[nfbcs] Learning Windows 7

[Curtis Chong]

Dear Tracy:

I'm not sure if an earlier reply from me reached you because I did not see it bounced back to me as a post on the NFBCS mailing list.  Nevertheless, here is what I was trying to say.

First, Windows 7 is not all that difficult to learn.  Far more difficult for people is the transition from Office 2003 to Office 2007, 2010, or 2013.

Windows 7 in and of itself is remarkably similar to Windows XP in terms of the Windows Desktop and the Run dialog, both of which I use just about every day.  The Start Menu is something like a rather sophisticated search engine for your system.  For example, when you press the Windows key, you are placed in an edit box into which you can type a search term like "word" or "internet".  The former search term brings up items like Microsoft Word or WordPad.  The latter brings up an item like "Internet Explorer".  You arrow down to the item you want and press Enter.

To get to the All Programs List after entering the Start Menu, simply press Up Arrow to get to All programs, and press Right Arrow to open it.  Then continue navigating with Up Arrow.

Access Technology Institute (www.blindtraining.com) has a number of tutorials for Windows 7 depending on the screen reader you use (JAWS or Window-Eyes).  But each tutorial costs $80.

Tech Vision (www.yourtechvision.com) also has information about Windows 7, and its prices are somewhat less.

I can tell you that I've been using Windows 7 for more than two years now, and it works very well indeed--far better than Windows 8.

Cordially,

Curtis Chong