Guys, OK so here is my next observation working soly with I O S exclusively for this 1-day challenge.
This morning, the challenge has been forcing myself to check all of my e-mail from my IPad. I am not saying that I've never done e-mail from I O S before. Remember, I am a fairly advanced I O S user, however I'm honestly starting to wonder if I really am as advanced as I gave myself credit. I definitely feel very weird doing things totally on a mobile platform only. I think it's more that I know what I'm doing, but it's just a bit foreign to me, as I don't admittedly do this probably near as much as I should. Anyway, so e-mail... OK, realize that I'm basing this on doing things with the IPad, not with an IPod/IPhone. This said, I'm sure I'd run into some of the same hurtles. These things are definitely not show stoppers by any means, but it's just taking some time for me to really get used to. First off, I was under the impression that when using a bluetooth keyboard, which I am, I could use some of the same keystrokes that are built into Mail on the Mac. For example, When sitting on a message in my inbox, focused on the message list, I heard a message, something like, Unread, Christopher-Mark Gilland: This is a test. I also heard Voiceover tell me that actions were available within my actions rotor. I totally understand that I could have pressed my down arrow key to move through these actions, however, I was under the impression that if I was to simply just hit my delete key, I then could delete that message with basically one keystroke. Lamentably, this didn't work. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the fact that I'm using IMap with GMail, but I seriously doubt it. I don't think I was in my GMail mailbox. To the best of my knowledge, I was in my unified inbox. Finally, I found a message that I needed to read. I pressed both my up and down arrow keys together to perform a double tap on the item. I admit I was very impressed that even though the IPad uses a split screen, and therefore the message list virtically stays on the left side of the screen, Voiceover was smart enough to move my immediate focus to the content of the message I'd just double tapped on. I was then able to use quick nav and simply left and right arrow through the message, as if I was flicking through the screen to read its content. I was blown away at how well things worked on that front! Now came my next, "Huh?" moment. I went to reply to the message. I was hoping, though on a mobile platform, not OSX, that Apple would have implemented some keyboard hotkeys for us bluetooth users. I therefore just out of a hunch tried hitting command+R. Well, um, duh. That kind a didn't work, darn! So I went to the place where I logically thought the reply icon would be located... below the message. I then discovered it actually wasn't down there, but instead, unlike on the IPhone, is up at the top of the screen right above the message content. So, yeah, that was a little bit confusing. Further, I tried composing a new message from scratch. This proved to be extremely confusing! I started by pressing command+N. I really hoped that at the very least would work. Well, no dice. It didn't. Oh well. So, I hit ctrl+Up arrow to move my focus to the top of the screen. I then used my right arrow key to systematically move through the screen and locate the compose button. You know... while I'm sitting here writing this, I'm having a major no duh, Shirlock, moment. Wy the hell did I not just use the damn item chooser list? Who's the real advanced VO user now!? LOL! God I feel stupid! Anyway, try as I may, I couldn't find the compose button. I knew it was there, but no matter what, Voiceover wouldn't see it. This took me on quite a wild goose chase for about 5 minutes. Finally it occured to me that the unified inbox was opened in a popup window. So, I touched my screen outside its bounderies, and then heard, "Double tap to dismiss." I did this and the message list went away. As this point, I was then able to find the compose button with no issue. Man was that confusing though! Anyway, I got my e-mail typed, and went to send it. I tried command+Shift+D, but it didn't work. I understand you all may say, "Chris, this isn't a mac. You can't expect the keyboard commands to be identical." I know that. I just simply was hoping that maybe some of the same keystrokes were integraded. Sadly, they're not though. OK, now I will confess one thing. I know I probably shouldn't admit this publicly, but I am running the I O S 9 beta. I'm not sure if maybe they broke these keystrokes, but, somehow I doubt it. I vaguely remember being able to do them in the past, but maybe I only dreamt I could. Sometimes, I miss my mind. LOL! Over all, I think Mail works fantastically, but it would definitely be nice to see Apple include some of these sshortcuts. I think it would make people's lives a bit easier. For one thing, it would be way less VOing around the screen. Over all though, I was able to successfully check and send mail, though not with the most ease, I think given some time and practice, I could actually grow to really really like doing so from the IPad/IPhone. If anyone has any tips maybe that they could provide for an IPad user checking Mail, then please do let me know. I'm open for suggestions. Have a terriffic day. sent from my iPad -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. 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