Hi
I don't really think the issue is that a lot of people don't know why
they like the Mac and Voiceover. Rather, it can be hard to relate it
in terms that non-VO users will fully comprehend. I do not demean the
Windows croud, but VO's concepts are different and don't always
translate well to them. It's almost like translating English idioms to
German--you can get the literal meaning of the words across, but the
concept behind the words is sometimes lost. Advocacy is further
hampered by the misinformation that has been spread around, as well as
many people's attitudes toward anything that is different--i.e. if it
doesn't work like what I already have then it must not be as good.
For the record, here is what I try to stress when someone asks me why
I like Voiceover so much:
1. It is streamlined. If you learn just a few commands, they apply to
everything you do, whether writing documents, browsing the web, or
writing thenext big software program. No matter what, VO's commands
stay the same for you and you can count on them.
2. Interaction. Unlike most of the Windows screen readers out there,
VO doesn't present the computer in an alternate way. As much as
possible, the interface you see with VO is the same interface that a
sighted person sees when they use the computer. While not important to
everyone, if you do need or want a close approximation of the visual
layout then VO acomodates you. This ties in with the idea that each
application doesn't have a separate set file or script, they're simply
not needed. The kind of hacks that we had to do in Windows to make
programs work become irrelevant once you learn basic navigation
commands. Voiceover is the tool to help you use your computer, not
another program you have to become very familiar with.
3. Availability and stability. VO is, of course, built right into the
operating system at the basic GUI level. The advantages of this are
already understood. However, Voiceover is incredibly resillient--if it
does happen to crash, it restarts itself. You are never left without
speech just because your screen reader conked out at the worst
possible time.
4. Excellent keyboard support. While Voiceover certainly is
impressive, the level of keyboard support in the operating system is
as well. Most key commands are standardized, far beyond the simple
open/save/cut/copy/paste keystrokes. In addition, you can give key
shortcuts to commands that you use frequently (even if there is no
default shortcut for that command), saving you time and making you
more efficient.
Those seem to be the points that get people interested. Really though,
the best way to advocate it is to explain a bit and then let them have
a go on a Mac. You can't reach everyone, however, and some people just
don't like change. Unfortunately, jaws is all a lot of people know and
they will be apprehensive about something new. Many blind people think
that jaws is the only screen reader, period. It's frustrating, but the
only way that will be corrected is by educating those who want to know
what else is out there. That being said, VO and Jaws work on a
completely different set of concepts, and it is very much like
comparing apples to oranges, no pun intended. Something equally
important is that Apple is doing a lot for accessibility in recent
years. I think it's important to show them a positive response, as so
far they've delivered amazing results in a relatively short amount of
time.
Well, there's my long-winded take on it.
On Sep 25, 2008, at 03:34, Krister Ekstrom wrote:
Hi Randy,
I'm sorry but i have to ask this, not to start a flame war here even
if the question could seem provoking to people. I'm asking this
because i myself want arguments to toss at people who are used to
the jaws/we concept of things.
Exactly in what way is Voiceover better than the big dragons out
there?
Yes it's built into the os thereby eluminating costs which is good.
There are no scripts, which people i've talked to find strange,
because they want to be able to customize non-standard areas of the
screen such as in sound editing.
Yes, web page navigation is in some parts far superior on the mac,
whether it depends on the os and/or anything else i don't know, but
what else? Sometimes i have the feeling that we praise our beloved
macs and rightly so, but when people ask why, we don't quite have
answers, heck i have no answers sometimes which is why i ask.
Again, please forgive me for asking this, but i have to know if i'm
going to be advocating the Mac, which i will.
Off my soap box and on to my local apple store to get myself an
Imac! Yay!
On, at [GMT] (which was 18:41 where I live) you
wrote::
RS> Still a toy? Expletive deleted! This makes me puke! Jaws
RS> standards! 12 hundred dollars! Not likely! I love my Mac!
RS> VoiceOver rules!
RS> Randy
RS> On Sep 24, 2008, at 12:11 PM, Chris Wright wrote:
Forwarded from another list.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brice Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 10:54 PM
Subject: [nabs-l] Mac and VoiceOver
I'm considering buying a macbook and am looking for opinions on its
usability for a totally blind user. I realize that Mac OS has a
built-in screen reader, but quick google searches aren't providing
much more information than the fact that VoiceOver exists and
that it
seems to be a fairly impressive product. This is fine, but I'd like
more detail on it's day-to-day usage, preferably from users or
students who have made the switch from Windows and Jaws to using a
macbook for their everyday computer use. All in all, what I'm
trying
to figure out is If it's worth seriously considering and making a
switch, Or is it still a toy, impressive but still not up to Jaws
and
windows standards? Feel free to write me on or off list with any
comments or thoughts.
- Brice
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