[nabs-l] Macs Verses PCs

Sun Mar 6 00:30:44 UTC 2011

Briana,
I don't use a Mac, but this is what I heard.
The built in screen reader is a learning curve; you have more keys to press 
for each command.  You almost need extra fingers!
Also, its been my experience that schools primarily use windows and windows 
applications.
I don't know whether all handouts such as powerpoint slides will be read 
alright on the Mac.
If you need a lot of things embossed, you're better off with a PC with 
duxbury; most braille translation like DBT and tiger work with windows.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Brianna Scerenscko
Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2011 5:41 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Macs Verses PCs

One of my vision teachers suggested I get a Mac, but another of the
vision teachers in our school system said that Macs are hard to use;
but I guess I could learn it. Is it the same keyboard set up on a Mac
as on a PC? How does Mac work with braille embossers? Was it hard to
learn the new opperating system? Do most of the programs you need come
preloded into the computer?

On 3/5/11, Ignasi Cambra <ignasicambra at gmail.com> wrote:
> I like macs. What's clear is that if you're used to JFW or other Windows
> screen readers you will have to take the time to learn and understand Mac 
> OS
> X and VoiceOver. For me, the great thing about OS X is that application
> interfaces are generally very consistent. In other words, application
> windows are really similar across programs because people usually write
> their apps with the tools provided by Apple.
> Also, remember that every time the operating system is updated, VoiceOver
> also gets an update. Even minor system updates can contain updates to the
> screen reader.
> I've been playing around with OS 10.7 which should be out this summer, and
> VoiceOver gets lots of improvements.
>
> IC
> On Mar 5, 2011, at 4:34 PM, Bernadetta Pracon wrote:
>
>> Hey Briana,
>> Personally, I think a Mac is a great machine to have. They're fully
>> accessible with voiceover being a fully functional screen reader right 
>> out
>> of the box. You are able to set it up by yourself without any sighted
>> assistance, because the screen reader is on at the initial setup window 
>> by
>> default. So that's just one of many advantages the mac has over the PC.
>> Plus, Macs are extremely durable machines, where hardware is concerned.
>> Because most of the software you would use on your Mac is produced by
>> Apple, you would have the garentee that it is compatible and functional
>> with voiceover, with few exceptions. You can use Open Office as a word
>> processor, in place of Microsoft word, since word  for apple  isn't very
>> accessible with voiceover as far as I know.
>> Also, remember that you can always install windows on a mac, and you can
>> do that without sighted assistance for the most part as well. This is
>> great, because you basically have two computers in one. Your hard drive 
>> is
>> partitioned in two when you install windows onto a mac. So if you weren't
>> sure how to do something using the apple operating system, you could
>> always complete the task on your windows side of the mac.
>> Also, I've found that Apple's operating systems are more stable and less
>> clunky than windows. There's a bit of a learning curve when transition to
>> apple if you've been a PC user, but once you get the hang of it, it's
>> extremely intuitive.
>> I think getting amac is definitely a safe bet.
>>
>> HTH
>>
>> Bernadetta
>>
>> --
>> Email services provided by the System Access Mobile Network.  Visit
>> www.serotek.com to learn more about accessibility anywhere.
>>
>>
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