[nabs-l] questions about a mac bok pro
Jorge Paez
jorge.paez1994 at gmail.com
Mon Apr 23 20:04:14 UTC 2012
Interesting.
What is it called?
On Apr 23, 2012, at 11:48 AM, Ignasi Cambra wrote:
> 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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>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
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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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>>>>>
>>>>>
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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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>>
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