That's interesting. I was under the impression that ardic had invented the idea of the virtual buffer system. at least, I saw it in winvision first, and remember the manual was pretty excited about it.
Best, erik burggraaf A+ certified technician and user support consultant. Phone: 888-255-5194 Email: [email protected] On 2010-02-11, at 9:28 AM, Chris Hofstader wrote: > Hi, > > I was VP of Software Engineering at FS when we invented a lot of what is now > the common user interface on Windows screen readers. I am proud of the work > we did as we certainly moved the art forward. > > Now, I use Macintosh with Safari. The Windows way of doing things tried to > emulate a word processor or some other similar text manipulation application > with which a user would already be familiar. This is good in the sense that > the learning curve is not too steep but leaves out all of the contextual > information a sighted user would have resulting from the juxtaposition of > objects in the page's layout. > > I use both DOM and Groups mode with Safari depending upon the site. A > relatively linear site works best with DOM mode as it likes to function in a > straight line. Busier sites, however, seem to prefer Groups mode as one can > move from big chunk to big chunk rapidly while also learning where objects > are in the layout and, by knowing what's near what, you can learn to navigate > some sites really quickly and without a lot of caca in between items of value. > > The trackpad commander is awesome for web browsing but you need either a > MacBook or MacBook Pro to enjoy this. A friend over at Serotek told me about > a multi-touch trackpad that works both in Windows 7 and Snow Leopard that you > can add onto other models but I haven't seen it in action. > > So, give Safari and the VoiceOver features a bit longer, use the rotor, the > item chooser and learn the keystrokes that make web browsing easier and I > think you will start to enjoy it more. > > Of course, JAWS introduced the original virtual buffer system for web > browsing back in 1998 and has a lot of time for refinements. It is good but, > especially regarding contextual information, is starting to fall behind newer > and more forward looking ideas popping up around the AT world. > > cdh > On Feb 11, 2010, at 8:58 AM, Ricardo Walker wrote: > >> Hello, >> >> I've been a Mac user for almost 2 years, and I personally don't find the web >> browsing experience on my Mac using Safari with voiceover to be on par with >> that of internet explorer and Jaws. For example, Look at the steps you >> explained to highlight and copy text "If you interact with text, use >> VO-shift-return, you can initiate marking of text and use VO-cursor keys to >> navigate and mark that text, then use VO-shift-return to stop marking the >> text. FInally command-c will copy that text for you to paste where you >> choose. You can also interact with text and use command-a to highlight all >> text you can then copy..." On I.E. you would just use shift and the arrows >> or some function of navigation commonly used throughout the Operating >> system. In Snow Leopard one should be able to use the arrows by them selves >> to navigate a web page and with shift to select. This is not the case most >> of the time. The folks didn't include this functionality into snow leopard >> by accident or just to appease windows converts in my opinion. They >> realized that the previous method was just a pain, not to mention labor >> intensive in regards to the task actually trying to be accomplished. I use >> Dom mode and sometimes voiceover indeed skips over chunks of information. I >> am not saying that Safari with Voiceover isn't serviceable but, by no means >> in my opinion is it as dependable as I.E. with Jaws. And this is coming >> from someone who Uses their Mac as their primary computer. >> On Feb 11, 2010, at 7:48 AM, Scott Howell wrote: >> >>> I think you need to take some additional time to learn how best to use >>> Safari with VOiceOver. I've been using the Mac for five years now and >>> although like any browser and screen reader, Safari and VO has issues, but >>> certainly not to the degree you seem to be having. Reading line by line is >>> no problem at all and copying information to the clipboard is again, no >>> problem. There is lots of information on how to accomplish both tasks and >>> perhaps a little research on your part will help. I'll give you a tip. If >>> you interact with text, use VO-shift-return, you can initiate marking of >>> text and use VO-cursor keys to navigate and mark that text, then use >>> VO-shift-return to stop marking the text. FInally command-c will copy that >>> text for you to paste where you choose. You can also interact with text and >>> use command-a to highlight all text you can then copy. You coming from >>> windows and using IE may find DOM mode more like your browsing experience >>> under windows using a windows-based screen reader. If your using Groups >>> mode, you are going to find the navigation of the page not to be linear as >>> is provided by DOM mode. Groups mode gives a more accurate representation >>> of how the page is laid out unlike DOM mode. >>> Once you have used Safari a while, I think you will find it will meet your >>> needs just fine. I am not so sure that even if Firefox is made accessible, >>> you will find the browsing experience significantly different. I think >>> what you will find is some differences in browsing experience as far as how >>> some sites behave, but assuming Mozilla leverages the accessibility hooks >>> of VO, the navigation will likely be quite similar. >>> >>> On Feb 11, 2010, at 6:59 AM, Lynn Schneider wrote: >>> >>>> Oh I would so love to have an alternative to Safari! I'm a fairly recent >>>> switcher and I don't miss Windows at all except that I totally and >>>> absolutely miss the great accessibility I had with IE. I hate the fact >>>> that I can't read line by line or copy web page text to the clipboard and >>>> he disturbing thing with VO and >>>> Safari is that I find that whole parts of pages are not read at all. I >>>> think Safari is the app I most dislike on the Mac. Everything else about >>>> the Mac is wonderful. >>>> On Feb 10, 2010, at 1:02 PM, Chris Blouch wrote: >>>> >>>>> Looking forward to trying out Firefox with VO working someday. FF has >>>>> really good ARIA support so it would be nice to have a browser on the Mac >>>>> that works well with this standard. Safari currently is weak. >>>>> >>>>> CB >>>>> >>>>> E.J. Zufelt wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Good morning, >>>>>> >>>>>> This morning I posted a new blog article on my site: First Glance at >>>>>> Firefox Accessibility on OS X Snow Leopard, which can be accessed at >>>>>> http://tinyurl.com/ygkfqoj >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks,Everett >>>>>> >>>>>> Follow me on Twitter >>>>>> http://twitter.com/ezufelt >>>>>> >>>>>> View my LinkedIn Profile >>>>>> http://www.linkedin.com/in/ezufelt >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> 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. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> 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. >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> 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. >>> >>> >>> -- >>> 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. >> >> >> -- >> 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. > > > -- > 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. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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