RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

At the risk of getting off topic, I prefer reading from the PC, using Audio, or 
downloading Brailed materials.

Reading books from the Amazon Kindle or an IOS device takes some getting used 
to.

Have you tried reading that version of the bible in a different format?

 

From: 'Devin Prater' via MacVisionaries  
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 11:40 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I love iBooks, but some books have rather awful issues if the book is complex. 
Take the CSB Reader’s Bible, for example. That’s the one that comes to mind 
with these issues, not trying to start a debate on Bibles or religion. When you 
try to read, everything is very sluggish, even on my iPhone X R, which isn’t an 
old device. On Kindle, the stripping out of a lot of stuff works in its favor 
with these kinds of heavily interactive books. Otherwise, I agree, Ibooks wins 
for me. Although, even with braille, formatting like bold, italics, and 
underline are still lost in braille mistranslation.





On Sep 19, 2021, at 11:40 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > 
wrote:

 

No, Kendall has a broader selection. So, if I can only find the book on Kindle, 
I buy it there. But if I have a choice, I always buy on Apple Books.

Cheers,

Donna

 

Sent from my iPad





On Sep 19, 2021, at 11:24 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
  wrote:



Is Apple iBooks have the same types of reading materials as Amazon Kindle 
Store? In other words, when searching for books, did you find the same titles 
in both stores?

 

From: 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > 
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 12:16 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

The thing I hate about Kindle books is that they strip all the formatting out.  
So, there are no paragraphs or headings or anything, everything just displays 
like one big long string of text.  That drives me crazy!  Apple iBooks has made 
lots of money off me, just because the reading experience in braille is so much 
better.

Cheers,

Donna

 






On Sep 19, 2021, at 10:21 AM, mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > wrote:

 

Thanks.

Kindle is a great source for books, and I really wish they could be read on the 
Mac with VoiceOver.

 

From: 'Jason White' via MacVisionaries mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > 
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 11:19 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: FW: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose 
a Mac as a Blind Student

 

 

On 17/9/21 05:08, skipper8...@gmail.com   wrote:

The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.

Also, as a person who works in a job that significantly involves writing 
scholarship for publication, I've never needed Kindle. Others may be in a 
different position; I'm simply noting that, for academic purposes, there are 
usually other sources.

As for OCR, ABBYY FineReader for Mac should be investigated.

Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?

On iPhone or Mac, yes, as far as I can recall.





What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a Victor 
Reader Stream?

Yes to the former. I don't have a Victor Reader Stream, so can't comment. If it 
presents as a USB mass storage device, it's simply a matter of copying files.





What about reading PDF files?

Yes - Preview, Adobe Reader for Mac, or the PDF reader in Google Chrome - take 
your choice.





 

 

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Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

['Devin Prater' via MacVisionaries]

I love iBooks, but some books have rather awful issues if the book is complex. 
Take the CSB Reader’s Bible, for example. That’s the one that comes to mind 
with these issues, not trying to start a debate on Bibles or religion. When you 
try to read, everything is very sluggish, even on my iPhone X R, which isn’t an 
old device. On Kindle, the stripping out of a lot of stuff works in its favor 
with these kinds of heavily interactive books. Otherwise, I agree, Ibooks wins 
for me. Although, even with braille, formatting like bold, italics, and 
underline are still lost in braille mistranslation.

> On Sep 19, 2021, at 11:40 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> No, Kendall has a broader selection. So, if I can only find the book on 
> Kindle, I buy it there. But if I have a choice, I always buy on Apple Books.
> Cheers,
> Donna
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>> On Sep 19, 2021, at 11:24 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> Is Apple iBooks have the same types of reading materials as Amazon Kindle 
>> Store? In other words, when searching for books, did you find the same 
>> titles in both stores?
>>  
>> From: 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries  
>> Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 12:16 PM
>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
>> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose 
>> a Mac as a Blind Student
>>  
>> The thing I hate about Kindle books is that they strip all the formatting 
>> out.  So, there are no paragraphs or headings or anything, everything just 
>> displays like one big long string of text.  That drives me crazy!  Apple 
>> iBooks has made lots of money off me, just because the reading experience in 
>> braille is so much better.
>> Cheers,
>> Donna
>>  
>> 
>> 
>> On Sep 19, 2021, at 10:21 AM, > > > > wrote:
>>  
>> Thanks.
>> Kindle is a great source for books, and I really wish they could be read on 
>> the Mac with VoiceOver.
>>  
>> From: 'Jason White' via MacVisionaries > > 
>> Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 11:19 AM
>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>> Subject: Re: FW: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to 
>> Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
>>  
>>  
>> On 17/9/21 05:08, skipper8...@gmail.com  wrote:
>> The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
>> eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.
>> Also, as a person who works in a job that significantly involves writing 
>> scholarship for publication, I've never needed Kindle. Others may be in a 
>> different position; I'm simply noting that, for academic purposes, there are 
>> usually other sources.
>> As for OCR, ABBYY FineReader for Mac should be investigated.
>> Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
>> On iPhone or Mac, yes, as far as I can recall.
>> 
>> 
>> What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
>> Victor Reader Stream?
>> Yes to the former. I don't have a Victor Reader Stream, so can't comment. If 
>> it presents as a USB mass storage device, it's simply a matter of copying 
>> files.
>> 
>> 
>> What about reading PDF files?
>> Yes - Preview, Adobe Reader for Mac, or the PDF reader in Google Chrome - 
>> take your choice.
>> 
>> 
>>  
>>  
>> -- 
>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac 
>> Visionaries list.
>>  
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>> reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com 
>>  
>> The archives for this list can be searched at:
>> http://www.mail-archive.com/macvisionaries@googlegroups.com/ 
>> 
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Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

['Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries]

Hi,

Yes, I’ve found PDFPen to be totally accessible.  The developer is also very 
receptive to feedback.  I believe that you can go to the PDFPen web-site and 
get a demo prior to forking out the actual purchase price.

Later…


Tim Kilburn
Jamf Certified Tech
Apple Professional Learning Specialist
Apple Teacher
(with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
Fort McMurray, AB Canada

> On Sep 19, 2021, at 7:52 AM, 'Devin Prater' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> $79 isn’t just not cheap, it’s very expensive for an app. My job deals with 
> PDF’s a lot, and as the blind person in the AT Department, I’m the one that 
> usually has to make them accessible. Would this be worth buying to help in my 
> job? Is this *completely* accessible?
> Devin Prater
> d.pra...@me.com 
> Https://devinprater.flounder.online 
> 
>> On Sep 18, 2021, at 3:33 PM, > > > > wrote:
>> 
>> PDFPen
> 
> 
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Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

['Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries]

Already have. Twice.
Donna


> On Sep 19, 2021, at 12:40 PM, 'Jason White' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> 
> On 19/9/21 11:21, skipper8...@gmail.com  wrote:
>> Thanks.
>> Kindle is a great source for books, and I really wish they could be read on 
>> the Mac with VoiceOver.
>> That's an Amazon issue. It might be worth contacting them.
> 
> 
> -- 
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> list.
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>  
> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark at:  
> mk...@ucla.edu  and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can 
> reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com 
>  
> The archives for this list can be searched at:
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> 
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>  
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RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

Thanks.

Good to know.

 

From: 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries  
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 12:40 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

No, Kendall has a broader selection. So, if I can only find the book on Kindle, 
I buy it there. But if I have a choice, I always buy on Apple Books.

Cheers,

Donna

 

Sent from my iPad





On Sep 19, 2021, at 11:24 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
  wrote:



Is Apple iBooks have the same types of reading materials as Amazon Kindle 
Store? In other words, when searching for books, did you find the same titles 
in both stores?

 

From: 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > 
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 12:16 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

The thing I hate about Kindle books is that they strip all the formatting out.  
So, there are no paragraphs or headings or anything, everything just displays 
like one big long string of text.  That drives me crazy!  Apple iBooks has made 
lots of money off me, just because the reading experience in braille is so much 
better.

Cheers,

Donna

 






On Sep 19, 2021, at 10:21 AM, mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > wrote:

 

Thanks.

Kindle is a great source for books, and I really wish they could be read on the 
Mac with VoiceOver.

 

From: 'Jason White' via MacVisionaries mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > 
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 11:19 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: FW: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose 
a Mac as a Blind Student

 

 

On 17/9/21 05:08, skipper8...@gmail.com   wrote:

The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.

Also, as a person who works in a job that significantly involves writing 
scholarship for publication, I've never needed Kindle. Others may be in a 
different position; I'm simply noting that, for academic purposes, there are 
usually other sources.

As for OCR, ABBYY FineReader for Mac should be investigated.

Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?

On iPhone or Mac, yes, as far as I can recall.





What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a Victor 
Reader Stream?

Yes to the former. I don't have a Victor Reader Stream, so can't comment. If it 
presents as a USB mass storage device, it's simply a matter of copying files.





What about reading PDF files?

Yes - Preview, Adobe Reader for Mac, or the PDF reader in Google Chrome - take 
your choice.





 

 

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feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
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Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark at: 
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 .

 

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 mk...@ucla.edu and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can 
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Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

['Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries]

No, Kendall has a broader selection. So, if I can only find the book on Kindle, 
I buy it there. But if I have a choice, I always buy on Apple Books.
Cheers,
Donna

Sent from my iPad

> On Sep 19, 2021, at 11:24 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> 
> Is Apple iBooks have the same types of reading materials as Amazon Kindle 
> Store? In other words, when searching for books, did you find the same titles 
> in both stores?
>  
> From: 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries  
> Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 12:16 PM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
> Mac as a Blind Student
>  
> The thing I hate about Kindle books is that they strip all the formatting 
> out.  So, there are no paragraphs or headings or anything, everything just 
> displays like one big long string of text.  That drives me crazy!  Apple 
> iBooks has made lots of money off me, just because the reading experience in 
> braille is so much better.
> Cheers,
> Donna
>  
> 
> 
> On Sep 19, 2021, at 10:21 AM,   
> wrote:
>  
> Thanks.
> Kindle is a great source for books, and I really wish they could be read on 
> the Mac with VoiceOver.
>  
> From: 'Jason White' via MacVisionaries  
> Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 11:19 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: FW: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to 
> Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
>  
>  
> On 17/9/21 05:08, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:
> The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
> eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.
> Also, as a person who works in a job that significantly involves writing 
> scholarship for publication, I've never needed Kindle. Others may be in a 
> different position; I'm simply noting that, for academic purposes, there are 
> usually other sources.
> As for OCR, ABBYY FineReader for Mac should be investigated.
> Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
> On iPhone or Mac, yes, as far as I can recall.
> 
> 
> What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
> Victor Reader Stream?
> Yes to the former. I don't have a Victor Reader Stream, so can't comment. If 
> it presents as a USB mass storage device, it's simply a matter of copying 
> files.
> 
> 
> What about reading PDF files?
> Yes - Preview, Adobe Reader for Mac, or the PDF reader in Google Chrome - 
> take your choice.
> 
> 
>  
>  
> -- 
> The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries 
> list.
>  
> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
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>  
> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark at: 
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> caraqu...@caraquinn.com
>  
> The archives for this list can be searched at:
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> 

RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

Is Apple iBooks have the same types of reading materials as Amazon Kindle 
Store? In other words, when searching for books, did you find the same titles 
in both stores?

 

From: 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries  
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 12:16 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

The thing I hate about Kindle books is that they strip all the formatting out.  
So, there are no paragraphs or headings or anything, everything just displays 
like one big long string of text.  That drives me crazy!  Apple iBooks has made 
lots of money off me, just because the reading experience in braille is so much 
better.

Cheers,

Donna

 





On Sep 19, 2021, at 10:21 AM, mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > wrote:

 

Thanks.

Kindle is a great source for books, and I really wish they could be read on the 
Mac with VoiceOver.

 

From: 'Jason White' via MacVisionaries mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > 
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 11:19 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: FW: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose 
a Mac as a Blind Student

 

 

On 17/9/21 05:08, skipper8...@gmail.com   wrote:

The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.

Also, as a person who works in a job that significantly involves writing 
scholarship for publication, I've never needed Kindle. Others may be in a 
different position; I'm simply noting that, for academic purposes, there are 
usually other sources.

As for OCR, ABBYY FineReader for Mac should be investigated.

Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?

On iPhone or Mac, yes, as far as I can recall.




What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a Victor 
Reader Stream?

Yes to the former. I don't have a Victor Reader Stream, so can't comment. If it 
presents as a USB mass storage device, it's simply a matter of copying files.




What about reading PDF files?

Yes - Preview, Adobe Reader for Mac, or the PDF reader in Google Chrome - take 
your choice.




 

 

-- 
The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries 
list.
 
If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you 
feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
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Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

['Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries]

The thing I hate about Kindle books is that they strip all the formatting out.  
So, there are no paragraphs or headings or anything, everything just displays 
like one big long string of text.  That drives me crazy!  Apple iBooks has made 
lots of money off me, just because the reading experience in braille is so much 
better.
Cheers,
Donna


> On Sep 19, 2021, at 10:21 AM,   
> wrote:
> 
> Thanks.
> Kindle is a great source for books, and I really wish they could be read on 
> the Mac with VoiceOver.
>  
> From: 'Jason White' via MacVisionaries  > 
> Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 11:19 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
> Subject: Re: FW: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to 
> Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
>  
>  
> On 17/9/21 05:08, skipper8...@gmail.com  wrote:
>> The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
>> eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.
> Also, as a person who works in a job that significantly involves writing 
> scholarship for publication, I've never needed Kindle. Others may be in a 
> different position; I'm simply noting that, for academic purposes, there are 
> usually other sources.
> As for OCR, ABBYY FineReader for Mac should be investigated.
>> Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
> On iPhone or Mac, yes, as far as I can recall.
> 
>> What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
>> Victor Reader Stream?
> Yes to the former. I don't have a Victor Reader Stream, so can't comment. If 
> it presents as a USB mass storage device, it's simply a matter of copying 
> files.
> 
>> What about reading PDF files?
> Yes - Preview, Adobe Reader for Mac, or the PDF reader in Google Chrome - 
> take your choice.
> 
>>  
>>  
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RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

Well,

You could try Acrobat Pro which is cross-platform.

Someone on this list mentioned live OCR in the next OS release, I think.

If you run JAWS or NVDA on Windows you can use the OCR built into JAWS or the 
addon for NVDA.

Check to see if Pages for the Mac works with PDF.

I know you can open PDF’s in word, and I believe you can save Word documents as 
PDF files though do not know if formatting is retained.

 

 

From: 'Devin Prater' via MacVisionaries  
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 10:01 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I have a Mac and a Windows computer. PDF Pen was recommended by someone here in 
context of apps to do PDF’s.

Devin Prater

d.pra...@me.com  

Https://devinprater.flounder.online





On Sep 19, 2021, at 8:59 AM, mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > wrote:

 

I’m not sure who recommended PDF 10 since I do not use this app.

Are you using Windows or Mac at work?

JAWS OCR would cost considerably more at work, and the only free OCR I know of 
is the free NVDA addon.

If you need to edit PDF files, maybe Acrobat Pro would be your best option.

 

From: 'Devin Prater' via MacVisionaries mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > 
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 9:53 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

$79 isn’t just not cheap, it’s very expensive for an app. My job deals with 
PDF’s a lot, and as the blind person in the AT Department, I’m the one that 
usually has to make them accessible. Would this be worth buying to help in my 
job? Is this *completely* accessible?

Devin Prater

d.pra...@me.com  

Https://devinprater.flounder.online  






On Sep 18, 2021, at 3:33 PM, mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > wrote:

 

PDFPen

 

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Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

['Jason White' via MacVisionaries]

On 19/9/21 03:04, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:


I am glad the Mantis is supported on the Mac because I’ve heard that 
it is not supported on all platforms.


Connecting a Braille display to a Mac was one of the easiest things 
for me to do.



Yes, it was easy for me too: automatically detected by VoiceOver if 
connected via a USB cable.


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Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

['Devin Prater' via MacVisionaries]

I have a Mac and a Windows computer. PDF Pen was recommended by someone here in 
context of apps to do PDF’s.
Devin Prater
d.pra...@me.com
Https://devinprater.flounder.online

> On Sep 19, 2021, at 8:59 AM,   
> wrote:
> 
> I’m not sure who recommended PDF 10 since I do not use this app.
> Are you using Windows or Mac at work?
> JAWS OCR would cost considerably more at work, and the only free OCR I know 
> of is the free NVDA addon.
> If you need to edit PDF files, maybe Acrobat Pro would be your best option.
>  
> From: 'Devin Prater' via MacVisionaries  
> Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 9:53 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
> Mac as a Blind Student
>  
> $79 isn’t just not cheap, it’s very expensive for an app. My job deals with 
> PDF’s a lot, and as the blind person in the AT Department, I’m the one that 
> usually has to make them accessible. Would this be worth buying to help in my 
> job? Is this *completely* accessible?
> Devin Prater
> d.pra...@me.com 
> Https://devinprater.flounder.online 
> 
> 
>> On Sep 18, 2021, at 3:33 PM, > > > > wrote:
>>  
>> PDFPen
> 
>  
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RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

I’m not sure who recommended PDF 10 since I do not use this app.

Are you using Windows or Mac at work?

JAWS OCR would cost considerably more at work, and the only free OCR I know of 
is the free NVDA addon.

If you need to edit PDF files, maybe Acrobat Pro would be your best option.

 

From: 'Devin Prater' via MacVisionaries  
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2021 9:53 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

$79 isn’t just not cheap, it’s very expensive for an app. My job deals with 
PDF’s a lot, and as the blind person in the AT Department, I’m the one that 
usually has to make them accessible. Would this be worth buying to help in my 
job? Is this *completely* accessible?

Devin Prater

d.pra...@me.com  

Https://devinprater.flounder.online





On Sep 18, 2021, at 3:33 PM, mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > wrote:

 

PDFPen

 

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Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

['Devin Prater' via MacVisionaries]

$79 isn’t just not cheap, it’s very expensive for an app. My job deals with 
PDF’s a lot, and as the blind person in the AT Department, I’m the one that 
usually has to make them accessible. Would this be worth buying to help in my 
job? Is this *completely* accessible?
Devin Prater
d.pra...@me.com
Https://devinprater.flounder.online

> On Sep 18, 2021, at 3:33 PM,   
> wrote:
> 
> PDFPen

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Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

['Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries]

I love the Mantis with my Mac.  I love it even more with my iPad and iPhone.  
Having a qwerty keyboard with a braille display is absolutely awesome
Cheers,
Donna

Sent from my iPad

> On Sep 19, 2021, at 2:04 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> 
> I am glad the Mantis is supported on the Mac because I’ve heard that it is 
> not supported on all platforms.
> Connecting a Braille display to a Mac was one of the easiest things for me to 
> do.
>  
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
> Behalf Of Kliph
> Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2021 10:05 PM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
> Mac as a Blind Student
>  
> I have no issue with braille on the Mac, using the mantis q40 is a breeze.
>  
> 
> 
> On Sep 18, 2021, at 2:54 PM, 'Kawal Gucukoglu' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
>  
> I find that Braille on the Mac still difficult.  Lot’s of interacting, and 
> then the Cursor isn’t reflected on the Braille display as you get with Jaws.  
> If Braille was good on the Mac then I’d use my Braille display with it as 
> well as windows.
> 
> 
> On 17 Sep 2021, at 19:18, 'Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
>  
> Hi,
>  
> PDFPen and PDFPen Pro are also great accessible pdf apps on the Mac.  They’re 
> not free, of course, but usually do a great job.
>  
> Later…
>  
> 
> Tim Kilburn
> Jamf Certified Tech
> Apple Professional Learning Specialist
> Apple Teacher
> (with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
> Fort McMurray, AB Canada
> 
> 
> On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:17 PM, Herbie Allen  wrote:
>  
> If you have trouble with Preview, Give Adobe a try for Mac. I’ve also had 
> good luck with Chrome.
> 
> 
> On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:58, Mary Otten  wrote:
>  
> For me, the reason I don’t use a Mac anymore has to do with PDF files and web 
> usage. I found PDFs really difficult to deal with except the short and super 
> simple ones, and in my view, voiceover just doesn’t cut it as compared to 
> windows screen readers with various browsers. It gets busy and goes in 
> circles etc. Now I haven’t had a Mac in a couple of years. But I always keep 
> asking about PDF, and so far, crickets. So no voiceover and Mac for me 
> anymore.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> 
> On Sep 17, 2021, at 8:50 AM, skipper8218@gmail.comwrote:
> 
> 
> Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.
> I was thinking back to my college days.
> I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is 
> included in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.
> I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.
> I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that 
> Windows doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.
> If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
> even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
> experience.
>  
>  
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com On 
> Behalf Of Herbie Allen
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
> Mac as a Blind Student
>  
> I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I 
> know there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them 
> since like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any 
> better on Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a 
> Learning Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or 
> phone? It’s a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and 
> it will create a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, 
> Chrome, or Adobe as options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and 
> is usable. As for the Victor,, do they still use SD cards?
> 
> 
> 
> On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:
>  
> The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
> eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.
> Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
> What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
> Victor Reader Stream?
> What about reading PDF files?
>  
> From: tech...@groups.io  On Behalf Of David Goldfield
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
> To: tech...@groups.iotv 
> Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac 
> as a Blind Student
>  
> iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM
> 5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
> 
> 5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student
> 
> If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring a 
> host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
> technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: 
> What computing platform should 

RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

I am glad the Mantis is supported on the Mac because I’ve heard that it is not 
supported on all platforms.

Connecting a Braille display to a Mac was one of the easiest things for me to 
do.

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of Kliph
Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2021 10:05 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I have no issue with braille on the Mac, using the mantis q40 is a breeze.

 





On Sep 18, 2021, at 2:54 PM, 'Kawal Gucukoglu' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > 
wrote:

 

I find that Braille on the Mac still difficult.  Lot’s of interacting, and then 
the Cursor isn’t reflected on the Braille display as you get with Jaws.  If 
Braille was good on the Mac then I’d use my Braille display with it as well as 
windows.





On 17 Sep 2021, at 19:18, 'Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:Macvisionaries@Googlegroups.com> > 
wrote:

 

Hi,

 

PDFPen and PDFPen Pro are also great accessible pdf apps on the Mac.  They’re 
not free, of course, but usually do a great job.

 

Later…

 


Tim Kilburn
Jamf Certified Tech
Apple Professional Learning Specialist

Apple Teacher
(with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
Fort McMurray, AB Canada





On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:17 PM, Herbie Allen mailto:herbie.al...@gmail.com> > wrote:

 

If you have trouble with Preview, Give Adobe a try for Mac. I’ve also had good 
luck with Chrome.





On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:58, Mary Otten mailto:motte...@gmail.com> > wrote:

 

For me, the reason I don’t use a Mac anymore has to do with PDF files and web 
usage. I found PDFs really difficult to deal with except the short and super 
simple ones, and in my view, voiceover just doesn’t cut it as compared to 
windows screen readers with various browsers. It gets busy and goes in circles 
etc. Now I haven’t had a Mac in a couple of years. But I always keep asking 
about PDF, and so far, crickets. So no voiceover and Mac for me anymore.



Sent from my iPhone





On Sep 17, 2021, at 8:50 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
 wrote:



Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.

I was thinking back to my college days.

I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is included 
in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.

I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.

I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that Windows 
doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.

If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
experience.

 

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > On 
Behalf Of Herbie Allen
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I know 
there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them since 
like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any better on 
Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a Learning 
Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or phone? It’s 
a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and it will create 
a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as 
options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and is usable. As for the 
Victor,, do they still use SD cards?






On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com  
 wrote:

 

The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.

Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?

What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a Victor 
Reader Stream?

What about reading PDF files?

 

From: tech...@groups.io   mailto:tech...@groups.io> > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
To: tech...@groups.iotv   mailto:tech...@groups.io> >
Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac 
as a Blind Student

 

iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM


5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student


5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student


If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring a 
host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: What 
computing 

Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[Kliph]

I have no issue with braille on the Mac, using the mantis q40 is a breeze.


> On Sep 18, 2021, at 2:54 PM, 'Kawal Gucukoglu' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> I find that Braille on the Mac still difficult.  Lot’s of interacting, and 
> then the Cursor isn’t reflected on the Braille display as you get with Jaws.  
> If Braille was good on the Mac then I’d use my Braille display with it as 
> well as windows.
> 
>> On 17 Sep 2021, at 19:18, 'Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries 
>> mailto:Macvisionaries@Googlegroups.com>> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> PDFPen and PDFPen Pro are also great accessible pdf apps on the Mac.  
>> They’re not free, of course, but usually do a great job.
>> 
>> Later…
>> 
>> 
>> Tim Kilburn
>> Jamf Certified Tech
>> Apple Professional Learning Specialist
>> Apple Teacher
>> (with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
>> Fort McMurray, AB Canada
>> 
>>> On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:17 PM, Herbie Allen >> > wrote:
>>> 
>>> If you have trouble with Preview, Give Adobe a try for Mac. I’ve also had 
>>> good luck with Chrome.
>>> 
 On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:58, Mary Otten >>> > wrote:
 
 For me, the reason I don’t use a Mac anymore has to do with PDF files and 
 web usage. I found PDFs really difficult to deal with except the short and 
 super simple ones, and in my view, voiceover just doesn’t cut it as 
 compared to windows screen readers with various browsers. It gets busy and 
 goes in circles etc. Now I haven’t had a Mac in a couple of years. But I 
 always keep asking about PDF, and so far, crickets. So no voiceover and 
 Mac for me anymore.
 
 Sent from my iPhone
 
> On Sep 17, 2021, at 8:50 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
> wrote:
> 
> 
> Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.
> I was thinking back to my college days.
> I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is 
> included in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.
> I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.
> I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that 
> Windows doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.
> If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS 
> would be even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the 
> catalyst app experience.
>  
>  
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>  > On Behalf Of Herbie Allen
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
> 
> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to 
> Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
>  
> I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, 
> I know there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt 
> with them since like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, 
> is it any better on Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as 
> well. There is a Learning Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you 
> talking about the Mac or phone? It’s a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  
> command O on the Zip file, and it will create a new folder with all the 
> content. PDF’s, you have Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as options to pursue. 
> Preview comes as part of the Mac and is usable. As for the Victor,, do 
> they still use SD cards?
> 
> 
> On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com 
>  wrote:
>  
> The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the 
> Kindle eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of 
> that.
> Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
> What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
> Victor Reader Stream?
> What about reading PDF files?
>  
> From: tech...@groups.io   > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
> To: tech...@groups.iotv   >
> Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
> Mac as a Blind Student
>  
> iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM
> 5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
> 
> 5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student
> 
> If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can 
> bring a host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your 
> assistive technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question 
> will arise: What computing platform should 

RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

I like the instant connectivity on the Mac when pairing the Braille display.

Does VoiceOver give the option to have the Braille cursor match the VoiceOver 
cursor?

 

From: 'Kawal Gucukoglu' via MacVisionaries  
Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2021 3:55 PM
To: Macvisionaries 
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I find that Braille on the Mac still difficult.  Lot’s of interacting, and then 
the Cursor isn’t reflected on the Braille display as you get with Jaws.  If 
Braille was good on the Mac then I’d use my Braille display with it as well as 
windows.





On 17 Sep 2021, at 19:18, 'Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:Macvisionaries@Googlegroups.com> > 
wrote:

 

Hi,

 

PDFPen and PDFPen Pro are also great accessible pdf apps on the Mac.  They’re 
not free, of course, but usually do a great job.

 

Later…

 


Tim Kilburn
Jamf Certified Tech
Apple Professional Learning Specialist

Apple Teacher
(with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
Fort McMurray, AB Canada





On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:17 PM, Herbie Allen mailto:herbie.al...@gmail.com> > wrote:

 

If you have trouble with Preview, Give Adobe a try for Mac. I’ve also had good 
luck with Chrome.





On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:58, Mary Otten mailto:motte...@gmail.com> > wrote:

 

For me, the reason I don’t use a Mac anymore has to do with PDF files and web 
usage. I found PDFs really difficult to deal with except the short and super 
simple ones, and in my view, voiceover just doesn’t cut it as compared to 
windows screen readers with various browsers. It gets busy and goes in circles 
etc. Now I haven’t had a Mac in a couple of years. But I always keep asking 
about PDF, and so far, crickets. So no voiceover and Mac for me anymore.



Sent from my iPhone





On Sep 17, 2021, at 8:50 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
 wrote:



Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.

I was thinking back to my college days.

I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is included 
in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.

I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.

I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that Windows 
doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.

If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
experience.

 

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > On 
Behalf Of Herbie Allen
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I know 
there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them since 
like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any better on 
Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a Learning 
Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or phone? It’s 
a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and it will create 
a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as 
options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and is usable. As for the 
Victor,, do they still use SD cards?






On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com  
 wrote:

 

The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.

Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?

What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a Victor 
Reader Stream?

What about reading PDF files?

 

From: tech...@groups.io   mailto:tech...@groups.io> > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
To: tech...@groups.iotv   mailto:tech...@groups.io> >
Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac 
as a Blind Student

 

iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM


5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student


5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student


If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring a 
host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: What 
computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac 
 or Windows 
 ?

If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
correct choice is a Mac. Now 

Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

['Kawal Gucukoglu' via MacVisionaries]

I find that Braille on the Mac still difficult.  Lot’s of interacting, and then 
the Cursor isn’t reflected on the Braille display as you get with Jaws.  If 
Braille was good on the Mac then I’d use my Braille display with it as well as 
windows.

> On 17 Sep 2021, at 19:18, 'Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> PDFPen and PDFPen Pro are also great accessible pdf apps on the Mac.  They’re 
> not free, of course, but usually do a great job.
> 
> Later…
> 
> 
> Tim Kilburn
> Jamf Certified Tech
> Apple Professional Learning Specialist
> Apple Teacher
> (with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
> Fort McMurray, AB Canada
> 
>> On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:17 PM, Herbie Allen > > wrote:
>> 
>> If you have trouble with Preview, Give Adobe a try for Mac. I’ve also had 
>> good luck with Chrome.
>> 
>>> On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:58, Mary Otten >> > wrote:
>>> 
>>> For me, the reason I don’t use a Mac anymore has to do with PDF files and 
>>> web usage. I found PDFs really difficult to deal with except the short and 
>>> super simple ones, and in my view, voiceover just doesn’t cut it as 
>>> compared to windows screen readers with various browsers. It gets busy and 
>>> goes in circles etc. Now I haven’t had a Mac in a couple of years. But I 
>>> always keep asking about PDF, and so far, crickets. So no voiceover and Mac 
>>> for me anymore.
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
 On Sep 17, 2021, at 8:50 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
 wrote:
 
 
 Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.
 I was thinking back to my college days.
 I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is 
 included in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.
 I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.
 I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that 
 Windows doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.
 If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would 
 be even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst 
 app experience.
  
  
 From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
 > On Behalf Of Herbie Allen
 Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
 To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
 
 Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to 
 Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
  
 I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I 
 know there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with 
 them since like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it 
 any better on Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. 
 There is a Learning Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking 
 about the Mac or phone? It’s a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O 
 on the Zip file, and it will create a new folder with all the content. 
 PDF’s, you have Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as options to pursue. Preview 
 comes as part of the Mac and is usable. As for the Victor,, do they still 
 use SD cards?
 
 
 On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com 
  wrote:
  
 The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the 
 Kindle eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.
 Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
 What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
 Victor Reader Stream?
 What about reading PDF files?
  
 From: tech...@groups.io  >>> > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
 Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
 To: tech...@groups.iotv  >>> >
 Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
 Mac as a Blind Student
  
 iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM
 5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
 
 5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student
 
 If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can 
 bring a host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your 
 assistive technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question 
 will arise: What computing platform should you choose for your academics? 
 Mac or Windows 
 ?
 If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, 
 the correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.
 1. Cost vs. Benefits
 
 If you’re 

Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

['Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries]

Hi,

PDFPen and PDFPen Pro are also great accessible pdf apps on the Mac.  They’re 
not free, of course, but usually do a great job.

Later…


Tim Kilburn
Jamf Certified Tech
Apple Professional Learning Specialist
Apple Teacher
(with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
Fort McMurray, AB Canada

> On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:17 PM, Herbie Allen  wrote:
> 
> If you have trouble with Preview, Give Adobe a try for Mac. I’ve also had 
> good luck with Chrome.
> 
>> On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:58, Mary Otten > > wrote:
>> 
>> For me, the reason I don’t use a Mac anymore has to do with PDF files and 
>> web usage. I found PDFs really difficult to deal with except the short and 
>> super simple ones, and in my view, voiceover just doesn’t cut it as compared 
>> to windows screen readers with various browsers. It gets busy and goes in 
>> circles etc. Now I haven’t had a Mac in a couple of years. But I always keep 
>> asking about PDF, and so far, crickets. So no voiceover and Mac for me 
>> anymore.
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Sep 17, 2021, at 8:50 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.
>>> I was thinking back to my college days.
>>> I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is 
>>> included in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.
>>> I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.
>>> I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that 
>>> Windows doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.
>>> If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would 
>>> be even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst 
>>> app experience.
>>>  
>>>  
>>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>>> >> > On Behalf Of Herbie Allen
>>> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
>>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>>> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose 
>>> a Mac as a Blind Student
>>>  
>>> I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I 
>>> know there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with 
>>> them since like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it 
>>> any better on Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. 
>>> There is a Learning Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking 
>>> about the Mac or phone? It’s a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on 
>>> the Zip file, and it will create a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, 
>>> you have Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as options to pursue. Preview comes as 
>>> part of the Mac and is usable. As for the Victor,, do they still use SD 
>>> cards?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com 
>>>  wrote:
>>>  
>>> The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
>>> eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.
>>> Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
>>> What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
>>> Victor Reader Stream?
>>> What about reading PDF files?
>>>  
>>> From: tech...@groups.io  >> > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
>>> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
>>> To: tech...@groups.iotv  >> >
>>> Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
>>> Mac as a Blind Student
>>>  
>>> iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM
>>> 5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
>>> 
>>> 5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student
>>> 
>>> If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring 
>>> a host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
>>> technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: 
>>> What computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac 
>>> or Windows 
>>> ?
>>> If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, 
>>> the correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.
>>> 1. Cost vs. Benefits
>>> 
>>> If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, 
>>> travel, classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves 
>>> you time. Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the 
>>> machine. In addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs come with built-in 
>>> productivity tools such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. These apps are 
>>> accessible right away and there’s no need to install anything else to get 
>>> them to work with the assistive 

Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[Herbie Allen]

If you have trouble with Preview, Give Adobe a try for Mac. I’ve also had good 
luck with Chrome.

> On Sep 17, 2021, at 12:58, Mary Otten  wrote:
> 
> For me, the reason I don’t use a Mac anymore has to do with PDF files and web 
> usage. I found PDFs really difficult to deal with except the short and super 
> simple ones, and in my view, voiceover just doesn’t cut it as compared to 
> windows screen readers with various browsers. It gets busy and goes in 
> circles etc. Now I haven’t had a Mac in a couple of years. But I always keep 
> asking about PDF, and so far, crickets. So no voiceover and Mac for me 
> anymore.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Sep 17, 2021, at 8:50 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.
>> I was thinking back to my college days.
>> I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is 
>> included in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.
>> I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.
>> I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that 
>> Windows doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.
>> If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would 
>> be even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
>> experience.
>>  
>>  
>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>> > > On Behalf Of Herbie Allen
>> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose 
>> a Mac as a Blind Student
>>  
>> I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I 
>> know there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with 
>> them since like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it 
>> any better on Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There 
>> is a Learning Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the 
>> Mac or phone? It’s a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip 
>> file, and it will create a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have 
>> Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the 
>> Mac and is usable. As for the Victor,, do they still use SD cards?
>> 
>> 
>> On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com 
>>  wrote:
>>  
>> The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
>> eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.
>> Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
>> What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
>> Victor Reader Stream?
>> What about reading PDF files?
>>  
>> From: tech...@groups.io  > > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
>> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
>> To: tech...@groups.iotv  > >
>> Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
>> Mac as a Blind Student
>>  
>> iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM
>> 5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
>> 
>> 5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student
>> 
>> If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring 
>> a host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
>> technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: 
>> What computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac 
>> or Windows 
>> ?
>> If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
>> correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.
>> 1. Cost vs. Benefits
>> 
>> If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, 
>> travel, classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves 
>> you time. Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the 
>> machine. In addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs come with built-in 
>> productivity tools such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. These apps are 
>> accessible right away and there’s no need to install anything else to get 
>> them to work with the assistive technology.
>> The trade-off is cost. Yes, Macs can be more expensive in the short term, 
>> but the alternative is buying a PC, paying for an installing a screen 
>> reader, paying for and installing productivity apps and configuring the 
>> machine to your liking. When all is said and done, you may actually lose 
>> time installing and configuring extra software whereas with a Mac 
>> , you can simply turn the machine on 
>> and 

RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

Actually, do you have a particular file you want me to test on the Mac?

If so, can you send it to me offlist?

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of Mary Otten
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:08 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

Make sure your PDF has tables, headings, links, all the stuff that many PDFs 
have.

 

Sent from my iPhone





On Sep 17, 2021, at 11:01 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
  wrote:



Well,

Let me try reading a PDF on my M1 Mac and get back to you.

 

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com   
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > On 
Behalf Of Mary Otten
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 1:59 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

For me, the reason I don’t use a Mac anymore has to do with PDF files and web 
usage. I found PDFs really difficult to deal with except the short and super 
simple ones, and in my view, voiceover just doesn’t cut it as compared to 
windows screen readers with various browsers. It gets busy and goes in circles 
etc. Now I haven’t had a Mac in a couple of years. But I always keep asking 
about PDF, and so far, crickets. So no voiceover and Mac for me anymore.

Sent from my iPhone






On Sep 17, 2021, at 8:50 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
  wrote:



Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.

I was thinking back to my college days.

I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is included 
in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.

I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.

I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that Windows 
doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.

If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
experience.

 

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com   
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > On 
Behalf Of Herbie Allen
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I know 
there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them since 
like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any better on 
Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a Learning 
Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or phone? It’s 
a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and it will create 
a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as 
options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and is usable. As for the 
Victor,, do they still use SD cards?







On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com  
 wrote:

 

The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.

Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?

What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a Victor 
Reader Stream?

What about reading PDF files?

 

From: tech...@groups.io   mailto:tech...@groups.io> > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
To: tech...@groups.iotv   mailto:tech...@groups.io> >
Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac 
as a Blind Student

 

iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM


5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student


5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student


If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring a 
host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: What 
computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac 
  or Windows 
 ?

If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.


1. Cost vs. Benefits


If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, travel, 
classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves you time. 
Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the machine. In 
addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs 

RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

Okay, if I have time this weekend I’ll try to find a good PDF and let you know.

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of Mary Otten
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:08 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

Make sure your PDF has tables, headings, links, all the stuff that many PDFs 
have.

 

Sent from my iPhone





On Sep 17, 2021, at 11:01 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
  wrote:



Well,

Let me try reading a PDF on my M1 Mac and get back to you.

 

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com   
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > On 
Behalf Of Mary Otten
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 1:59 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

For me, the reason I don’t use a Mac anymore has to do with PDF files and web 
usage. I found PDFs really difficult to deal with except the short and super 
simple ones, and in my view, voiceover just doesn’t cut it as compared to 
windows screen readers with various browsers. It gets busy and goes in circles 
etc. Now I haven’t had a Mac in a couple of years. But I always keep asking 
about PDF, and so far, crickets. So no voiceover and Mac for me anymore.

Sent from my iPhone






On Sep 17, 2021, at 8:50 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
  wrote:



Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.

I was thinking back to my college days.

I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is included 
in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.

I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.

I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that Windows 
doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.

If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
experience.

 

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com   
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > On 
Behalf Of Herbie Allen
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I know 
there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them since 
like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any better on 
Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a Learning 
Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or phone? It’s 
a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and it will create 
a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as 
options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and is usable. As for the 
Victor,, do they still use SD cards?







On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com  
 wrote:

 

The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.

Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?

What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a Victor 
Reader Stream?

What about reading PDF files?

 

From: tech...@groups.io   mailto:tech...@groups.io> > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
To: tech...@groups.iotv   mailto:tech...@groups.io> >
Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac 
as a Blind Student

 

iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM


5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student


5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student


If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring a 
host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: What 
computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac 
  or Windows 
 ?

If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.


1. Cost vs. Benefits


If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, travel, 
classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves you time. 
Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the machine. In 
addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs come with built-in 

Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[Mary Otten]

Make sure your PDF has tables, headings, links, all the stuff that many PDFs 
have.


Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 17, 2021, at 11:01 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> 
> Well,
> Let me try reading a PDF on my M1 Mac and get back to you.
>  
>  
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
> Behalf Of Mary Otten
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 1:59 PM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
> Mac as a Blind Student
>  
> For me, the reason I don’t use a Mac anymore has to do with PDF files and web 
> usage. I found PDFs really difficult to deal with except the short and super 
> simple ones, and in my view, voiceover just doesn’t cut it as compared to 
> windows screen readers with various browsers. It gets busy and goes in 
> circles etc. Now I haven’t had a Mac in a couple of years. But I always keep 
> asking about PDF, and so far, crickets. So no voiceover and Mac for me 
> anymore.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> 
> On Sep 17, 2021, at 8:50 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> 
> Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.
> I was thinking back to my college days.
> I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is 
> included in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.
> I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.
> I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that 
> Windows doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.
> If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
> even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
> experience.
>  
>  
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
> Behalf Of Herbie Allen
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
> Mac as a Blind Student
>  
> I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I 
> know there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them 
> since like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any 
> better on Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a 
> Learning Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or 
> phone? It’s a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and 
> it will create a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, 
> Chrome, or Adobe as options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and 
> is usable. As for the Victor,, do they still use SD cards?
> 
> 
> 
> On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:
>  
> The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
> eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.
> Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
> What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
> Victor Reader Stream?
> What about reading PDF files?
>  
> From: tech...@groups.io  On Behalf Of David Goldfield
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
> To: tech...@groups.iotv 
> Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac 
> as a Blind Student
>  
> iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM
> 5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
> 
> 5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student
> 
> If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring a 
> host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
> technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: 
> What computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac or Windows?
> If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
> correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.
> 1. Cost vs. Benefits
> 
> If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, 
> travel, classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves you 
> time. Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the machine. 
> In addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs come with built-in productivity tools 
> such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. These apps are accessible right away and 
> there’s no need to install anything else to get them to work with the 
> assistive technology.
> The trade-off is cost. Yes, Macs can be more expensive in the short term, but 
> the alternative is buying a PC, paying for an installing a screen reader, 
> paying for and installing productivity apps and configuring the machine to 
> your liking. When all is said and done, you may actually lose time installing 
> and configuring extra software whereas with a Mac, you can simply turn the 
> machine on and start working right away.
> 2. The Apple Ecosystem
> 
> When you buy any Apple product, you’re jumping into the Apple ecosystem. 
> Macs, iPhones, Air 

RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

Well,

Let me try reading a PDF on my M1 Mac and get back to you.

 

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of Mary Otten
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 1:59 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

For me, the reason I don’t use a Mac anymore has to do with PDF files and web 
usage. I found PDFs really difficult to deal with except the short and super 
simple ones, and in my view, voiceover just doesn’t cut it as compared to 
windows screen readers with various browsers. It gets busy and goes in circles 
etc. Now I haven’t had a Mac in a couple of years. But I always keep asking 
about PDF, and so far, crickets. So no voiceover and Mac for me anymore.

Sent from my iPhone





On Sep 17, 2021, at 8:50 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com 
  wrote:



Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.

I was thinking back to my college days.

I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is included 
in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.

I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.

I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that Windows 
doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.

If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
experience.

 

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com   
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > On 
Behalf Of Herbie Allen
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I know 
there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them since 
like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any better on 
Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a Learning 
Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or phone? It’s 
a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and it will create 
a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as 
options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and is usable. As for the 
Victor,, do they still use SD cards?






On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com  
 wrote:

 

The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.

Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?

What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a Victor 
Reader Stream?

What about reading PDF files?

 

From: tech...@groups.io   mailto:tech...@groups.io> > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
To: tech...@groups.iotv   mailto:tech...@groups.io> >
Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac 
as a Blind Student

 

iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM


5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student


5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student


If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring a 
host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: What 
computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac 
  or Windows 
 ?

If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.


1. Cost vs. Benefits


If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, travel, 
classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves you time. 
Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the machine. In 
addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs come with built-in productivity tools such 
as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. These apps are accessible right away and there’s 
no need to install anything else to get them to work with the assistive 
technology.

The trade-off is cost. Yes, Macs can be more expensive in the short term, but 
the alternative is buying a PC, paying for an installing a screen reader, 
paying for and installing productivity apps and configuring the machine to your 
liking. When all is said and done, you may actually lose time installing and 
configuring extra software whereas with a Mac 
 , you can simply turn the machine on 
and start working right away.


2. The Apple 

Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[Mary Otten]

For me, the reason I don’t use a Mac anymore has to do with PDF files and web 
usage. I found PDFs really difficult to deal with except the short and super 
simple ones, and in my view, voiceover just doesn’t cut it as compared to 
windows screen readers with various browsers. It gets busy and goes in circles 
etc. Now I haven’t had a Mac in a couple of years. But I always keep asking 
about PDF, and so far, crickets. So no voiceover and Mac for me anymore.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 17, 2021, at 8:50 AM, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> 
> Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.
> I was thinking back to my college days.
> I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is 
> included in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.
> I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.
> I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that 
> Windows doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.
> If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
> even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
> experience.
>  
>  
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
> Behalf Of Herbie Allen
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
> Mac as a Blind Student
>  
> I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I 
> know there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them 
> since like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any 
> better on Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a 
> Learning Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or 
> phone? It’s a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and 
> it will create a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, 
> Chrome, or Adobe as options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and 
> is usable. As for the Victor,, do they still use SD cards?
> 
> 
> On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:
>  
> The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
> eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.
> Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
> What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
> Victor Reader Stream?
> What about reading PDF files?
>  
> From: tech...@groups.io  On Behalf Of David Goldfield
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
> To: tech...@groups.iotv 
> Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac 
> as a Blind Student
>  
> iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM
> 5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
> 
> 5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student
> 
> If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring a 
> host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
> technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: 
> What computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac or Windows?
> If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
> correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.
> 1. Cost vs. Benefits
> 
> If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, 
> travel, classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves you 
> time. Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the machine. 
> In addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs come with built-in productivity tools 
> such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. These apps are accessible right away and 
> there’s no need to install anything else to get them to work with the 
> assistive technology.
> The trade-off is cost. Yes, Macs can be more expensive in the short term, but 
> the alternative is buying a PC, paying for an installing a screen reader, 
> paying for and installing productivity apps and configuring the machine to 
> your liking. When all is said and done, you may actually lose time installing 
> and configuring extra software whereas with a Mac, you can simply turn the 
> machine on and start working right away.
> 2. The Apple Ecosystem
> 
> When you buy any Apple product, you’re jumping into the Apple ecosystem. 
> Macs, iPhones, Air Pods, Home Pods and iCloud all work together seamlessly. 
> This is another time saver if you’re a blind student looking to have 
> everything work the first time with no let downs. This not only lets you 
> focus on your studies, but you are creating an ecosystem of products that can 
> grow as you purchase Apple products down the road.
> 3. Low Maintenance
> 
> It’s 2 in the morning and you’ve got a major paper due in 7 hours. As you’re 
> settling into your writing flow, do you want to be interrupted with reminders 
> to defragment 

RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

Well,

Check out this article.

https://www.macworld.com/article/350665/live-text-vs-text-extraction-apps-ocr-adobe-acrobat-google-microsoft-one-note-pdfpen-evernote.html

since I subscribe to Office 365, I may be able to try Evernote on the Mac.

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of Herbie Allen
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 1:43 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I haven’t used OCR on Windows for years now. Mac works just fine for me!





On Sep 17, 2021, at 10:50, skipper8...@gmail.com  
 wrote:

 

Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.

I was thinking back to my college days.

I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is included 
in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.

I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.

I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that Windows 
doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.

If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
experience.

 

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > On 
Behalf Of Herbie Allen
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I know 
there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them since 
like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any better on 
Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a Learning 
Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or phone? It’s 
a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and it will create 
a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as 
options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and is usable. As for the 
Victor,, do they still use SD cards?






On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com  
 wrote:

 

The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.

Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?

What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a Victor 
Reader Stream?

What about reading PDF files?

 

From: tech...@groups.io   mailto:tech...@groups.io> > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
To: tech...@groups.iotv   mailto:tech...@groups.io> >
Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac 
as a Blind Student

 

iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM


5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student


5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student


If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring a 
host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: What 
computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac 
  or Windows 
 ?

If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.


1. Cost vs. Benefits


If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, travel, 
classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves you time. 
Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the machine. In 
addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs come with built-in productivity tools such 
as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. These apps are accessible right away and there’s 
no need to install anything else to get them to work with the assistive 
technology.

The trade-off is cost. Yes, Macs can be more expensive in the short term, but 
the alternative is buying a PC, paying for an installing a screen reader, 
paying for and installing productivity apps and configuring the machine to your 
liking. When all is said and done, you may actually lose time installing and 
configuring extra software whereas with a Mac 
 , you can simply turn the machine on 
and start working right away.


2. The Apple Ecosystem


When you buy any Apple product, you’re jumping into the Apple ecosystem. Macs, 
iPhones, Air Pods, Home Pods and iCloud all work together seamlessly. This is 
another time saver if you’re a blind student looking to have 

RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

Thanks for this article.

I didn’t realize that EverNote was part of Office 365, so I now have a second 
OCR option since I subscribe to Office 365.

.

 

From: 'Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries  
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 12:03 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

Hi,

 

With an M1 Mac and Monterey, the Live text feature is pretty darn close to 
built-in OCR.

 

https://www.macworld.com/article/350665/live-text-vs-text-extraction-apps-ocr-adobe-acrobat-google-microsoft-one-note-pdfpen-evernote.html

 

Later…

 


Tim Kilburn
Jamf Certified Tech
Apple Professional Learning Specialist

Apple Teacher
(with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
Fort McMurray, AB Canada





On Sep 17, 2021, at 9:50 AM, mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > mailto:skipper8...@gmail.com> > wrote:

 

Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.

I was thinking back to my college days.

I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is included 
in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.

I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.

I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that Windows 
doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.

If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
experience.

 

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com   
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> > On 
Behalf Of Herbie Allen
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I know 
there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them since 
like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any better on 
Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a Learning 
Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or phone? It’s 
a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and it will create 
a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as 
options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and is usable. As for the 
Victor,, do they still use SD cards?






On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com  
 wrote:

 

The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.

Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?

What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a Victor 
Reader Stream?

What about reading PDF files?

 

From: tech...@groups.io   mailto:tech...@groups.io> > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
To: tech...@groups.iotv   mailto:tech...@groups.io> >
Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac 
as a Blind Student

 

iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM


5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student


5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student


If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring a 
host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: What 
computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac 
  or Windows 
 ?

If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.


1. Cost vs. Benefits


If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, travel, 
classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves you time. 
Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the machine. In 
addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs come with built-in productivity tools such 
as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. These apps are accessible right away and there’s 
no need to install anything else to get them to work with the assistive 
technology.

The trade-off is cost. Yes, Macs can be more expensive in the short term, but 
the alternative is buying a PC, paying for an installing a screen reader, 
paying for and installing productivity apps and configuring the machine to your 
liking. When all is said and done, you may actually lose time installing and 
configuring extra software whereas with a Mac 
 , you can simply turn the machine on 
and start working right away.


2. The Apple Ecosystem

Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[Herbie Allen]

I haven’t used OCR on Windows for years now. Mac works just fine for me!

> On Sep 17, 2021, at 10:50, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.
> I was thinking back to my college days.
> I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is 
> included in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.
> I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.
> I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that 
> Windows doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.
> If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
> even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
> experience.
>  
>  
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>  > On Behalf Of Herbie Allen
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
> Mac as a Blind Student
>  
> I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I 
> know there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them 
> since like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any 
> better on Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a 
> Learning Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or 
> phone? It’s a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and 
> it will create a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, 
> Chrome, or Adobe as options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and 
> is usable. As for the Victor,, do they still use SD cards?
> 
> 
>> On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com 
>>  wrote:
>>  
>> The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
>> eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.
>> Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
>> What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
>> Victor Reader Stream?
>> What about reading PDF files?
>>  
>> From: tech...@groups.io  > > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
>> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
>> To: tech...@groups.iotv  > >
>> Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
>> Mac as a Blind Student
>>  
>> iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM
>> 5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
>> 
>> 5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student
>> 
>> If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring 
>> a host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
>> technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: 
>> What computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac 
>>  or Windows 
>> ?
>> If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
>> correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.
>> 1. Cost vs. Benefits
>> 
>> If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, 
>> travel, classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves 
>> you time. Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the 
>> machine. In addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs come with built-in 
>> productivity tools such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. These apps are 
>> accessible right away and there’s no need to install anything else to get 
>> them to work with the assistive technology.
>> The trade-off is cost. Yes, Macs can be more expensive in the short term, 
>> but the alternative is buying a PC, paying for an installing a screen 
>> reader, paying for and installing productivity apps and configuring the 
>> machine to your liking. When all is said and done, you may actually lose 
>> time installing and configuring extra software whereas with a Mac 
>> , you can simply turn the machine on 
>> and start working right away.
>> 2. The Apple Ecosystem
>> 
>> When you buy any Apple product, you’re jumping into the Apple ecosystem. 
>> Macs, iPhones, Air Pods, Home Pods and iCloud all work together seamlessly. 
>> This is another time saver if you’re a blind student looking to have 
>> everything work the first time with no let downs. This not only lets you 
>> focus on your studies, but you are creating an ecosystem of products that 
>> can grow as you purchase Apple products down the road.
>> 3. Low Maintenance
>> 
>> It’s 2 in the morning and you’ve got a major paper due in 7 hours. As you’re 
>> settling into your writing flow, do you want 

Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

['Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries]

Hi,

With an M1 Mac and Monterey, the Live text feature is pretty darn close to 
built-in OCR.

https://www.macworld.com/article/350665/live-text-vs-text-extraction-apps-ocr-adobe-acrobat-google-microsoft-one-note-pdfpen-evernote.html
 


Later…


Tim Kilburn
Jamf Certified Tech
Apple Professional Learning Specialist
Apple Teacher
(with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
Fort McMurray, AB Canada

> On Sep 17, 2021, at 9:50 AM,   
> wrote:
> 
> Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.
> I was thinking back to my college days.
> I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is 
> included in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.
> I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.
> I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that 
> Windows doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.
> If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
> even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
> experience.
>  
>  
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
> Behalf Of Herbie Allen
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
> Mac as a Blind Student
>  
> I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I 
> know there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them 
> since like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any 
> better on Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a 
> Learning Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or 
> phone? It’s a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and 
> it will create a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, 
> Chrome, or Adobe as options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and 
> is usable. As for the Victor,, do they still use SD cards?
> 
> 
>> On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com 
>>  wrote:
>>  
>> The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
>> eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.
>> Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
>> What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
>> Victor Reader Stream?
>> What about reading PDF files?
>>  
>> From: tech...@groups.io  > > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
>> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
>> To: tech...@groups.iotv  > >
>> Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
>> Mac as a Blind Student
>>  
>> iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM
>> 5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
>> 
>> 5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student
>> 
>> If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring 
>> a host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
>> technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: 
>> What computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac 
>>  or Windows 
>> ?
>> If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
>> correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.
>> 1. Cost vs. Benefits
>> 
>> If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, 
>> travel, classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves 
>> you time. Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the 
>> machine. In addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs come with built-in 
>> productivity tools such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. These apps are 
>> accessible right away and there’s no need to install anything else to get 
>> them to work with the assistive technology.
>> The trade-off is cost. Yes, Macs can be more expensive in the short term, 
>> but the alternative is buying a PC, paying for an installing a screen 
>> reader, paying for and installing productivity apps and configuring the 
>> machine to your liking. When all is said and done, you may actually lose 
>> time installing and configuring extra software whereas with a Mac 
>> , you can simply turn the machine on 
>> and start working right away.
>> 2. The Apple Ecosystem
>> 
>> When you buy any Apple product, you’re jumping into the Apple ecosystem. 
>> Macs, iPhones, Air Pods, Home Pods and iCloud all work together seamlessly. 
>> This is another time saver if you’re a blind student looking to have 
>> everything work the first time with no let 

RE: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[skipper8218]

Yes, the Victor Reader still uses SD Cards.

I was thinking back to my college days.

I will not be convinced that the Mac can replace Windows until OCR is included 
in VoiceOver by default much like we may see in IOS15.

I was trying to ask questions that the article did not address.

I think I have unreasonable expectations for the Mac though given that Windows 
doesn’t allow you to answer calls as seamlessly as the Mac can.

If Apple would only add the same features from IOS to the Mac the OS would be 
even better i.e. include the OCR recognition and improve the catalyst app 
experience.

 

 

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of Herbie Allen
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 11:44 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a 
Mac as a Blind Student

 

I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I know 
there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them since 
like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any better on 
Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a Learning 
Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or phone? It’s 
a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and it will create 
a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as 
options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and is usable. As for the 
Victor,, do they still use SD cards?





On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com  
 wrote:

 

The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.

Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?

What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a Victor 
Reader Stream?

What about reading PDF files?

 

From: tech...@groups.io   mailto:tech...@groups.io> > On Behalf Of David Goldfield
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
To: tech...@groups.iotv   mailto:tech...@groups.io> >
Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac 
as a Blind Student

 

iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM


5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student


5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student


If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring a 
host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: What 
computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac 
  or Windows 
 ?

If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.


1. Cost vs. Benefits


If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, travel, 
classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves you time. 
Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the machine. In 
addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs come with built-in productivity tools such 
as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. These apps are accessible right away and there’s 
no need to install anything else to get them to work with the assistive 
technology.

The trade-off is cost. Yes, Macs can be more expensive in the short term, but 
the alternative is buying a PC, paying for an installing a screen reader, 
paying for and installing productivity apps and configuring the machine to your 
liking. When all is said and done, you may actually lose time installing and 
configuring extra software whereas with a Mac 
 , you can simply turn the machine on 
and start working right away.


2. The Apple Ecosystem


When you buy any Apple product, you’re jumping into the Apple ecosystem. Macs, 
iPhones, Air Pods, Home Pods and iCloud all work together seamlessly. This is 
another time saver if you’re a blind student looking to have everything work 
the first time with no let downs. This not only lets you focus on your studies, 
but you are creating an ecosystem of products that can grow as you purchase 
Apple products down the road.


3. Low Maintenance


It’s 2 in the morning and you’ve got a major paper due in 7 hours. As you’re 
settling into your writing flow, do you want to be interrupted with reminders 
to defragment your hard drive, scan for viruses and check for malware? Macs are 
known for their easy-to-use interfaces and low maintenance requirements. When 
you’re in school, you don’t need the extra distraction.

Further, VoiceOver gets updated when macOS does, so there is no need to worry 
about installing drivers, patches or fixes. VoiceOver will even recognize 
refreshable braille displays simply by 

Re: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student

[Herbie Allen]

I’m confused with some of your questions but I will give it a go. First, I know 
there are some OcR solutions with the Mac but I have not dealt with them since 
like you said, the phone can handle that. As for Kindle, is it any better on 
Windows? You can always get Alexa to read those as well. There is a Learning 
Ally app for the phone. Unzipping, are you talking about the Mac or phone? It’s 
a piece of cake on the Mac, do a  command O on the Zip file, and it will create 
a new folder with all the content. PDF’s, you have Preview, Chrome, or Adobe as 
options to pursue. Preview comes as part of the Mac and is usable. As for the 
Victor,, do they still use SD cards?

> On Sep 17, 2021, at 04:08, skipper8...@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> The only problem I see with this analysis is lack of support for the Kindle 
> eReader and OCR out of the box but the iPhone can take care of that.
> Is it possible to use Learning Ally materials on an iPhone?
> What about unzipping Bookshare books or transferring NLS materials to a 
> Victor Reader Stream?
> What about reading PDF files?
>  
> From: tech...@groups.io  On Behalf Of David Goldfield
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 2:29 AM
> To: tech...@groups.iotv 
> Subject: [tech-vi Announce List] From iPhone Arena :5 Reasons to Choose a Mac 
> as a Blind Student
>  
> iPhoneArena - Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM
> 5 Reasons to Choose a Mac as a Blind Student
> 
> 5 Reasons why a Mac Is a Great choice for a Blind Student
> 
> If you live with sight loss, going to a new college or university can bring a 
> host of new experiences and challenges. Stressing over your assistive 
> technology should not be one of them. The inevitable question will arise: 
> What computing platform should you choose for your academics? Mac 
>  or Windows 
> ?
> If you’re blind, in a hurry and want to get to the meat of this article, the 
> correct choice is a Mac. Now here’s why.
> 1. Cost vs. Benefits
> 
> If you’re a time-crunched student who has to sort out accessible books, 
> travel, classes and other school concerns, you want a computer that saves you 
> time. Macs do this by bundling all of the needed software with the machine. 
> In addition to VoiceOver and Zoom, Macs come with built-in productivity tools 
> such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote. These apps are accessible right away and 
> there’s no need to install anything else to get them to work with the 
> assistive technology.
> The trade-off is cost. Yes, Macs can be more expensive in the short term, but 
> the alternative is buying a PC, paying for an installing a screen reader, 
> paying for and installing productivity apps and configuring the machine to 
> your liking. When all is said and done, you may actually lose time installing 
> and configuring extra software whereas with a Mac 
> , you can simply turn the machine on 
> and start working right away.
> 2. The Apple Ecosystem
> 
> When you buy any Apple product, you’re jumping into the Apple ecosystem. 
> Macs, iPhones, Air Pods, Home Pods and iCloud all work together seamlessly. 
> This is another time saver if you’re a blind student looking to have 
> everything work the first time with no let downs. This not only lets you 
> focus on your studies, but you are creating an ecosystem of products that can 
> grow as you purchase Apple products down the road.
> 3. Low Maintenance
> 
> It’s 2 in the morning and you’ve got a major paper due in 7 hours. As you’re 
> settling into your writing flow, do you want to be interrupted with reminders 
> to defragment your hard drive, scan for viruses and check for malware? Macs 
> are known for their easy-to-use interfaces and low maintenance requirements. 
> When you’re in school, you don’t need the extra distraction.
> Further, VoiceOver gets updated when macOS does, so there is no need to worry 
> about installing drivers, patches or fixes. VoiceOver will even recognize 
> refreshable braille displays simply by plugging them into your Mac.
> 4. Interoperability
> 
> In the past, blind students often had to rely on specialized (and ugly) 
> equipment to take notes or use a calculator. Today, the most inexpensive Mac 
> can do all of this and much more. The days of specialized and expensive 
> equipment for the blind student is over. Today, it’s easy to collaborate with 
> classmates on a Pages document, exchange Excel and PowerPoint slides with a 
> teacher or even share musical ideas in Garage Band.
> 5. Performance
> 
> If you’re a blind student, having a computer that just works can make the 
> difference between missing a deadline for a term paper and handing it in 
> before everyone else. Macs break down less often, have rock solid security 
> features and are extremely fast and responsive. VoiceOver users can easily 
> and quickly use large spreadsheets, write code or even edit audio without 
> freezing