good luck finding it. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Will Lomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by theblind" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 11:36 AM Subject: Re: what we have to contend with:Fw: From today's Tech Update
it is like eloquence if i can use that with voice over superb where do i get it On 3 Nov 2008, at 15:08, David Poehlman wrote: > is it free? if not, it is one of the most horrible speach I have > ever heard > so I wouldn't purchase it. How well does it respond? > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "M AUSTEN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS > X by > theblind" <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 10:04 AM > Subject: Re: what we have to contend with:Fw: From today's Tech Update > > > Hi, > > If anyone is interested, IBM's ViaVioce has been for some time and > still > available for Mac. > > Mark > > > --- On Mon, 3/11/08, David Poehlman > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> From: David Poehlman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Subject: Re: what we have to contend with:Fw: From today's Tech >> Update >> To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac >> OS Xby >> the blind" <[email protected]> >> Date: Monday, 3 November, 2008, 2:22 PM >> 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. >>> >>> >>> > > > >
