Eleni, you'll need to set up your keyboard back to using the F2, etc. keys with their VoiceOver (software) functions instead of their hardware functions. I'm going to paste in instructions I recently sent a new user. Also, this does sound like you have Snow Leopard (which I'm not running), since they did away with the links chooser menu. Use item chooser menu instead (you can type in "links" to have it search for links). To check the version of the operating system, do VO-M to navigate to the Apple menu on the menu bar and arrow down to "About this Mac". This should tell you your operating system, e.g., "Version 10.6.2". Use Command-W to close the window. You're going to have to read through the older archive threads about suggestions for setting up your Mac. (Some recent messages are available.) Also, to handle your "Safari, busy" messages, try downloading and installing the input plug-in, ClickToFlash:
http://rentzsch.github.com/clicktoflash/ I'll post separately about this later, but you can read up about this in the TidBITS article: http://db.tidbits.com/article/10303 ("ClickToFlash Spiffs the Safari Experience" by Matt Neuburg, 28 May 2009) Basically, I think that you're visiting a lot of sites that make heavy use Adobe flash, and that's dragging down Safari's performance. That's why other people, even with similar machine configuration, aren't seeing the same performance issues. The plug-in should keep flash content from even loading until/unless you select it. In the meantime, here are the instructions for setting your keyboard back to what you expect: To sort things out so that VO-F5 starts up VoiceOver, you need to set up your Keyboard to let you use the Function keys (without pressing Fn): 1. Press Control-Option-M (also referred to as "VO-M" with the shortcut notation of "VO" to mean holding down the VoiceOver Control and Option keys) to move to the Menu bar. You'll be on the "Apple" menu and will hear "Menu bar Apple". 2. Press your down arrow to enter the menu (on a MacBook "down arrow" is the bottom center key in the "inverted T" of arrow keys at the bottom right of your keyboard; "up arrow" is above it; right and left arrows are to the right and left.) 3. Press "s y" quickly (typing the first few letters of an option lets you go there quickly; you could also use your down arrow key to move through the menu) to go to "System Preferences…" and then press enter 4. When the System Preferences window comes up, press your tab key to move through the entries until you reach "Keyboard & Mouse", which will be announced as a button. To press the button use VO-space (i.e. press the Control, Option, and space bar keys simultaneously). The VO- space combination "performs the default action" -- pressing a button, activating a link, checking or unchecking a checkbox, etc. depending on context. 5. Navigate with VO-Right arrow (Control-Option-Right arrow) to the "Keyboard" tab and press it (VO-Space). 6. Navigate with VO-Right arrow through the settings until you hear "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys unchecked check box". Check this box with VO-Space. If you navigate to the next line with VO-Right arrow you'll hear "When this option is selected, press the Fn key to use the special features printed on each key." This means that the VoiceOver software functions will be used when you press a function key like F8 or F7 without your having to press the Fn key, too. 7. Close the Keyboard & Mouse window with VO-W (Control-Option-W). HTH Cheers, Esther Tiffany D wrote: > Well, I finally got my Mac back and working. I'm using it until I > get my netback back and then I'll decide whether to give it to Mom or > keep it for myself. They wiped everything and did a full install. > I'm pretty sure they upgraded me to Snow Leopard, cause some things > work differently. For instance, I can't use VO-f2 to switch between > windows, VO-U doesn't do a link list and I can't use the regular > short-cut to get into VoiceOver. How do I get around these and is > there anything else I should know? How do I check to make sure I > really am running Snow Leopard and not an updated version of Leopard? > I also notice that sometimes, when I'm writing something, Text Edit > will automatically change the spelling of certain words and I can't > get them to stay the way I write them no matter what I do. For > example, it keeps putting s i p when I write i s p. I'm also getting > that Safari busy message and it's driving me crazy and when I'm > certain sites (so far only zonebbs.com) I keep getting "leaving table" > when trying to tab between links. I turned announcement of tables and > headings off, so what's going on? > > On a much less annoying note, I got Safari to highlight links when I > hit tab, but the Youtube, Wikipedia, Google popular and news links are > still there. These are actually pretty cool, since I can just go to > them or other sites like Ebay and Facebook without having to type in > the url. Can I add rss feeds to the news category and remove ones > there and can I add links to the popular category? I also like how I > can switch voices on the fly and some of the new options in VO are > nice. At any rate, thanks to all of you for your patience and all the > wonderful help. I really appreciate it, especially since I tended to > rant alot in this thread. > > Later, > Eleni > > > On 29/12/2009, Alex Jurgensen <[email protected]> wrote: >> Hi, >> >> You need sighted help for diagnostics. >> >> rEgards, >> Alex, >> >> >> Alex Jurgensen, >> AWEBSIGHT Administrator, >> ICE Customer Care, >> VoiceOver Trainer, >> [email protected] >> >> Visit us on the web at: http://www.visionmail.uni.cc/ >> >> On 2009-12-29, at 10:24 AM, Tiffany D wrote: >> >>> My last message went offlist cause GMail puts all messages in the >>> same >>> subject into one thread, regardless of whether an individual or a >>> group responds and then, like an idiot, I sent the next to gmail >>> instead of Google Groups. Anyway, I tried safe mode. I hit shift >>> as >>> soon as >>> the tone stopped and heard the machine restart itself soon >>> afterword, >>> so figured I did it right. I waited for almost an hour, just to >>> insure that it was finished, and then turned it off. But when I >>> rebooted and tried command-f5, I got the same result as before, with >>> and without headphones. We'll probably reschedule the appointment >>> with Apple for Tuesday, for transportation reasons, so maybe Mom >>> and I >>> can work on it and I can try either safe mode or booting from the >>> Leopard dvd. But last time, she said that she just saw an apple >>> going >>> around and then a blank screen. No matter what key I hit, it did >>> nothing. Any last minute suggestions would be great, but we're >>> heading to the Apple store in a bit to let them take care of this >>> mess >>> and give me a different computer. >>> >>> >>> On 21/12/2009, Eleni Vamvakari <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> So the Mac quit on me again, no more than two weeks after I got it >>>> back from Apple. I was trying to use that converter program and it >>>> just sat there and did nothing, as I've said in another post. >>>> Then, >>>> it just disappeared. One minute it was open and the next it was >>>> gone. >>>> When I reloaded it, I couldn't get into it's menus. I could only >>>> get >>>> into the Apple and other menus by hitting VO-m twice. Now I was >>>> really annoyed, so I did two bad things. First, I pounded my >>>> hand on >>>> the computer and second, I shut it off with the power button >>>> instead >>>> of going through the normal shut-down process. As a result, the >>>> hyphin key came up a little (don't ask how, since I wasn't anywhere >>>> near it) and when I turned it back on, I got no speech. No matter >>>> what I did, I couldn't get VoiceOver to start. >>>> >>>> Two days ago, Mom came up to try to help me but with no success. >>>> When she turned it on, she only saw an apple going around and >>>> around >>>> and then a blank screen. We tried the tech tool cd but when we >>>> put it >>>> in, nothing happened. So we tried the Leopard installation disk. >>>> This time, the cd drive made a bit of a strange sound (sort of >>>> like a >>>> buzzing) but did nothing else either good or bad. I heard the >>>> drive >>>> sound getting louder, as it usually does and then it went quiet. >>>> Yesterday, I hooked up the external keyboard but that didn't work >>>> either. The machine turns on, makes the start-up sound and I >>>> know the >>>> hard disk is doing something, But I can't get it to talk. If >>>> anyone >>>> can offer me a suggestion as to what I can do, I'd sincerely >>>> appreciate it. >>>> >>>> In the meantime, we called Apple. They said they'd give us a >>>> refirbished model, but now I have to wait for someone to bring me >>>> and/or it to the store. I know that I misused the Mac but it still >>>> shouldn't be acting like this. It's not like I spilled a whole >>>> cup of >>>> coffee in the keyboard and threw it out the window. I seriously >>>> can't >>>> take this anymore. Yes, Leopard does have some advantages over >>>> Windows. But what is the advantage of having a $2,000 machine >>>> when it >>>> always breaks down and when a cheaper one works just as well? My >>>> AppleCare is about to expire, and when it does, I can't keep >>>> shelling >>>> out money every time this thing decides to break down. >>>> >>>> Anyway, I asked a friend about how I can save my files and get them >>>> off of there and he suggested I hook up my Mac and the household >>>> Mac >>>> via a fire wire connection and use Migration Assistant. How does >>>> that >>>> work? I can't ask Joanie, cause she barely uses it and only for >>>> very >>>> basic things, and Mom's just learning how to use a computer. >>>> Please, >>>> can anyone help me so that I don't mess up the other machine? >>>> Can I >>>> transfer files to a cd or usb stick with this program and is it >>>> possible for me to delete the ones off of my machine with it? Btw, >>>> I've never used Time Machine, if that's required to use Migration >>>> Assistant. >>>> >>>> Thanks, >>>> Eleni -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en.
