[nabs-l] questions about a mac bok pro

Mon Apr 23 15:27:18 UTC 2012

Hi all,
I hope you all don't mind, but I have yet another question. Can I run
any windows based programs on my mac without boot camp? For example,
my Kurzweil program I have Kurzweil 1000 for windows, can I find a way
to still run that on my mac? Or do you hafta have boot camp, and or
windows for mac, in order to run your windows based programs.
Sorry, I know this might seem like a dumb question, but I'm just
trying to make sure I understand all the ins and outs of a mac.
/smiles/
Laurel and Stockard

On 4/23/12, Bill <cassonw at gmail.com> wrote:
> Also remember you must purchase a license if you are going to legally
> bootcamp with windows. They are somewhere between 120 and 250 I think
> depending on which version you buy and if you buy an OEM or student
> license.
> Bill
>
>
>
>> On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 5:04 AM, Jorge Paez <jorge.paez1994 at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>>>> Laurel:
>>> The only thing I would add to this is be careful with certain windows and
>>> Bootcamp versions, for example, I had a huge problem installing Windows
>>> XP on my Macbook Pro.
>>> It worked, but there was a really annoying volume issue which I never
>>> figured out.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Apr 23, 2012, at 12:31 AM, Ignasi Cambra Díaz wrote:
>>>
>>>> Bootcamp comes with your Mac, but Windows doesn't. Setting up a bootcamp
>>>> partition takes just a couple of minutes, but unless you have an
>>>> automated Windows installation dvd you won't be able to install Windows
>>>> independently. That's one of the things I love about Mac OS X, I can do
>>>> everything by myself.
>>>> On Apr 22, 2012, at 10:40 PM, Laurel wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Cindy,
>>>>> What is boot camp, and how can I get it? Does it automatically come or
>>>>> do I have to buy it, and if I have to buy it, how much does it cost?
>>>>> I know I'm asking alot of general broad questions, but I appreciate
>>>>> you all helping me out.
>>>>> Laurel and Stockard
>>>>>
>>>>> P.S.
>>>>> I am a foreign language major and will be doing alot of interpreting
>>>>> and translating. One of the reasons I love vo is it's good support for
>>>>> alot of languages, where I don't hafta download extra voices or buy
>>>>> extra languages.
>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>
>>>>> On 4/20/12, Cindy Bennett <clb5590 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Laurel:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I think that Bryan gave you a lot of good information. I can enlighten
>>>>>> you on the switch though. I have a MacBook pro and I split it with
>>>>>> bootcamp, and I use the PC side of my computer way more. Like
>>>>>> anything, if I had started with Macs, I think that I would have
>>>>>> trouble switching to a PC, and I think that is the main reason I
>>>>>> haven't switched. Because of the MS Word problems Bryan talked about,
>>>>>> I will never fully switch, because I plan to go back to school, and
>>>>>> unless you are majoring in something in the arts or graphic design,
>>>>>> you absolutely have to have access to the Microsoft Suite while in
>>>>>> school. I love VoiceOver though. You'll pick up the track pad quickly
>>>>>> because of using an iPhone, and it is amazing. There are a lot of 3
>>>>>> and 4 key combinations. Basically, if I could mix the advantages of
>>>>>> PC's and Macs when it comes to accessibility, I would. i like and
>>>>>> dislike them both for different reasons.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> One thing to know about VoiceOver is that it gives you an idea of the
>>>>>> layout of pages much better than screen readers on PC's. While it's
>>>>>> great to know that, I have found that it sometimes slows me down when
>>>>>> I just need to navigate to one specific thing.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I love Textedit. Numbers is pretty similar to Excel, but you'll have
>>>>>> to get used to the fact that Macs are more artsy and eye appealing.
>>>>>> Programs are going to automatically look nice. While this takes some
>>>>>> pressure off of a blind person when it comes to printing spreadsheets
>>>>>> without graphs on top of them, they are sometimes cumbersome to
>>>>>> navigate. I found the same thing in Keynote. In some ways, it is much
>>>>>> more accessible than JAWS and PowerPoint, but again, you can insert a
>>>>>> picture and you won't be able to get feedback about whether you put it
>>>>>> in the right place, and text boxes aren't very navigacable especially
>>>>>> when you arrange multiple columns.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In any case, if you are curious, and if you learn more and really want
>>>>>> to switch, just know that you can always split your Mac with Bootcamp.
>>>>>> Even though I do use Windows too much, I think that Apple products are
>>>>>> made better, and the warrantee is great.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I also second getting the refirbished products. I got a 13-inch pro
>>>>>> with 3 years of Apple care for $50 less than the New 13-inch pro with
>>>>>> only the standard 1 year warrantee. I got the 3 years of Apple care,
>>>>>> because it was my first time buying a refirbished Apple product, so I
>>>>>> wanted to be safe, and Apple care is much more inclusive than the
>>>>>> regular warrantee. There are basically no questions asked if something
>>>>>> happens to your product. I do disagree about the air though. Your
>>>>>> decision should be made on what you need to do with your computer, but
>>>>>> the Pro has more memory, and is not much bigger. It also has more
>>>>>> ports to plug things in and an SD card slot which is great if you take
>>>>>> a lot of pictures.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Good luck in your decision, and I hope I was able to provide some good
>>>>>> information for you.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Cindy
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 4/20/12, Bryan Jones <opensesame at me.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> Hello Laurel,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My perspective is as someone who has never used a Windows screen
>>>>>>> reader,
>>>>>>> so
>>>>>>> I can't offer much in terms of comparing VoiceOver to Jaws or
>>>>>>> Window-Eyes
>>>>>>> or
>>>>>>> NVDA, but I can provide a bit of input to a few of your other
>>>>>>> questions.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 1. Macbook Pro vs iMac.
>>>>>>> I've used a variety of Mac desktops and laptops in the past 5 or 6
>>>>>>> years
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> my personal favorite is the current 11 inch Macbook Air. Portability
>>>>>>> is a
>>>>>>> high priority for me, and the Air also offers good performance and a
>>>>>>> decent,
>>>>>>> though notperfect, keyboard. If you are set on choosing between an
>>>>>>> MBP
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> an iMac, you might consider waiting another month or two as rumor has
>>>>>>> it
>>>>>>> Apple will soon be introducing updated versions of the MBP.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 3, Kurzweil / OCR options.
>>>>>>> I use Abbyy FineReader Express for OCR. It's been able to handle most
>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> jobs I've thrown at it, including PDF conversions and multi-language
>>>>>>> documents. Again, I've never used Kurzweil, so can't offer a
>>>>>>> comparison.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 4, anything else.
>>>>>>>> 4a. MS Office for Mac is not accessible using VO. In fact, if you
>>>>>>>> expect
>>>>>>>> to be editing or creating documents that include tables and several
>>>>>>>> other
>>>>>>>> key elements, there is currently no word processor that smoothly
>>>>>>>> allows
>>>>>>>> VO
>>>>>>>> access to these functions. Pages and Nissus Writer are close and
>>>>>>>> getting
>>>>>>>> better, but are not there yet. That said, if you do not expect to be
>>>>>>>> working with complex documents, you might be OK just using  the
>>>>>>>> Mac's
>>>>>>>> very
>>>>>>>> good built-in word processor called Textedit. It opens Word
>>>>>>>> documents
>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>> can save in a variety of formats.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 4b. Web browser options are still limited on the Mac. Safari and it's
>>>>>>> cousins Webkit and Chrome work OK with VO, but FIrefox  and Opera
>>>>>>> aren't
>>>>>>> there yet and there is no version of IE on the Mac.
>>>>>>> 4c. Generally, when folks ask me if I think they should switch to a
>>>>>>> Mac,
>>>>>>> my
>>>>>>> answer is "No, unless you really have a desire to learn something
>>>>>>> different
>>>>>>> or you just want a new toy." For most Users and functions, the Mac OS
>>>>>>> is
>>>>>>> no
>>>>>>> better than Windows. You'll still crash sometimes, you'll still be
>>>>>>> vulnerable to malware and other security threats, and you'll find
>>>>>>> plenty
>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>> hardware and software that does not play well with VO.
>>>>>>> Plus if you've already invested in an expensive windows screen
>>>>>>> reader,
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> expensive Windows office suite, and if they're working OK for you,
>>>>>>> you'll
>>>>>>> lose that investment when moving too the Mac unless you decide to go
>>>>>>> through
>>>>>>> the hassle of installing Windows on your Mac.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> More than anything else, I strongly suggest spending time in an Apple
>>>>>>> Store,
>>>>>>> Best Buy or other place where you can get your hands on the Macs and
>>>>>>> spend
>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>> bit of time trying them out. If you want to actively learn how to use
>>>>>>> VO
>>>>>>> while sitting in front of any current Mac, you can turn on VO by
>>>>>>> pressing
>>>>>>> Command+F5. The Command key is the key immediately to the left of the
>>>>>>> spacebar, and the F5 key is the sixth key from the left in the top
>>>>>>> row
>>>>>>> (the
>>>>>>> first key being the escape key). When you press Command+F5, you
>>>>>>> should
>>>>>>> hear
>>>>>>> the announcement, "VoiceOver On." Once VoiceOver is running, you can
>>>>>>> access
>>>>>>> a quick VoiceOver tutorial by pressing and holding the three keys
>>>>>>> located
>>>>>>> immediately to the left of the Spacebar and then pressing the F8 key,
>>>>>>> which
>>>>>>> is the ninth key from the left in the top row. You should hear
>>>>>>> VoiceOver
>>>>>>> announce, "VoiceOver Quick Start." The quick start tutorial will
>>>>>>> introduce
>>>>>>> you to the "VO" keys and will point you in the right direction for
>>>>>>> learning
>>>>>>> more about the Mac and VO. Consider bringing a pair of headphones or
>>>>>>> earbuds
>>>>>>> when you try this out. It can get pretty noisy in an Apple store.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> If you haven't already joined, there are a number of active email
>>>>>>> lists
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> forums for blind and low-vision Mac Users. A quick google will turn
>>>>>>> up a
>>>>>>> list of them.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> One last note: I personally think the best way to purchase a Mac is
>>>>>>> through
>>>>>>> Apple's own refurb store, which can be found from their main shopping
>>>>>>> site
>>>>>>> at store dot apple dot com. Macs purchased there usually cost a
>>>>>>> couple
>>>>>>> hundred dollars less, come with the exact same 1 year warranty as new
>>>>>>> Macs
>>>>>>> and can be covered under the same extended Applecare warranty plans.
>>>>>>> The
>>>>>>> only Macs I've had to take in for service were ones I purchased new.
>>>>>>> My
>>>>>>> refurbs have never needed service.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> HTH,
>>>>>>> Bryan
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Apr 20, 2012, at 10:29 AM, Laurel wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>>> I have to confess, I haven't been watching the recent thread where
>>>>>>>> people were talking about mac vs. pc. I wanted to buy a mac but I
>>>>>>>> didn't have the money so I was putting it off. This week I got some
>>>>>>>> very unexpected money from somewhere (I don't wanna go into all the
>>>>>>>> details) but I have enough to buy a mac. I plan to do so but I
>>>>>>>> wanted
>>>>>>>> to ask some questions about the mac that maybe some of y'all could
>>>>>>>> answer for me.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 1. Do you all prefer the Mac Book Pro (lap top) or the iMac (desk
>>>>>>>> top).
>>>>>>>> 2, those of you who use JAWS and switched to voice over on the mac,
>>>>>>>> how hard/easy was the switch? I already use voice over on the
>>>>>>>> iPad/iPhone but I'm not used to it on the mac yet.
>>>>>>>> 3, Do any of you use Kurzweil for scanning? I have Kurzweil 1000 for
>>>>>>>> windows, and I don't know what to do for my scanning program on a
>>>>>>>> mac.
>>>>>>>> Should I use my Kurzweil, I know you can use mac to run programs
>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>> run on windows, or should I switch to another program. What other
>>>>>>>> scanning programs out there work well with voice over?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 4, is there anything else, accessibility related as far as softwear
>>>>>>>> goes, that I should know before I make the switch?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I plan on keeping my pc at least for the summer so I can slowly
>>>>>>>> switch
>>>>>>>> over and have time to get used to a mac. I know this is a long
>>>>>>>> email,
>>>>>>>> but for you mac users out there, thanks for the help. It's
>>>>>>>> appreciated.
>>>>>>>> Laurel and Stockard
>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Cindy Bennett
>>>>>> B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington
>>>>>>
>>>>>> clb5590 at gmail.com
>>>>>> 828.989.5383
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Bill Casson
>> University of New Mexico
>> M.S. Computer Science
>> (505) 695-1374
>> cassonw at unm.edu
>
>
>
> --
> Bill Casson
> University of New Mexico
> M.S. Computer Science
> Lewis & Clark Alumnus '11
> B.A. Physics and Math/Comp Sci.
> (505) 695-1374
> cassonw at gmail.com
>
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