Hi, I can tell you at least a couple of things.
One thing you have to keep in mind (and I don't think I am the only one saying this), is that VoiceOVer is tightly integrated with the Mac OS X operating system. Thus, you most of the time won't find comparisons between anything. VoiceOver does not provide a different view than the original view of a window, but rather allows you to explore the window just as any other user might. It gives you the ability to discover how every single element is laid out, providing, in my opinion, a better overview of your work environment. I think, at least for me, that it is a very important thing to understand fully. Of course, that isn't easy for anyone, especially if you are a power user but came from a Windows environment. If you need to get used to the basic commands, I would recommend the interactive VoiceOVer Tutorial. You can launch it by hitting VO-Command-F8. VO refers to the Control-option keys held down in conjunction with other keystrokes. Of course, you may already have run this, but for me, I found it pretty adequate and, if I ever needed help with a command I usually just hit VO-question to bring up VoiceOVer specific help, went to the search field by either interacting with the toolbar at the left of the screen, went all the way to the right and entered my query. Of course, tabbing several times works as well here, in particular if you have set it up to move between all controls. The default is "Text boxes and lists only" but that should suffice. I personally liked the fact that the screen reader didn't make comparisons between applications on the Mac. That just further enforced the fact that, though it is a screen reader, you are going to do things exactly the way a sighted a user would perform a task, regardless of its complexity. So, if there is a table in a certain area, you'll find it with VoiceOver in the same spot. As you progress, I'm sure you'll get used to this strange, new concept. Mostly, the help of the application itself is actually enough, and that's all you'll get. I'm not sure what else to say here. I'm sure others can point you towards tutorials if you are finding it difficult still, and I hope you get on well with your Mac. Good luck. Regards, Nic Mobile Me: [email protected] GoogleTalk: [email protected] Facebook Twitter Skype: Kvalme MSN Messenger: [email protected] Yahoo! Messenger: cin368 AIM: cincinster On May 25, 2010, at 6:51 PM, Ana G wrote: > Hi all, > > Alfredo's post and the thoughtful responses to it have prompted me to ask > whether there is a web site, blog, or set of tutorials for switchers. > > I've had my MacBook Pro for a whole week now. In many ways, it's easier than > I expected, but I'm definitely having to learn everything all over again--not > easy for someone who spends five to ten hours a day on the computer. > > My biggest problem has been finding a clear overview of the Mac environment, > some general principals about VO, and comparisons between those two items and > Windows. the VO tutorial and the Getting Started document have been very > helpful, but I keep feeling I need more. > > for me personally, things will probably go a little faster once I move my PC > out, but I'm still feeling so inept at the Mac that I'm not quite ready to do > that yet. > > Is there anything specifically for switchers who use Voiceover? The general > Mac site does have material for switchers, but it doesn't take VO users into > account. For example, it talks about the dock being similar to the taskbar, > but I had to go somewhere else to figure out how to get to the dock with VO. > Even the general Mac page that describes how to turn Voiceover on and make > adjustments to it did so using a long involved process that included no VO > commands. > > I really agree with the person who said that this list has been invaluable > but that it sometimes feels overwhelming because, while I learn how to do a > specific thing, I don't always feel like I understand how something actually > works. > > Thanks for all your help, and please post if you know of anything that might > help us new folks make the transition. > > Ciao > > -- > 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.
