[nfbcs] Intro and quick question

[nancy coffman]

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


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