[nabs-l] questions about a mac book pro

David Andrews dandrews at visi.com
Tue Apr 24 01:33:12 UTC 2012 

You either need to run Boot Camp, and install 
Windows, or install a Virtual Machine like 
VMWare's Fusion, and install Windows.  The Mac 
can not natively, or directly run Windows programs.

Dave

At 10:27 AM 4/23/2012, you 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
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
> >>>>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
> >>>>>>>> for
> >>>>>>>> nabs-l:
> >>>>>>>> 
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/opensesame%40me.com
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
> >>>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> >>>>>>> nabs-l:
> >>>>>>> 
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/clb5590%40gmail.com
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> --
> >>>>>> Cindy Bennett
> >>>>>> B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> clb5590 at gmail.com
> >>>>>> 828.989.5383
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
> >>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> >>>>>> nabs-l:
> >>>>>> 
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/laurel.stockard%40gmail.com
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>> nabs-l mailing list
> >>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> >>>>> nabs-l:
> >>>>> 
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ignasicambra%40gmail.com
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> nabs-l mailing list
> >>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> >>>> nabs-l:
> >>>> 
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/jorge.paez1994%40gmail.com
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> nabs-l mailing list
> >>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> >>> nabs-l:
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/cassonw%40gmail.com
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Bill Casson
> >> University of New Mexico
> >> M.S. Computer Science
> >> (505) 695-1374
> >> cassonw at unm.edu
> >
> >
> >

More information about the NABS-L mailing list