enabling
people with disabilities to lead more independent lives through improved
reading and writing abilities. Kurzweil 3000, the company’s flagship
product for individuals with reading and writing disabilities, recently won
the “District’s Choice Top 100 Product” 2003 Award published by the
District Administration magazine and “Media and Methods Awards Portfolio”
2003 Award from Media and Methods magazine. For more company or product
information, visit www.kurzweiledu.com.
www.kurzweiledu.com