Hi Sieghard,
I've been doing a lot of reading and listening about Windows 10 and
accessibility. The bottom line is that; if you have a second machine to
experiment with that is not your main machine you need, you can go ahead and
upgrade to Windows 10 and live with the problems as they are being solved. In
a few articles I've read, NVDA and JAWS makers recommend for the average user
to wait until they come out with future updates. Since I have only one computer
that I use for everything including iTunes for my iPhone, I am not touching
Windows 10 with a ten foot pole until Microsoft and the accessibility
specialists get it right at both ends. Sighted users have already declared
lots of bugs in Windows 10 which will be ironed out in the next few months so,
why not wait a bit and have a much better experience. Of course, that doesn't
include the people who live to experiment and have the possibility and desire
to do so on a second machine.
Ron & Danvers
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
Sieghard Weitzel
Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2015 10:40 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: Microsoft Windows 10 review: Microsoft gets it right
Freedom Scientific explains how to set IE or whichever other browser you have
installed (for example Firefox) as the default browser and it's a very straight
forward process. From everything I heard about Windows 10 it would appear
Microsoft is going to provide screenreader companies with the tools to make the
new browser accessible in time and also allow for better accessibility in other
areas. All in all most reviews I read about Windows 10 are quite positive.
Regards,
Sieghard
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
Richard Turner
Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2015 6:22 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: Microsoft Windows 10 review: Microsoft gets it right
Two things:
1. Edge, the new default browser is only accessible to NVDA beta so people
will have to figure out how to launch IE in Windows 10 for web use 2. Here is
an extremely long review from an accessibility perspective from CoolBlindTech:
http://www.coolblindtech.com/stepping-over-the-threshold-windows-10-in-10000-words-thoroughly-reviewed/
If you copied this review into Word it is about 31 pages, but a lot of that is
chatter but it is a good, positive, thorough review with some warnings for
accessibility.
Richard
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
M. Taylor
Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2015 12:13 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Microsoft Windows 10 review: Microsoft gets it right
Hello Everyone,
As so many of us use our iOS devices in combination with Windows, I thought it
appropriate to post this cNet review, on-list.
I have done my best to remove any orphan links or references but I may have
missed a few.
You may find the link to the original article at the end of the text.
Enjoy,
Mark
Microsoft Windows 10 review: Microsoft gets it right
By: Nate Ralph
Reviewed: July 28, 2015
The Good:
Windows 10 bridges the gap between PCs and tablets without alienating anyone.
The new OS combines the best bits of old and new Windows features into a
cohesive package, while correcting nearly all of the missteps of Windows 8. The
upgrade process is mostly painless, and free for most Windows
7 and 8 users.
The Bad:
Many of the new features will be lost on those who don't care about touch.
Automatic, forced updates could spell trouble later on. Cortana's features are
better suited for smartphones.
The Bottom Line:
Windows 10 delivers a refined, vastly improved vision for the future of
computing with an operating system that's equally at home on tablets and
traditional PCs -- and it's a free upgrade for most users.
Windows 10 is the Goldilocks version of Microsoft's venerable PC operating system -- a
"just right" compromise between the familiar dependability of Windows 7, and
the forward-looking touchscreen vision of Windows 8.
This new Windows, available as a free upgrade for existing Windows 7 and
Windows 8 noncorporate users, is built from the ground up to pursue Microsoft's
vision of a unified OS that spans all devices without alienating any one
platform. It's an attempt to safeguard Microsoft's crumbling software hegemony,
assailed on all sides by Google and Apple. And it's a vision of the future as
Microsoft sees it, where a single user experience spans every piece of
technology we touch. Welcome to Windows as a service.
Yes, this new OS is chock-full of fresh features. To name just a few: a lean, fast
Internet Explorer replacement called Edge; Microsoft's Siri-like voice-controlled virtual
assistant, Cortana; and the ability to stream real-time games to your desktop from an
Xbox One in another room. (And in case you're wondering: there is no "Windows
9" -- Microsoft skipped it, going straight from 8 to 10.)
But Windows 10 is also the end of a long, awkward road that began with the
release of Windows 8 in 2012, when Microsoft tried to convince a world of
keyboard and mouse wielders that touchscreens were the way to go -- or else.
Ironically, in 2015, the PC hardware for that touchscreen future is now here
-- everything from 2-in-1s such as the Lenovo Yoga line to convertible tablets
with detachable keyboards, like Microsoft's own Surface. And Windows
10 smoothly lets users transition from "tablet" to "PC" mode on such devices
like never before.
For the rest of the PC universe -- including those who still prefer good
old-fashioned keyboard and mouse navigation -- Windows 10 is a welcome return
to form. The Start menu, inexplicably yanked from 8, is back and working the
way you expect it to. Those live tiles from the Windows 8 home screen still
exist, but they've been attached to the Start menu, where they make a lot more
sense. And the fiendishly hidden Charms bar has been morphed into the more
straightforward (and easier to find) Action Center.
As always, there are some quibbles and gripes with the end product, but
all-in-all -- after living with Windows 10 for months -- I can say it's a
winner. It's flexible, adaptable and customizable. And it's been battle-tested
by an army of beta testers for the better part of a year, making it one of the
most robust operating system rollouts in recent memory.
A fresh Start
The Start menu is back; it's almost funny how relieving that is. That humble
Start button has been a fixture on the lower left corner of the Windows desktop
since the halcyon days of Windows 95, offering speedy access to apps and
settings. Press it on Windows 10, and you'll see the latest step in a long
conversation about the state of the PC industry.
I spend more time than I'd like to admit rearranging the Start Menu.
The past sits on the left: a neat column with shortcuts to your most used apps. Press the
"All Apps" button and you'll get an alphabetical list of all of the apps
installed on your PC. There are folders in there too -- press them, and extra options
will fly out, just like they always have.
The future -- or at least, the future as Microsoft envisions it -- sits on the
right side of the Start menu. These are the colorful, animated live tiles that
debuted in Windows 8, pulling double duty as app shortcuts and informative
widgets. You can resize these live tiles, drag them about to arrange them into
groups and pin as many apps as you'd like -- the entire Start menu can be
shrunk or expanded to suit your liking. It's essentially a miniaturized version
of the fullscreen Start menu we saw in Windows 8. Hate live tiles? Then unpin
them to excise them from your computer, leaving you with the narrow column of
frequently used apps we've known for so long.
One step back, two steps forward
The Start menu in Windows 10 is admission that Windows 8 maybe have been a bit
too forward thinking. But Microsoft hasn't abandoned that vision of unifying
all manner of devices under a single operating system: Continuum in Windows 10
is the latest attempt to bridge the gap between touch and non-touch devices,
and this time it doesn't force us to relearn how to work with our PCs.
To start, there's no divide between the Windows 8-style "Modern" apps you get
from the Windows app store, and those you install the old-fashioned way.
Everything exists as a traditional windowed app, sharing space on the desktop.
If you're on a two-in-one device like Microsoft's Surface Pro 3, pop the
keyboard off and Windows 10 will switch to tablet mode. The Start menu and your
apps will stretch to take up the entire screen, and all of the miscellaneous
apps and shortcuts on your taskbar will disappear, to give your finger fewer
obstacles to hit
Reattach the keyboard, and everything slots back into place. It's an
instantaneous, seamless process (once you've shooed away the annoying
confirmation window). It's also entirely optional: you can disable the feature
and switch to tablet mode manually, or forget that this whole touch concept
exists at all.
This is what Windows 8 always should've been: an operating system that bridges
the divide between touch and non-touch, without alienating folks who fall into
one camp or the other. Like it or not, the future belongs to devices with
touchscreens. But Microsoft (finally) understands that we'll all get there at
own pace, and Continuum makes the transition painless. And now that there are
so many hybrid devices to choose from, making the switch to touch without
abandoning the interface we know is more important than ever.
Learning new tricks
Microsoft hasn't stopped at making touch make sense on a Windows PC. With
Windows 10, just about every facet of the OS has been tweaked and updated, and
a few new features have been rolled in. In typical Microsoft fashion, there's a
dizzying array of keyboard shortcuts and touch gestures for each of these
features, giving you no fewer than three ways to access the things you're
trying to get to. No need to memorize them all -- just use whatever suits you
(or your device) best.
Virtual desktops
If I had to pick my favorite new feature, I'd go with virtual desktops.
Click the new Task View button on the taskbar and you'll get a bird's-eye view of all of
the apps you've got open. Drag one of those apps onto the "new desktop" button,
and it'll be moved to its own independent workspace. I can keep one workspace focused on
work, a separate desktop for gaming forums, yet another workspace for the new camera
lenses I'm checking out; there's no limit to the amount of virtual desktops you can
create, and each one is treated as its own little private island.
Virtual desktops are far from a new development, and they've been available in past
versions of Windows thanks to third-party apps. But it's nice to see Microsoft catching
up here. The feature could still use some work: desktops are numbered, but if you create
a lot of them it can be hard to keep track of where everything is. The
"traditional" Win32 apps you might download and install from a website are
happy to open a new instance on any desktop, while clicking the shortcut on an app from
the Windows store will yank you back to whatever desktop you used it on last.
You can move apps across virtual desktops -- just drag them, or right-click to
shunt them over -- but there's no way to reorder the virtual desktops
themselves, which would be really useful for staying organized. I'd also like
to be able to set a different wallpaper for every virtual desktop -- I can do
both of those things in Apple's OSX operating system, and have always found it
really handy.
Windows Snap
The Snap feature introduced in Windows 7 has gotten a bit of an upgrade, too. Drag an app
to the left or right side of the screen, and it'll "snap"
to fill that space. The new Snap Assist feature will then chime in, showing you
little thumbnails of any other apps that are currently open -- click a
thumbnail, and it'll fill up the remaining space. You can also snap an app into
a corner of your display and fill your screen with up to four apps, divided
equally across the screen -- this could prove useful for folks with massive
monitors.
Action Center
The new Action Center replaces the "Charms" introduced in Windows 8, and is
another nod to mobile operating systems. Click the Action center icon on the taskbar to
bring up a panel that houses all of your app notifications, and offers quick access to a
few important system settings, like toggling your Wi-Fi network or switching in and out
of tablet mode -- you can choose the options that turn up here in the settings menu. If
you're coming from Windows 7 and have no idea where to find some of the settings you're
used to, there's a good chance you'll find them here.
Wi-Fi Sense
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Wi-Fi Sense. While technically not a new
feature (it's part of Windows Phone 8.1) its presence in Windows 10 should've
been a welcome addition: Wi-Fi Sense connects your devices to trusted Wi-Fi
hotspots.
I love the idea. Automatically sharing Wi-Fi credentials with my friends would
remove much of the hassle of most social gatherings, when people just want to
jump on my Wi-Fi network. And -- this part is key -- Wi-Fi Sense doesn't share
your actual password, so it theoretically eases a social transaction (the
sharing of Wi-Fi connectivity) without necessarily compromising my network
security.
Until Wi-Fi sense offers granular control over sharing, I'd avoid it.
But the implementation is, in a word, daft. I do want to automatically share my
network with a select group of friends who are visiting, and have them return
the favor. I don't want to automatically share access with everyone in my
Outlook address book, or on Skype, or the random assortment of folks I've added
on Facebook over the years. Give me the ability to choose who I share access
with, down to the individual, and I'll give it a shot. Until then, I'll be
leaving Wi-Fi Sense off -- I recommend you do too.
Windows Hello and Windows Passport
Microsoft is also beefing up security with Windows Hello. The feature will use
your Windows 10 devices' camera or a fingerprint scanner to turn your body into
a password. Once you've authenticated yourself with Windows Hello, Windows
Passport will then give you access to a number of third-party sites and
products, without forcing you to log in all over again. This should make it a
bit more convenient to log in to your devices, so you don't skimp on
traditional measures, like having a robust password. The only catch is that
Hello isn't widely supported on a lot of existing hardware: you'll need a
device sporting Intel's RealSense camera, or a fingerprint scanner.
Original Article at:
http://www.cnet.com/products/microsoft-windows-10/?roi=echo3-28191086352-293
96149-dd7f5e652252fc71d16b9ce74dfd1ee2&ftag=CAD1acfa04&bhid=2269466738168683
9172315209628767
--
The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. All
new members to the this list are moderated by default. 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 moderators
directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list can
be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"VIPhone" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to [email protected].
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
--
The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. All
new members to the this list are moderated by default. 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 moderators
directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list can
be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"VIPhone" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to [email protected].
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
--
The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. All
new members to the this list are moderated by default. 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 moderators
directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list can
be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"VIPhone" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to [email protected].
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
