[nabs-l] Macs Verses PCs

Sun Mar 6 05:10:40 UTC 2011

Commands in VoiceOver are certainly not hard. To me they actually end up making a lot more sense than Jaws commands, although this might not be the same for other people. Also, you can control a laptop with the trackpad which is very similar to using an iPhone with one hand. VoiceOver can also be controlled with the numpad on keyboards that have one, and with the arrow keys alone if you are just navigating websites etc.
In the end, it really doesn't take any extra effort to use it, but there is a learning curve. To make it simple, elements on the screen are very well organized, and you need to interact with certain items to find other items inside. What this means is that if you know what you are looking for, finding it is very, very fast. Also VoiceOver allows you to literally type whatever you are looking for and get to it quickly. This works in any context, in any window in any applications. I like that part about it.
I don't know, I would say if you are in a situation where you need to be 100% productive the day after you get your computer, maybe getting a mac right now is not the best choice because you'll have to learn how to use it. Maybe you can get Windows installed on it until you have time to actually learn the mac. But if you are willing to read the documentation and you are willing to discover a very different approach to screen reading software which actually works well, you'll probably love Apple computers.
On Mar 5, 2011, at 7:30 PM, <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:

> 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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