This is very helpful information and thanks for sending! I'm a graduate student, and I exclusively use the mac for all school work. I mostly use iWork to accomplish tasks. The only reason I haven't installed fusion is because I don't own an expensive windows screen reader, but I am wondering whether this might be a good solution for an internship I will be doing in the fall. I really don't want to go back to jusing windows after using my mac, so this might work well. I suppose that purchasing the expensive windows screen reader might be inevitable, but at least I'll be able to use my mac! How much hard drive space would I need to run fusion? Thank you again for this information! Olivia
"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower", Steve Jobs On Apr 20, 2010, at 8:23 PM, denise avant wrote: > Hi, > Yes. Particularly since I am a lawyer with the public defenders office. And > my primary role as an appellate and post-conviction attorney is to write > briefs, with case citations. > I knew about the fusion program, as I have spent time talking to others about > the program. I didn’t know about the snap shot. > So thanks. > > > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John J Herzog > Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 7:14 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: the apple user? > > Hello, > As a macbook user, who has to write substantial papers for law school, and > who has used his computer at a summer internship with Pepsico, I feel I can > helpfully answer your questions. > Forgive the length of this email. > First, the idea that macs are only play toys is complete and utter nonsense. > On my mac, I do use the apps like Itunes and Ichat, but I use serious apps as > well. Iwork is quite accessible, as is text edit, allowing you to do > extensive formatting of documents. Also, the preview application on the mac > is one of the best PDF readers I have ever seen. The text is readable with > voiceover, and there are few, if any crashes. What other screen readers can > you say that about? > > Next, I will address your concern about microsoft office applications not > being accessible. It is true that they do not work with voiceover. However, > for about seventy dollars, you can pick up a program called VMware fusion. > Fusion allows you to install windows and run it at the same time as your mac. > This means that you can use whatever screen reader you like for windows and > run office without a hitch. > There is one more upside to running fusion on mac. After you have configured > windows just the way you want it, you can create what is known as a snapshot. > The snapshot will restore your system to its exact configuration at the time > you took it, meaning you will always have a fresh install of windows, office, > and your screen reader a click away. It's awesome, because it does a complete > and utter system restore when windows decides to go south on you. For a blind > person, I actually think a mac with fusion is better than a standard windows > PC for this reason. Note that a fusion snapshot literally restores all files > and settings to the way they were when you took it. It is much more extensive > than using the built in windows system restore utility. It has saved my skin > a number of times, and I will give you a perfect example. > At the beginning of law school, I found it necessary to purchase a scanner > with a document feeder. Previously, I had a different scanner that I was > using with kurzweil 1000. Now, when I installed the twain drivers for the new > scanner, after trying to unsuccessfully remove the old drivers, I found > myself in a situation where neither set worked. If I had a standard windows > machine, I was facing the real possibility of having to reinstall windows to > get either unit to work reliably. Either that, or it was having to spend > hours and hours messing with system dll files, and we all know what happens > after that. > So, instead, I just restored a snapshot I made of my XP machine prior to > having installed either Kurzweil or the scanner software. I then installed > both on what was essentially a fresh copy of windows, and all was smooth > sailing from there. It saved me from endless headaches, plus the burden of > having to get a sighted person to help install the screen reader again, and > the time that would have been wasted in such a pursuit. > I hope this helps answer your questions. > John > > P.S. If you go to www.blindcooltech.com, you can find some excellent demos of > the macintosh by Mike Arigo. He even shows how fusion and voiceover work, and > he runs window eyes on the XP side of things. > > Hope this helps. > > > On Apr 20, 2010, at 7:52 PM, denise avant wrote: > > > Hello all, > Please forgive the length of this message. > In researching the issue of whether to purchase an apple mac or not, I’ve > come across a few people who have expressed criticism if not concern about > the mac computers themselves. I own the iphone, and have enjoyed it > tremendously. I’ve been able to do things with the phone I was never able to > do with other phones. The only problem I still have is putting in extensions > and account numbers once the number is connected. > But having said this, I seriously doubt whether I will ever buy another > phone, where I don’t have accessibility built in. > There is an applestoe here in Chicago, and when I’ve had any problem of any > kind, the sales staff has been very easy to deal with. > Even when I call on the telephone, I find a very friendly staff. > I have my own personal sales representative since I have mac book pro on the > drawing board. > What I enjoy most of all, is that I can go to an appelstore, and with the > exception of a couple of products, there is accessibility right out of the > box, with no extra costs or smas to worry about. > I’m seeking opinions from those of you who use these computers with voice > over. The biggest criticism I’ve heard that if you’re conducting a business > or doing a serious project, the mac is not for the blind user. This > apparently has to do with the fact that the office aps are not accessible > with vo, and iwork9 acts strangely sometimes. > Basically, one person, who doesn’t use the mac, but is familiar with the > product line, told me that the operating system was those who wanted to > “play.” > Can those you have used the macbooks or other appel operating systems address > these issues. Thanks. > > > > __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature > database 5045 (20100420) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. > > http://www.eset.com > > -- > 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 > [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. > > __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature > database 5045 (20100420) __________ > > > The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. > > > http://www.eset.com > > > > __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature > database 5045 (20100420) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. > > http://www.eset.com > > -- > 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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