Will it even read your browser? Like, if I wanted to say browse and play
the Beatles... would it tell me my browser as I scroll to find that artist?
Also does it speak right up front, or do I have to actually get sighted help
initially to turn the speech on.
Chris.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Esther" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: "blind" <[email protected]>; <General>
Sent: Friday, September 12, 2008 9:02 AM
Subject: Re: 4g ipod nano absolutely brilliant
Hi Scott,
the new ipod nano 4g is better then I had expected.
The menus talk not all of them but the ones we need do actually speak.
There's no clipping the speech sounds brilliant and it just keeps up
with you when you move your finger around the click wheel.
It's absolutely fantastic a couple of issues i'm reporting to apple such
as no way of obtiining battery status info but other then this totally
usable.
it's hard getting used to the click wheel but after you have all heard
my presentation, you'll all want to disguard your ipods for a 4g nano
guaranteed.
i'm really very very impressed and i think we'll have more ipod users
before we no it.
OK, I couldn't resist when I found my local Apple Store had these in. I
agree the 4G nano is really nice. (But I don't want to discard my 2G nano
at all!). The iPod even announces "Charging" and "Charged". It
announces almost all the menus (except for the "extras" and some of the
"settings" (the summary status of your space usage that you get when
connected to the iPod isn't spoken, nor are time settings or other
peripheral items that interactively change -- you get status on clickers
and font size for low-vision users, but you don't get information on
backlight adjustment, for example). This also means that you get
equalzer access, but you have to choose among the equalizer presets. You
also can't interactively configure the menu displays by deciding to
eliminate categories, for example.
However, Scott's right that in what you want to hear the menu design is
beautifully done. If you've used the click wheel before you probably
won't have problems. Some of the functions I'm used to having on the
click wheel have been passed to other menus. For example, in audiobooks
and podcasts, I was used to changing speed (if I used this) by additional
clicks on the center of the wheel. This function is now settable only in
the Playback submenu under settings, not in the individual audiobook or
podcast tracks.
There are a few pointers that would help in the original set up -- for
example, I didn't know how long the first sync would take, and moving
focus to the iTunes player status menu (VO-up arrow twice from the songs
list region or, in this case, where the iPod setup information is)
helped, if you move your VoiceOver cursor off and on this field to
update.
You also need to know that once you've connected your iPod you have to
VO-right arrow twice to the registration field (which is perfectly
accessible, provided you know it's there).
Also, before the iPod starts talking, you have to choose your language,
and these aren't spoken. The top of the list (your default position) is
U.S. English. (There appears to be a UK English setting as the second
item, according to my reading on the web. This is new, but I have no
idea what difference it makes.). So just click the center of the wheel
after making sure you're at the top of the list (counter clockwise top
position). At that point you will hear Alex announce the top level menu
(Music, Videos, Photos, Podcasts, Extras, Settings, Shuffle Songs).
After that, you're golden.
Cheers,
Esther
