Here's the deal with the edit boxes. They look like paragraphs. In a
word processor you just keep writing and the text automaticly wraps.
When you want to start a new paragraph you hit the return key, which
also creates a new edit box.
On Nov 6, 2008, at 8:16 AM, Chris Gilland wrote:
O, ok. So if that doesn't read, might I ask how people like
yourself figure these kind a things out? Do yall usually get
sighted help to look at things? Tell me your tricks!
Chris.
----- 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: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 7:28 PM
Subject: Re: My initial thoughts on Open Office
Hi Chris
Agreed on every count, except the preferences dialog. This is in
fact not obvious, and is not truly accessible, but there are quite
a few tabs. What you do is tab to the ok button. Tab, then shift-
tab. You should be on a control that says nothing, this is a
control that will not read and VO will not see. You can arrow up
and down to get to the different preference tabs, using vo+f2 to
check the window title which will reveal which tab you are on. The
options in each tab are accessible, but the tab list or category
table, or whatever it is, is not.
On Nov 5, 2008, at 18:36, Chris Gilland wrote:
OK, I cannot really vouch for the whole suite. I only have so
far, played with Writer, but I wanted to give my first initial
thoughts.
1. I must say, when the application comes up, I was shocked at
how long it took to load. I think it took maybe half a minute to
a minute. I dono if that's cause I'm only running 800mhz or
what. So, I really can't make a fair complaint there, as I dono
if OO is to blame for that. My guess is, probably that they're not.
2. Upon the first look of the Writer screen, just voing around,
I was very! very very impressed. Not quite, but almost
everything read. There were a few things here and there that I
wasn't really totally sure about. I didn't vo H on them though,
as it's not that they are not labeled, it's just I don't really
know what they are used for, or do. So, I'll rtfm on those.
Really, they're probably things I'll never use though anyway.
3. I noticed that some of the menu buttons in the two toolbars
at the top, didn't seem to drop down when I hit vo space on
them. Neither did they seem to do anything when I rooted my
mouse and then did vo shift space to click. I've not tried vo
shift m yet as that just occured to me right before typing this
mail. So, that actually might work.
4. The edit areas on the main writer screen are disgusting in my
opinion. I can't for the life of me figure out what they are.
There's about 4 or 5 of them that I am seeing.
I also am noticing, that if I have a file that has multiple lines
of text, which 99.99 percent of files do, I'm finding it's for
some really peculiar reason, putting each line as a seperet
item. meaning, I can actually vo left and right, and hear each
line seperetly by item. Now that! is annoying! Command up arrow
does not seem either to be taking me to the toppa the file.
5. I don't like the fact that I am a low vision user, and there
is no zoom option in the window menu. This means the only way
to maximise the application where it takes the whole screen is
to either resize the window, or, spend a few minutes looking
through the menus only then, to find that command F will give you
full screen. I just don't like the fact that that option wasn't
more obvious.
6. I went into the preferences. I was quite disappointed that
there is only one tab, and that one tab hardly is worth
anything. All it has is like, your name, your e-mail address,
your phone number, etc. There is really no customization.
7. The fact that I could not apply certain formatting very
obviously and easily really ticks me off. I'm sure it can be
done, but, I've not found any way. For instance, like I said
before, creating tables and then entering data into them, seems a
royal pain in the behaunkus. Furthermore, I want the ability to
change accessibily the color of the font text, as well as change
the document's background color.
I've not found either how to do that.
8. Conclusion: I think at least that Writer, is o, Kayyy. I
think it still however needs a ton of work. It's a real good
first try/ start, but, there are just enough annoyances to really
drive me insane. Does this mean I am giving up? Absolutely
not! If someone can work with me, and show me how to do, and how
to get around these things that are confusing me, I'd be more
than happy to give them a chance to do so. Do I think this is a
bad product? Again: Absolutely? not! I think it actually, is
extremely promising. I think it has fantastic potential, but
there are just so many kinks right now, that I really don't think
I'd use it as my primary editer. I'm not very good at editing
things on a Mac, anyway, in general, but, I'd like to get better
at it, that's for sure.
Chris.
