[NFBCS] Getting Ready to Upgrade Computer

Wed Dec 9 02:30:26 UTC 2020

Agree i5 / 8GB minimum.  If you can afford an i7 processor and you generally
keep laptops for a long time it will be more delightful.

Other thing to consider is the keyboard.  If you want a built in numeric
keyboard they are available.  Usually on Business series laptops like Dell
Latitude and Lenovo ThinkPads.  Might just be on the 15inch screen models.
Personally I do not like the numeric keypad on a laptop because then typing
is off center (i.e. the numeric keypad puts the keyboard to the left).

I posted a while back that I bought a Surface Pro 7 (which is a tablet) and
got the Type Cover (which is the keyboard that magnetically attaches).  What
I didn't like was the Insert key was a combo with the Delete key.  Thus JAWS
needs be set to use the laptop layout.  I'll admit I could take the time to
work up the muscle memory for it, but didn't and ended up returning the
Surface (which Microsoft took back without question).

Which brings me to my final point when buying a laptop.  Know the return
policy and don't hesitate to use it if the laptop you buy doesn't suit your
needs.  Or if you decide to try a touchscreen model but find that the
touchscreen isn't useful (which I didn't find it to be nearly as good as any
Apple iPhone or iPad).  I think I've returned at least 2 laptops in the past
5 years and other than getting it to a UPS drop-off it was hassle free.  

Good luck.  

Best,
Charles

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Christopher Chaltain via
NFBCS
Sent: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 6:30 PM
To: 'NFB in Computer Science Mailing List' <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Christopher Chaltain <chaltain at gmail.com>; 'Curtis Chong'
<chong.curtis at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NFBCS] Getting Ready to Upgrade Computer

Windows 10 will come with Edge, which has become my go to browser on Windows
10. It's based on the same engine as Chrome, but feels like the interface is
a bit cleaner to me. Of course, having browser options is also a good thing.

As far as specs are concerned, and not everyone would agree with me, but I'd
say at a minimum you want an I5 processor with at least 8G of RAM. Of
course, more is better. An SSD drive is also the way to go these days,
although I still have a huge rotary drive on my laptop.

Although Windows 10 is a lot like Windows 7, there are some significant
differences in the look and feel, and it can be kind of overwhelming to go
through all of your settings and find out how to tweak Windows 10 to suit
your needs. Between Windows 10 and Office 365, I'm constantly finding things
that I can tweak to make things better, and I've been using Windows at the
office since 2014 and at home since the summer. A good class that helps you
tease out all of these settings could be a worthwhile investment if you
don't want to spend the time hunting around yourself.

--
Christopher (AKA CJ)
Chaltain at Gmail

> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Curtis Chong via 
> NFBCS
> Sent: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 4:40 PM
> To: 'NFB in Computer Science Mailing List' <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Curtis Chong <chong.curtis at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [NFBCS] Getting Ready to Upgrade Computer
> 
> Hello Tina:
> 
> Regarding your upgrading to Windows 10, www.blindtraining.com does 
> offer text books which, I regret, may be more costly than you would like.
> Nevertheless, if there are no in-person training options available, 
> those textbooks may be your best (if not cheapest) choice here.
> 
> I have worked with a few folks on this kind of conversion, and I can 
> tell
you that
> from the user's perspective, there is not much difference between 
> Windows
10
> versus Windows 77. Yes, Windows Explorer is now called File Explorer, 
> and
you
> are well advised not to use Internet Explorer as your default browser 
> (I
prefer
> Chrome myself), but other than that, the great majority of keyboard
commands
> you may have already learned have not really changed.
> 
> I hope this helps point you in the right direction.
> 
> Cordially,
> 
> Curtis Chong
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tina Hansen via 
> NFBCS
> Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2020 2:58 PM
> To: nfbcs at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Tina Hansen <th404 at comcast.net>
> Subject: [NFBCS] Getting Ready to Upgrade Computer
> 
> My name is Tina Hansen, and I'm planning to upgrade my computer after 
> the new year.
> 
> I know it's bound to be Windows 10, and that I want a laptop. While 
> I'm
not a
> gamer, I do want a reasonably fast processor and a good amount of 
> memory
to
> ensure any access software, such as JAWS or NVDA can work effectively.
> 
> 
> 
> So what should I aim for? Also, how can I learn Windows 10 while 
> in-person trainings are on hold. And how might I learn Windows 10 in 
> general? What resources are available? Thanks.
> 
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