Greg hints at something you cannot do with a windows system that you can do with a Mac. You don't have to rely on the Mac os to do everything if you cannot find a solution such as multitracking for instance, you can use windows either through virtuallization or bootcamp and run that windows app. While this is partly achievable with a windows pc, it is not nearly as functional or effective and yes, you can multiboot with windows machines, you just can't run Mac os on them or at least not legally or easily.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Greg Kearney" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by theblind" <[email protected]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 4:39 PM Subject: Re: [BCT] Mac tutorials I'll take a shot at some of this: Please see my notes below: Greg Kearney 535 S. Jackson St. Casper, Wyoming 82601 307-224-4022 [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Apr 24, 2008, at 10:06 AM, David Poehlman wrote: > > > > Rick, > > I agree with you. I think that the fact that VoiceOver is imbedded > into the > Mac OS is a terrific thing, but I have yet to hear a podcast that > demonstrates that the accessibility offered in VoiceOver is at least > equal > to one of the major Windows screen readers like WindowEyes or JFW. > > I don't want to diminish the value of having a screen reader as an > integral > part of the operating system. This is huge, but I have yet to see > anyone > demonstrate that the great access we have to things like the web, > spreadsheets, and applications we use on a daily basis like Skype, > Messenger, and the list goes on, is at least equal to what we have in > Windows. > > By access, I don't mean simply that it talks and reads the screens. > I mean > things like can you go to a web page and jump directly to the third > button > on the page? Can you go directly to the third form. Can you bring > up a > list of forms or edit fields in a list so you can choose the one you > want to > jump to directly? Can you set markers on either a per page or > domain level? While we do not have the notion of jumping to the third item on a page, and unless you knew the page very well I'm not sure what good that would do. We do have both a URL and item chooser menus for pages which provide that kind of navigation. > > > Can you open a word document with tables and comfortably read > through those > tables in a meaningful way? I have not had any particular difficulties reading tables in TextEdit the Mac's built in word processor which is file compatible with MS Word. > > > Can you open up a spreadsheet and define monitored cells that will > automatically speak their value when they change whether they are > visible on > the screen or not? The only accessible spreadsheet application is Table you could make a cell a hot spot and then have it read each time it is changed. Hot spots are available system wide. > > > Can you read mail in Outlook or equivalent email client in html or > text and > have it automatically read the message for you when opened? Yes our email program is called Mail and you can set it up to read each mail message as it is opened. > > > Do you have the same level of access to your multi-track recording > software > as Windows users have to Sonar? > > > Do you have an equivalent solution for scanning and reading to > K1000, or > OpenBook? There is K3000 it is expensive but it can be used with VoiceOver just as K1000 is. I would like to see a Mac version of K1000 myself. In addition it is possibnle to run K1000 in a mac with VMfusion and no Window's screen reader. > > > Do you have an FTP client that is as accessible as FTP Voyager, or > FileZilla? yes both Transmit and CyberDuck are fully VoiceOver compatible FTP clients. > > > The list could go on and on, but I think these are the sort of > questions > Windows users would like to see answered in a straight forward and > honest > way. These questions are not meant to be confrontational in any > way. They > are just examples of the sort of things I would want to know if > someone were > to do a podcast on VoiceOver. > > Honestly speaking, the few podcasts I have heard were cool, and it was > awesome to see an OS have a better solution than narrator, but the > sort of > access I witnessed, and the amount of maneuvering folks had to do to > get > something's done, to me at least, seemed like Windows access a few > years > ago. > > I know VoiceOver is still a baby compared to the Windows screen > readers and > if development continues, could some day catch up to them, but so > far, from > what I have heard and seen in podcasts, it does have a long way to > go. I am > not saying it won't get there but for someone to say access is now > equal > with VoiceOver is still a stretch. Of course I would love to see > development continue by Apple and some day be able to say that I can > switch > to a Mac if I want to and not miss a thing in terms of accessibility. > > Hopefully, someone will do a podcast that will prove me wrong. > > > > Warmest regards, > > Rick Alfaro > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rick Harmon > Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 1:54 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [BCT] Mac tutorials > > Ok all you mac users. I've been asking for several months now for mac > tutorials demonstrating lepard, voice over and programs on the mac. > No one > has stepped foward. > > So here's your chance to show how voice over shines. Let me know if > anyone > is interested in contributing. > > Rick > > -- > Visit my webpage and podcast feed at: > http://www.blind-geek-zone.net > and my web Blog at: > http://blind-geek-zone.blogspot.com/ > > Join the BGZ mailing list by sending a blank email message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > and reply to the confirmation msg. > > Contact info: > Email - [EMAIL PROTECTED] & [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Skype - rharmon928 > MSN - [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _______________________________________________ > BCT mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://lists.blind-planet.com/listinfo.cgi/bct-blind-planet.com > > _______________________________________________ > BCT mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://lists.blind-planet.com/listinfo.cgi/bct-blind-planet.com > > >
