Hi guys, I am also new to this list, I have written to the other list, and got quite a bit of help, but I would like to introduce myself and explain my situation and of course would like feedback and suggestions. I'm Ari, a politics student from South Africa. First, I'll say that I'm really not a computer wizzard, but I am always keen to learn new ways of doing things and technologies. My old laptop that I was using with JFW has eventually failed. Now I am really considering a Mac. My reasons are as follows: 1. I find it exciting that Apple have built the screen reader into the OS, and, from what I hear, it seems as if it's actually usable, unlike Narrator! 2. Obviously, taking this into account, I will not have to pay for the new PC, plus upgrading JFW. 3. I find it brilliant knowing that, if I know how to use it, I can go to any sighted person's Mac and work with it.
4. I also don't like the whole thing of Malware, Spyware, and all the hassles that come with Windows. I got very discouraged when I read this one article by a guy in Accessworld, it seemed to me as if he really didn't have anything good to say about VO and the Mac at all, but then when I did some more searching, I found an email written by someone who says that she uses her Mac without problems to do things such as Skype, Browsing, and even translating documents from French (for me this is interesting, since, because I'm also doing German, I'd like to know if there's a way of allowing the Mac to read my documents to me in a German voice?) Here is my sort of problem/question though. I don't know anyone with a Mac, so can't test it properly in my time or somehow learn it. I'm going on Saturday to the Apple shop, where I've told them I'd like to see the Mac with VO. My problem is that I think that I'm probably one of, if not the first blind person to whom they will be demonstrating it to, and I'm concerned that the sales person might not exactly know how to show how the Mac can work effectively for me, or somehow give me a propper taste of how I will find using the Mac. You guys might think my complaint a bit stupid, but you wouldn't believe the ignorance I've sometimes come across, example, one guy who has quite a bit of experience with computers was shocked to find that I didn't use the mouse like everyone else, it understandably sort of didn't come into his mind. I'd like to go to this shop and somehow be able to really make a propper judgment about VO and buying a Mac. Just to say, I'll also mainly be using the Mac for presenting my assignments, email, internet (I've heard that VO and Safari can't handle many web pages that people with Windows screen readers can, is this true?) and skype, but I'm hoping that, if I choose a Mac, I won't regret it somehow. Thanks and sorry for the long email Ari
