[nabs-l] questions about a mac bok pro

Ignasi Cambra ignasicambra at gmail.com
Mon Apr 23 15:48:03 UTC 2012 

Obviously Windows apps won't run natively on Mac OS X. There are some
tools available that can make certain things run, but accessibility
related programs will most likely not work. If you don't want to use
bootcamp you can use a virtualization solution such as VmWare fusion,
Virtualbox or Parallels. This runs a full installation of Windows on
top of OS X in a virtual machine. All your Windows applications will
work just fine, and you won't have to reboot every time you need to
use them. By the way, Serotek offers a great OCR solution for the Mac,
in case you are interested.

Ignasi

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 23, 2012, at 11:37 AM, Laurel <laurel.stockard at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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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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