Hi Jacob. You have put it better than I did. Thanks.
Randy
On Sep 25, 2008, at 7:02 AM, Jacob Schmude wrote:
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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