[nfbcs] Thanks! WAS Intro and quick question

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Thanks to everyone who gave lists of things to consider in my final purchase
decision!  I was able to re-evaluate stuff I'd thought of already, evaluate
the decision in light of a few things I hadn't fully considered before and
be much more comfortable about the decision I was making.  Whew!

So I have decided that I will make the break to Linux for the present; I can
always add Windows and current JAWS at a later date if I end up needing it
for work or contracting.  I've settled on the Pangolin Performance from
System 76, configuring it to bump up the power and capacity and speed while
still staying exactly $1 under top budget limit.  I did consider saving
money by going with the basic model, or lesser upgrades.  I want the machine
I purchase now to carry me into the future for 3 or 4 years, though, so
decided to go with extra-beefy wherever possible.  I am hoping -- and plan
to work like a fiend -- to get my professional life back to a point where I
actually need all that.  For now, it really makes my greedy geek
ridiculously happy just by being there.  What can I say?

So I will place the order this afternoon, freak out totally, then make
myself crazy getting ready for the transition while I wait for my new wonder
machine to arrive on my doorstep, when I will freak out then make myself
crazy getting all set up and ready to go and...  Fun times await!

Also much memorization of ORCA key bindings, etc., so I can get back to real
work once I have the new machine in my hot little hands!

I hope in the meantime to listen in on your ongoing computer science
discussions and to maybe have something to contribute once I'm back to doing
computer science stuff instead of complaining my computer can't keep up.
/smile/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of nancy coffman
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 3:24 PM
To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Intro and quick question

If you are using the computer for empkoyment you need to find out what that
industry uses. If you have jaws the upgrade may cost less than a different
screen reader or msac. You get the bonus of a screen reader you know.



nancy coffman

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 8:50 AM
To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Intro and quick question

Tami,

Welcome to this list.  I hope that you get some good input here but let me
throw some things out for starters. You should know at the outset that I am
a 
Windows user with Window-Eyes, but that I do try to keep an open mind toward
other platforms.  Still, it would be very good to talk to persons who use
any 
platform in which you are interested.

In addition to Linux, you might also wan to consider Apple since the MAC
comes with a built-in screen reader called Voice-Over.  However, to make a
final 
decision, it is very important that you have a clear idea of what you will
be doing with your new computer, what sort of software you will need to run,
etc., 
and then you need to check how that software or equivelent processes run on
each of the particular platforms in which you are interested.  Let me give
you 
a simple example of what I mean.  If you are doing a lot of writing and you
are familiar with Microsoft Word, you might be glad to see that the MAC is 
accessible and that you can get Microsoft Word for the MAC.  However, Word
is not accessible on the MAC.  That doesn't mean, of course, that there are 
not some good writing options for the MAC, but one can't make assumptions
about what will work.  You can get Linux with speech out of the box and from

what I have heard and seen it works well.  If, however, you get into the GUI
aspect of Linux, things are not as clear but there are alternatives
including free 
screen reader options.  People using Linux with speech and braille from its
command shell seem to me to be very happy with what they can do with it.  
People who have ventured into the Linux GUI environment are far more rare so
at least I don't get a clear sense of how things are going there except that

there is some very good effort being made.  It would be very interesting to
hear comments frof these users, but it would be most useful to first know
more 
about any specific unusual uses you may have for your new computer.  If you
still have some remaining vision and you want to do some photo cleanup or if

you are heavily into sound editing and music production, that may make some
choices better than others.  If you are heavily involved in financial
statements 
and bookkeeping, that could also narrow down your choices.  

Now, if you consider sticking with Windows, you might look at other screen
readers.  JFW is a very good screen reader and it also costs the most.
Window-
Eyes, the screen reader I use, is also good and it is somewhat cheaper and
does not use the same authorization mechanism here in the US.  Some have 
been very happy with System Access which is cheaper yet, and I know a few
people getting buy with the Nonvisual Desktop Application (NVDA) which is a 
free open source screen reader.  Both Window-Eyes and System Access have
monthly lease plans that let you spread out payments over time which make 
the purchase easier to swallow.

As I say, this is meant to help sort out the issues, not to give you
specific recommendations.  I plan to try to become more familiar with the
MAC and 
VoiceOver, and I really hope to dig more into Linux at some point as well
because I have worked with Unix some in the past.  It is exciting that there
are 
options now, and I hope you find the one that fits best.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Thu, 9 Jun 2011 20:48:50 -0700, Tamara Smith-Kinney wrote:

>Hi, all!  I've been thinking of joining you for quite awhile now, but have
>been waiting on a new computer to discuss, along with the wonderful things
>I'm doing on it.  /smile/  Still waiting, but am nearly at the point of
>making a final purchasing decision, followed at the earliest possible
>instant by making the actual purchase.

>So here's my question:  Does anybody who uses Linux full time as a blind/vi
>user know of any reason why I should not get a Linux machine now instead of
>waiting until I have computer money *and* JAWS money for a Windows
>machine...  Which I will still need to buy all new office and other
>productivity software for because I'm that far behind in everything that
>needs to be upgraded...  I pretty much need to buy all new stuff.  If I go
>Windows again...  Otherwise, you know...  I put the equivalent of JAWS
alone
>into the new system itself and, well, then a have a great system I don't
>have to put more money into for accessibility and office and other
>productivity software, do I?  Hm...  I've been wanting to make the switch
>from Windows to Linux for years now, but stuff has come up and I've stuck
it
>out with my old Windows system until I could actually do something about
>getting a new computer before this one bit the dust...

>My still living - miraculously - system that I am typing now is a custom
>build from April of '03...  It didn't stop kicking *ss until sometime in
'07
>or '08 when run of the mill computers had almost the same stuff it did.
But
>by now...  Well, in computer years it's Methuselah, and I always breathe a
>sigh of relief when it starts every morning.  Then curse it for the rest of
>the day because it can't keep up.  I manage to get projects done in bits
and
>pieces over time, but ...  I will be so happy to have a system that hasn't
>outlived the expected life span of its electronics by quite so much.
>/smile/

>As for me, I'm a born geek who started her career about the time computers


[The entire original message is not included]

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