Jacob, This is excellent I was scratching my head to come up with just that.
I would ad that I usually set asside the screen reader issue and focus on the strengths of the os including the fact that it talks out of the box and can be installed with no sighted assistance what so ever. I tell people up front that the interface through voiceover is directly to the operating sstem. I don't tell people I like vo over jaws or windo eyes, I tell them I prefer a Mac to a PC or the Mac os to windows. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jacob Schmude" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by theblind" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:02 AM Subject: Re: Mac and VoiceOver 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 >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> nabs-l mailing list >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l >>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info >>>> for >>> nabs-l: >>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l/chriswright11%40verizon.net > > >>>> -- >>>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>>> Checked by AVG. >>>> Version: 7.5.526 / Virus Database: 270.7.1/1687 - Release Date: >>>> 9/23/08 >>> 6:32 PM > > > > > > > -- > /Krister > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Get pgp keys here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >
