----- Original Message ----- From: "Gene" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 10:50 AM Subject: Re: From today's Tech Update
I can think of one good reason to continue with Windows or perhaps two even if everything else is equal. the first reason is a matter of preference but many users may find it compelling. Consider speech. As far as I know, Eloquence, Via Voice and Dectalk are not available for Macs. I've heard the new synthesizer Mac has added and I am not impressed. It has the same problems I've heard with all of the newer type of synthesizers, incorrect inflections and more words pronounced oddly or slurred than I find acceptable. According to the promotional material, the synthesizer also simulates breathing before long passages. I don't want a synthesizer to pretend to breathe. I want it to read during the time it is designed to pretend to breathe and not waste my time. The new Mac synthesizer may be as responsive as Apple claims, I have no way to know since I heard a recording of it and didn't use it. However, many blind people may very much want to continue to use the speech they currently use in Windows or when upgrading to a g u i operating system from something else. What about hardware synthesizers such as Double Talk or Tripple Talk that blind people may want to use. Do they loose access to them if they use a Mac? The second reason is one Mike mentioned. I am not saying this is or is not the case. As with Mike, I pose the question but in a different way. I currently use four screen-readers. I usually use JAWS but I have a Window-eyes demo on my machine, NVDA, and I use System Access to Go when it does something better than the other screen-readers. Since I haven't used Macs, I can't evaluate this but the question arises as to whether having access to so many options provides better access to certain programs or to certain web sites. There are times when I get markedly better access to a web site using something other than JAWS and times when JAWS provides the best access. There are times when a feature in JAWS gives me more convenient access to some aspect of a program. As with Mike, I am skeptical that development of a screen-reader facing no competition will equal development when there is meaningful competition. Also, I question whether any single screen-reader can possibly deal as well with a large number of programs as having different screen-readers with different characteristics and variations of features. Isn't it interesting how many people complain about Microsoft being a monopoly yet they are not the least bit bothered by the fact that there is literally only one screen-reader for the Mac? This is inconsistent. I'm not advocating that anyone use any particular operating system. I have consistently said that people should use what meets their needs and what they like. But I am not convinced that using Windows doesn't have advantages. Using a Mac may have advantages but that doesn't mean that Windows may not have advantages not found in the Mac. It's unfortunate that so many Mac users discuss the Mac with missionary zeal and religious fervor. It lowers their credibility. I don't see Windows users doing the same thing. Whenever anyone is too fanatical about anything, I become suspicious. Gene ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jude DaShiell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 9:23 AM Subject: Re: From today's Tech Update > Apple has lots of user's groups in existence and not everybody who uses > one of Apple's computers is connected with one of those groups or attends > meetings regularly to their cost. Also not every Apple user knows about > http://www.macupdate.com/ or http://www.versiontracker.com/ either. The > windows users could even come up with more software too if they camped out > on http://www.versiontracker.com/ too because that site offers software > links and information for both sets of operating systems. By now we all > of us know about the mac accessibility email lists which is more than many > sighted people know. Those same sighted people who use mac's can use the > same software those of us who use VoiceOver use because VoiceOver works > the way it does. So sighted users can use unison as well as I can. That's > an accessible newsgroup reader that works with VoiceOver but not all mac > software does yet. As to the complaint about mac's and viruses, rest > assured Apple and those in the user's groups keep current with actual > threats and all of them know it's only a matter of time until those > threats become actual viruses. But here's something to think about for > now. One of the computer publications did a poll of security > professionals and learned that when those security professionals have to > do their work given a choice of a windows machine or a mac, the mac would > be their machine of choice. One more thing to keep in mind, Snow Leopard > will fix the problems Apple found after Leopard got released and some of > those will be security optimizations. So Apple isn't standing still > either. So long as Apple continues offering better operating systems than > Vista and I'm alive I see no reason to spend money on windows.
