Hi Ari. I do a Mac related podcast with my girlfriend Holly called
the screenless switchers podcast. This isn't the one that Anne was
featured on, but you're welcome to check it out. It's web site is www.screenlessswitchers.com
.
Episodes don't come out nearly as often as they should, but I think
there are about ten of them up there.
Darcy
On 12-Apr-07, at 5:33 PM, Ari wrote:
Hi Anne,
I think it was you, it was actually a forwarded email I found at a
list called blind-l or something. I never new there is a podcast
dealing with the mac and VO, where do I find these? Are they like
tutorials or something? Maybe if I listen to a few it would give me
a better idea of the Mac.
Thanks
Ari
----- Original Message ----- From: "Anne Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS
X by theblind" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2007 11:20 PM
Subject: Re: Hi
Hello Ari,
I think I must be the person you found praising the Mac. Was it the
podcast on the Assistiveware site?
Recently, things have got even better as iTunes is now accessible.
VisioVoice is a very worthwhile purchase if you are working with
other languages besides English, I'd be lost without it now.
Anyhow, welcome to the list and I hope you decide to buy a Mac:
you won't regret it.
Cheers,
Anne
On Apr 12, 2007, at 8:31 PM, Ari wrote:
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
