QUESTION: 

Hello, I just got my blackjack II a couple days ago, and have found a strange problem, if I hold down the home key it takes me directly to the task manager, when stopping all tasks, MobileSpeak plays the voice changing sound almost like the taskmanager was trying to end the Deck Talk process but couldn’t.  After this happens, I stop all the extra tasks I have open, return to the today screen, and then I lose my home functions with MobileSpeak and have to restart the phone.

I wondered if this was a strange issue with Windows Mobile six or the AT&T Black Jack Two firmware that is on the phone.

In Windows Mobile Five the Task Manager didn’t try to stop any part of MSS from working.
ANSWER:

This is not a strange problem although I can see why you would think it is.
Keep in mind that the task manager is a built-in function of the Windows Mobile operating system.  That is, from the Windows perspective, MSS is merely another third-party application.  Windows does not know that MSS is an accessibility program necessary to provide speech /Braille output or magnification to a low-vision or blind person.  Consequently, when you issue the Stop All command from the Windows Task Manager , it tries to end any or all currently running third-party applications including MSS.

The solution is to use the MSS Switch To Application Dialog box to stop any or all programs.  When this MSS Dialog box is displayed, MSS, not the Windows Mobile operating system, decides which programs to act upon, which, of course, does not include MSS itself.  Therefore, using the MSS Switch To Application Dialog box will allow you to stop any or all currently running programs except MSS, itself.

In the Default command profile, press Home+2; this, like the task manager, will display all running applications except MSS.

Mark