For those who need more than magnification, it is possible to use screen magnification and synthetic speech together. Most of today's computers have enough memory to support these programs. For older computers, having at least 640K of memory is strongly recommended in order to run screen magnification software and have enough memory left over for applications and other uses. This is especially true if speech is also used or if operating in a network. Magnification programs function similarly to a magnifying glass moving over a page.
Programs can automatically follow the cursor, magnifying the area around it.
It is also common to be able to automatically move across and down a magnified page at a pre-set speed. Additionally, in the event of losing your place in a magnified document, programs can show the unmagnified screen, emphasizing the magnified area with color or shading. Most programs allow the user to change colors. In DOS, features of screen magnification programs are manipulated through menus which pop up on part or all of the screen, or through single keystrokes. In Windows, products are manipulated through menus, dialogue boxes which display all or most of the available options, and keystrokes.