Kimber,I realize that this topic is slowly beginning to deviate from the purpose of this list and so I somewhat hesitate to compose this on the list. However, I feel that, if this can benefit you or someone else who is resisting the Mac, I'd like to take the risk. Frankly, I wish someone had told me some of what I'm about to write. First, I'm also a user of Windows and have been using it since the mid-1990's. I first got into playing with assistive tech in 1987 and began working in the field in 1991. In general, I learn quickly and I like to think that I know how to teach what I know in a way that people can understand, without intimidating the student. Consequently, when my employer first purchased an iMac for my classroom I was humbled, to say the least. The Mac is very, very different from windows. It's not quite like going from a Braille 'n Speak to a BrailleNote or from a victor Stream to a booksense where the same concepts apply but you're just using a slightly different set of commands with buttons in different places. It's more like going from English to a foreign language like French. Some of what you know in the English language will serve you and will make the transition somewhat easier but, in general, there comes a point where you can't depend on your knowledge of your first language in order to learn the second one. You have to somehow let go and realize that French or another foreign language isn't English, will never be English and doesn't even try to present itself as English. You'll be tempted to yell and rant that those stupid French-speaking people place the adjective in the wrong part of the sentence and that they have no concept of correct grammar and syntax and if only they could just speak the way you speak the world would revolve properly on its axis and all would be well. The truth is, of course, that the native speaker of french might well be making the same complaint about our own language and they are no better or worse when it comes to grammar or syntax than we are; they're just different. There are things about the Mac which, sometimes, translate from the perspective of Windows but only to a point. You will be tempted to throw your Mac out the window and complain that Apple just doesn't get a clue and that they should be more like windows. They won't and they don't try to be, for the most part. I had similar frustrations about the Mac for quite some time. I'm still not to a point where I prefer it over windows but I've given it a chance and I at least understand why they do some of the things they do. Sometimes, the keyboard shortcuts seem unintuitive but if I'm going to be honest I'd have to say that my beloved windows screen readers sometimes use keystrokes which are equally unintuitive but we never complain because we just got used to it. Nobody wonders why alt-f4 is used to close a program in Windows, even though it's an odd choice and makes no sense. Actually, Microsoft probably chose it because if they chose a key like escape or alt-c for close we'd likely press them accidentally more often and we'd wind up unintentionally closing programs we didn't mean to close but it's still a bizarre choice for a key. Admittedly, some of apple's choices are equally bizarre. However, reading Alex's articles, along with listening to the tutorials from www.macfortheblind.com really helped me at least appreciate the Mac. It has advantages over windows but I think it's at least worth pursuing if you're feeling adventurous.
Feel free to visit my new Web site http://www.DavidGoldfield.info Feel free to visit my LinkedIn profile http://www.linkedin.com/pub/david-goldfield/12/929/573 visit my blog http://davidgoldfield.wordpress.com Follow me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/davidgoldfield David Goldfield, Founder and Peer Coordinator Philadelphia Computer Users' Group for the Blind and Visually Impaired On 5/16/2014 11:06 AM, Alex Hall wrote:
I strongly encourage you to not give up on it. The automagic syncing of contacts, calendars, reminders, Safari tabs and bookmarks, text expanders, and more makes the Mac a great choice for those using iOS devices. I also can't recommend www.applevis.com <http://www.applevis.com> highly enough; if you have questions, post them in the forums and you'll usually get helpful answers quite quickly. There is also the email list I'm on: macvisionaries+subscr...@googlegroups.com <mailto:macvisionaries+subscr...@googlegroups.com>. Finally, don't forget you can always use a virtual machine solution, or Bootcamp, to put Windows on the Mac if you absolutely need to.To get back on topic, I forgot to mention one other aspect of a computer over iOS: storage space. My iPhone has 16gb of space, which I could max out at 64gb if I had the money and need. However, my Mac Mini has 500gb. I can store all the music, movies, audio projects, podcasts, audio books, applications, and so forth I want to. Even if you have a new Macbook with the smaller, flash-based drives, you have more room than most iOS devices, even at the low end of the Mac line. Macs support external storage (networked or plugged in directly), with no need for special apps. yes, cloud storage can help with some of this, but what happens when the internet goes down or you run out of room? The cheapest cloud storage I know of is Google Drive, and even then, a few years of that and you could have bought a hard drive with more capacity. I understand that cloud storage offers its own advantages, and I do use it all the time. My point is simply that iOS devices and regular computers are meant for two different sets of tasks. If possible, get both, and have the best of both worlds. On May 16, 2014, at 10:55 AM, Kimber Gardner <kimbersinbox1...@gmail.com <mailto:kimbersinbox1...@gmail.com>> wrote:Thanks for these links. I bought a MacAir a few years ago but couldn't beat the learning curve and gave up on it. I still have it though and one day would like to make the attempt once again. I am an old windows user, like thirty years of windows, and the Mac just beat me. KimberOn 5/16/14, Alex Hall <mehg...@icloud.com <mailto:mehg...@icloud.com>> wrote:Macs are better for productivity, partly because they are faster, partly because they offer full keyboards, and partly because they have tons ofkeyboard shortcuts. Plus, if a menu option lacks a shortcut, you can assign one yourself. I use my iOS device for RSS, mail, games, book-reading, and tons more. I use my Mac for some of the same, plus app development, audio editing, heavy typing, easier web browsing, and more efficient versions of things I do on iOS. For instance, on a Mac, deleting some emails is as easy as shift-arrowing along the list, then pressing delete. On iOS, you doubletap edit, double tap each message after flicking to it, then double tap "trash".Macs are way different, but not better or worse. They beat Windows in some areas, and Windows beats them in some areas. Interaction is a big part ofthe mac, but it is not at all "crazy-making" past the first month ofconstant use. You eventually know that some items require interaction andsome don't, and you're done. Also, with Trackpad Commander, you can do atwo-finger flick right to interact, and left to stop interacting. Or, assign the two commands to a keyboard or numpad commander to make it easier, or useQuick Nav. The OP, and anyone else confused about Macs, should read the following articles: Common Mac myths: http://www.applevis.com/blog/apple-mac-os-x/debunking-common-myths-about-voiceover-mac Getting started with VoiceOver: http://www.applevis.com/guides/accessories/getting-started-your-mac-using-voiceoverPlus the other guides and articles on the Applevis page for new Mac users:http://www.applevis.com//new-to-macOn May 16, 2014, at 9:37 AM, Richard Turner <rich...@turner42.com> wrote:The only things I do on the computer that I don't do on the iPhone are: Word process editing. It is so much easier to deal with Word on a PC than doing any real editing and formatting on an iDevice. Audio editing with GoldWave. Web site creation and maintenance Excel spreadsheets Pretty much everything else I mostly do with the iPhone; banking, web searches, Email, looking up definitions, and much more. I also think Microsoft word is far, far easier to use than any wordprocessing on a Mac. Especially if you are doing any kind of formattingwith headings, etc. The business of having to figure out when to "interact" and when you don't need to "interact" with an element on the screen with a Mac is crazy making. Plus, it is one of the strangest keystrokes I have ever heard of,Control+Shift+Options+down arrow to interact and Control+Shift+Options+uparrow to stop interacting. HTH, Richard -----Original Message----- From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Haya Simkin & guide dog Pammy Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 2:35 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Computer vs. I device Hi folks,I hope this isn't too ot. I'm considering buying my first laptop. What do you use a computer for that an ode vice can't do? Also, is VoiceOver anydifferent on a Mac than on an iPhone? How does it compare with jaws? Unlike the iPhone, does it know Hebrew? Can it cope with it if knows Hebrew Braille but doesn't have an appropriate voice synthesizer? Again, I hope this isn't too OT. Haya Simkin & guide dog Pammy Sent from my iPhone -- 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 anyquestions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel thata member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this listcan be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/.---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 anemail to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. 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 youhave 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 archivesfor this list can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. ---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 anemail to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.-- Have a great day, Alex Hall mehg...@icloud.com --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 amember's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderatorsdirectly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/.---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 anemail to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.-- Kimberly --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/viphone@googlegroups.com/.---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 viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com <mailto:viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com <mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com>.Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.-- Have a great day, Alex Hall mehg...@icloud.com <mailto:mehg...@icloud.com> --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/viphone@googlegroups.com/.---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 viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com <mailto:viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. 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