Though it is not always mentioned, when the os is updated, something about vo gets updated as well because there is so much in the os that is reflected in vo.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Dan Eickmeier" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by theblind" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 11:43 PM Subject: Re: what we have to contend with:Fw: From today's Tech Update I agree with what people have said here about the mac and voiceover. You spend the money on a mac, you get VoiceOver, and as the OS is updated, Voiceover may get updated as well. No haveing to pay every couple of years to maintain a JAWS or window-eyes SMA,and if the oS gets updated, no waiting for updates to the screen reader either. On Nov 2, 2008, at 3:02 PM, David Poehlman wrote: > > ----- 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. > > >
