Hi Robert and Christina,

The problem of where the flash-based Audible sample player controls are is a 
moving target.  At present, what works for me (on a MacBook running Leopard) to 
play samples is the following:

1. I check the entry under the Mouse & Trackpad tab of the Universal Access 
menu under System Preferences so that I can turn Mouse Keys on or off by 
pressing the Option key 5 times quickly in succession. I also check the box to 
show the Universal Access menu in the status bar (so I can check whether I've 
really turned Mouse Keys on or off)

2. At the audible.com (U.S.) site, after running a search, I use item chooser 
menu to find the Search Results heading and start examining results from there

3. When I move past the link for the audiobook and come to the word "Sample", I 
route my mouse cursor to my VoiceOver cursor (VO-Command-F5), turn cursor 
tracking off (VO-Shift-F3), turn mouse keys on (by pressing the option key 5 
times), and use mouse keys to move my cursor 50 screen pixels to the right. 
(Since I'm using a MacBook laptop, that means I press the "o" key 50 times.  
Someone using a full keyboard would press the "6" key on a numeric keypad 
instead.)  Then I click my trackpad button to play the sample, and click it 
again to stop playing the sample.  (Someone with a full keyboard and NumPad 
Commander activated could just press the "5" key on a numeric keypad, I think; 
otherwise, press a mouse button).

4. If I want to hear other samples I continue to navigate to entries for other 
books, route my mouse cursor to my VoiceOver cursor (VO-Command-F5) when I come 
to "Sample", and then press the mouse key for moving right 50 times again, then 
click my trackpad button to pause and play.  I go down the page, and when I'm 
finished listening to results, I turn mouse keys off again (by pressing the 
option key 5 times) and I turn cursor tracking back on (VO-Shift-F3).

You can also something similar on the individual book pages, but the spacing 
between "Sample" and the player controls is larger -- maybe 57 or 58 pixels, 
but I just use 60.  I find it easier to play the samples in the search results 
page and go down in sequence.

Cursor tracking gets turned off so you can move your mouse cursor around freely 
to locations VoiceOver can't navigate to.  This number of pixels you move to 
the right may vary according to your screen resolution and magnification 
setting, but you can just move to the right with mouse keys in groups of 10 and 
try clicking with your trackpad or mouse (or pressing the "5" key on a numeric 
keypad with NumPad Commander turned on in Leopard and above) until you hear 
something turn on.  One clue that you're near the right location is that VO-I 
brings ups a menu for the flash player, but I can't use this to play, and it 
shows up for a larger region than responds to a trackpad click.

Alternatively, you could do as Christina suggests and go to the iTunes Store.  
However, Audible does have more extensive selection and the samples, when you 
can play them, are much longer.


HTH

Cheers,

Esther

Christina wrote:
>
>It's been a long time since I've been to audible for that exact  
>reason.  There is a way via navigating to a certain spot, then routing  
>the mouse pointer to teh voice over cursor, then moving the pointer  
>just a certain way.  I did not like that solution and was  
>unsuccessful.  I can't remember for sure but I think there are some  
>instructions in the maccessibility website.  Maybe it's under the  
>quick tips, but I can't remember and can be wrong.
>
>Having said all that I just use itines to hear samples, it's much much  
>easier for me.  Itunes have quite a few books that are available on  
>audible.
>
>Good luck,
>Christina
>On Oct 7, 2009, Robert Carter wrote:
>
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Has anybody figured out a way to get samples of books from audible  
>> dot com to play? I am using  Snow Leopard and VoiceOver. I hear the  
>> word sample but don't see any link to activate.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Robert Carter
>>
>> >
>

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