[nabs-l] Does anyone use a MacBook or MacBook Pro for school?

[Kevin Fjelsted]

There are a number of resources that will give a perspective on using
the mac. One web resource that I find helpful  is
http://www.lioncourt.com/.
I have a few entries on my blog at http://www.kfjelsted.com/ which
describe my personal experience.
It is also important to keep in mind that if one utilizes a Mac one
can run Windows within that Mac platform. THis is not true if one
picks a Windows platform I.E., there is a huge advantage by utilizing
a Mac platform over a WIndows platform from a flexibility perspective.

I think it is a very powerful statement when the former Vice President
of Software Engineering in charge of JAWS development for Freedom
Scientific is now using a Mac almost exclusively.
Another factor worth considering is that JAWS is languishing and
appears to be getting bugler and bugler as time goes on. Unless there
is a major effort to turn things around the JAWS screen reader will
run out of steam very soon.  THis is a separate issue so if JAWS is
being compared to be fair one should compare some of the other Windows
screen readers.
-Kevin
On 2/25/10, Christopher Wright <chriswright11 at verizon.net> wrote:
> Hi Corbb,
> As someone who is following Mac-related developments, as much as possible,
> I'd like to know what brings you to that conclusion.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Corbb O'Connor" <corbbo at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2010 4:49 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Does anyone use a MacBook or MacBook Pro for school?
>
>
>> Hi Sally,
>>
>> I'll probably initiate a firestorm with this comment, but I'll say it
>> anyway. I'm a blind user of the Mac, and love it. But if I didn't have
>> any residual vision, I'd be a JAWS user. I find that more programs are
>> accessible with JAWS on the Windows operating system, and that it's  just
>> easier to use. That said, if your son has remaining vision and  uses a
>> magnification software to see the screen, then go for the Mac.  It's
>> built-in, and very good. Combine that with VoiceOver, the built- in screen
>>
>> reader on the Mac, and he'll be in good shape. But, if it's  easier for
>> him to use the screen reader than squint to see the screen,  then I'd say
>> Windows.
>>
>> Hope that helps -- and I'm happy to answer more questions!
>> Corbb O'Connor
>> Senior, The George Washington University
>>
>>
>> On Feb 24, 2010, at 8:34 PM, Sally Thomas wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I'm the parent of a blind 13 year old.  He tells me that the screen
>> reader on the MacBook is great and that it is better than using a  Windows
>>
>> computer with JAWS.  I'm curious whether or not this is true.   Have any
>> of you used both?  How do they compare?  Which do you  prefer?  Any
>> insight you have would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>> Sally Thomas
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-- 
Kevin Fjelsted
B Harris, Inc.
http://www.bharrisinc.com
kevin.fjelsted at bharrisinc.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfjelsted
Phone:   612.424.7333 EX. 301
Direct:  612.424.7332