[nabs-l] Questions About Getting New Laptop

Jorge Paez computertechjorgepaez at gmail.com
Tue Jun 21 01:36:17 UTC 2011 

Oh nice.
I think I know the scanner you're talking about--I met the founder several years ago if I'm not mistaken.

That won't work with a mac I think because there are some small drivers you need to install.
Not a bad choice though.


On Jun 20, 2011, at 7:14 PM, Lea williams wrote:

> I have a friend who uses a Dell laptop and has a stand alone type
> scanner. He only has to plug it up to the laptop and he can scan with
> it without OB or K1000 or anything. It scanns the stuff and then will
> translate it from an image in to a text file like OB and the rest do.
> I will have to get the information on it and post it on here, but
> maybe that could be a solution. I am for sure going to get one like it
> soon and a laptop of some kind I would like to get a Mac but have been
> looking around a bit first.
> 
> On 6/20/11, Ignasi Cambra <ignasicambra at gmail.com> wrote:
>> It works well for me. Docuscan is a good product and it stores your
>> documents in the cloud so that you can get them from any computer.
>> On Jun 20, 2011, at 5:29 PM, Kirt Manwaring wrote:
>> 
>>> I know Serotek has an OCR for the mac...I think it's called Docuscan
>>> or something.  Not sure how well it compares to Kerzweil or open-book,
>>> though.
>>> Best,
>>> kirt
>>> 
>>> On 6/20/11, Jorge Paez <computertechjorgepaez at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Yes.
>>>> Open Book is only for Windows.
>>>> And no, there is no software for Mac.
>>>> And don't even try to run Windows on your Mac via bootcamp, I know from
>>>> experience that slows your computer to at least a forth of its usual
>>>> speed.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On Jun 20, 2011, at 3:19 PM, Katie Wang wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Hi, all,
>>>>> I have been following this thread as I'm also planning to purchase a
>>>>> new laptop within the next year or so (my current one still runs
>>>>> Windows XP). One question for those of you who use and like Macs: Is
>>>>> there some sort of OCR sofftware that works with Macs? I regularly use
>>>>> Open Book to scan documents or convert pdf files into a more
>>>>> accessible format, but from what I understand it only works on Windows
>>>>> machines. Is that correct? Thanks!
>>>>> Katie
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> On 6/20/11, Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Florida? Are you going to convention while you're there?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Chris
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> "A loss of sight, never a loss of vision!" (Camp Abilities motto)
>>>>>> To learn more about Camp Abilities and find a local camp near
>>>>>> you, just click on this link to their national Web site:
>>>>>> www.campabilities.org.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The I C.A.N.  Foundation helps visually impaired youth in
>>>>>> Maryland have the ability to confidently say "I can!" How? Click
>>>>>> on this link to learn more and to contribute:
>>>>>> www.icanfoundation.info.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Sent from my BrailleNote
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>> From: Kerri Kosten <kerrik2006 at gmail.com
>>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>,"T.  Joseph Carter" <carter.tjoseph at gmail.com
>>>>>> Date sent: Mon, 20 Jun 2011 02:00:04 -0400
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Questions About Getting New Laptop
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hi All!
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Thanks for the info.  I really appreciate it!
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I want to hopefully bring this new laptop to my upcoming trip to
>>>>>> Florida to visit some family so I think I am going to just go for
>>>>>> windows and maybe get a mac later when I know I'll have more time
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> spend learning voiceover.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I did a quick search on Amazon for the I7 laptops and the
>>>>>> cheapest
>>>>>> prices I can find are in the $800 range.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> What kind of budget/price should I go for? I guess the more you
>>>>>> pay
>>>>>> the better...are the more expensive I7 processor high end laptops
>>>>>> worth it over the much cheaper I3 ones?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I don't want to be so cheap I get a crappy laptop but at the same
>>>>>> time
>>>>>> I don't want to get something that is overpriced and I end up
>>>>>> getting
>>>>>> screwed.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> For those who have purchased laptops recently did you go for the
>>>>>> cheaper lower end or the more expensive higher end models?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I don't mind spending the money for something good but I also
>>>>>> don't
>>>>>> want to spend a ton on something and get screwed.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Thanks!
>>>>>> Kerri
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On 6/19/11, T.  Joseph Carter <carter.tjoseph at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> For a JAWS user or Window Eyes user, the Mac is going to take a
>>>>>> little getting used to, but other than learning the new screen
>>>>>> reader, it functions basically as you뭗 expect it to.  The
>>>>>> option to
>>>>>> use a virtual machine to run Windows exists on a Mac as well,
>>>>>> and you
>>>>>> will find the MacBook Air in particular a joy to carry after
>>>>>> lugging
>>>>>> around a larger, heavier laptop.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Most ultralight PCs are cheap netbooks and pretty sluggish.
>>>>>> They뭭e
>>>>>> got going for them the size and usually also the weight, but
>>>>>> they
>>>>>> sacrifice much in terms of function to do it.  The difference
>>>>>> between
>>>>>> the MacBook Air and a more conventional laptop is that it뭩
>>>>>> missing
>>>>>> optical drive and ethernet port.  And that it weighs half as
>>>>>> much!  I
>>>>>> personally can뭪 imagine carrying anything else anymore.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> If you don뭪 mind the heavier laptop, all the advice about what
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> look for in a good laptop (i7 being more battery efficient than
>>>>>> i3,
>>>>>> etc.) applies to Macs as well.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The one thing that will take getting used to if you use Windows
>>>>>> your
>>>>>> Mac (either via BootCamp or virtual machine) is the keyboard.
>>>>>> You
>>>>>> will find that the Alt and Windows keys are reversed.  The
>>>>>> keyboard
>>>>>> is basically done the way Mac keyboards have been for ages뾦t뭩
>>>>>> just
>>>>>> that Apple and Microsoft happen to put the "alternative
>>>>>> function" and
>>>>>> "vendor logo function" keys in opposite locations.  I뭭e gotten
>>>>>> used
>>>>>> to using Windows that way.  To me it뭩 no different from using
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> Control key versus the Command key for cut/copy/paste.  I just
>>>>>> do
>>>>>> what뭩 appropriate in the environment I뭢 using pretty
>>>>>> automatically.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Joseph
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On Sun, Jun 19, 2011 at 07:55:28PM -0400, Kerri Kosten wrote:
>>>>>> Hi Everyone!
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Well, after five years, it looks like I am going to have to get a
>>>>>> new
>>>>>> laptop.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I haven't had to look for a laptop in like five years so I had
>>>>>> some
>>>>>> questions.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> First, from an accessibility/screenreader standpoint what is
>>>>>> better
>>>>>> windows or Mac? Was the switch to mac from windows hard? Was
>>>>>> voiceover
>>>>>> easy to get used to? Do you like your mac better than windows?
>>>>>> I've
>>>>>> been told macs don't get viruses or have spyware and they seem a
>>>>>> lot
>>>>>> more durable.  I have a friend who says he has had one for three
>>>>>> years
>>>>>> (he isn't blind) and he says other than spending some money on a
>>>>>> bigger hard drive and paying $25 for one of the new OS updates (I
>>>>>> believe it was snow lepoard) he said it works just as fast and
>>>>>> everything as it did the day he got it.  It seems with windows
>>>>>> the life
>>>>>> is only around four or five years old.  Sighted people are
>>>>>> telling me
>>>>>> to go with mac but I know the world is still largely dominated by
>>>>>> windows.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> For windows users who have purchased laptops recently what things
>>>>>> did
>>>>>> you look for in the laptop? What brands are people using with the
>>>>>> windows screenreaders? I found a Tasheba satellite on Amazon.com
>>>>>> for
>>>>>> $479...it is usually $780 but has been on sale for $479.  It has
>>>>>> an I3
>>>>>> processor, 4 gigs of ram, 640 gig hard drive, and a 15 inch
>>>>>> screen not
>>>>>> that that matters to me.  Supposedly the battery lasts for five
>>>>>> hours.
>>>>>> I was going to just go with this one but i noticed it is rated 3
>>>>>> starrs on the customer reviews and I wonder why it has dropped so
>>>>>> much
>>>>>> in price on Amazon.  is anyone else using a tasheba and are they
>>>>>> good?
>>>>>> What things did you look for in you're laptop before purchasing
>>>>>> it?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The laptop I will likely get has Windows 7 and is 64 BIT.  Is
>>>>>> there any
>>>>>> big bugs I should know about with 64 BIT, Windows 7, and Jaws? Do
>>>>>> you
>>>>>> like windows 7 overall? Is it better than windows vista? My old
>>>>>> hp
>>>>>> laptop had windows vista on it and my netbook (which I am typing
>>>>>> this
>>>>>> on) has windows XP.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Even if Rehab or some other source purchased your laptop, I am
>>>>>> noticing most of the new ones have similar specks:Windows 7, a
>>>>>> 500 gig
>>>>>> or bigger hard drive, I 3 and up processor, 4 gigs of ram.  How
>>>>>> fast
>>>>>> are these? My laptop is so old I'm kind of excited and curious to
>>>>>> hear
>>>>>> about how fast the latest laptops with these new and improved
>>>>>> specks
>>>>>> are.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Thanks!
>>>>>> Kerri
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
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> 
> 
> -- 
> Lea Williams
> 
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