Re: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling Operating Systems at CSUN

  • From: "Matthew2007" <matthew2007@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2008 08:51:12 -0800

How about the following day to day hardware types of tasks:

1. Quickly attaching and moving important files using any of the following peripherals such as CF cards, external hard drives, PDAs, cell phones, and interacting with various assistive devices such as the Braille Note or pacmate and so on. You would of course have to ask the participants to bring "all" their goodies because anything can be asked of them. It would be kinda crappy to ask them to do something they weren't prepared for such as attaching hardware they don't have in their bags.

2. Regular types of maintenance on the machine such as getting rid of temp files, running hard disk diagnostics and so on--using built-in tools of course. Also, interacting with each computer's control panel to test ease of use and accessibility when adding and removing software.

3. Quickly schedule client meetings and or phone calls using the particular machines built in calendar/day planner.

4. To test speed and ease of use, using the build-in search feature of each of these platforms to find files would be pretty interesting. I guess you would have to ask the participants to search for a file common to these platforms in an effort to obtain some sort of equality/fairness of the task.

5. test the portability of each of these products' file structures. That is, using built-in software, which of these operating systems can produce documents that the larger population of computer users can read. Then again, this might be an issue of an office productivity suite rather than a hardware issue. Nevertheless I'm interested in just how generalizable these platforms can be.

6. To see just what the operating system offers, create a list of built-in applications and utilities all computer users must have access to such as a calculator, entertainment software to play music files or watch movies, method of quickly jotting down notes, means of quickly accessing files using operating system shortcuts for files and OS utilities and so on.

7. Asking the participants to show off their platform by stating the benefits of their OS in comparison to the platform of others. In other words, what does your platform have and can offer that the other guy's doesn't.

8. I think a quick q/A in regards to what types of assistive technology and adaptive software can be installed on the platform would be pretty interesting. That is, can all 3 platforms run K1000? Can all 3 platforms run Open book? Can all 3 platforms interact with Braille Sense, BN, that APH player and so on. In doing so we will of course discover the usefulness and limitations of these operating systems as it relates to blind users.

9. Answering how one would reinstall an operating system in case of a digital meltdown.

You know, the more I think about this question the more I'm driven right back to the traits of the human participants. That is, what if the platforms can each do any of the tasks requested of it in and effective easy to use manner, but the human participant is not familiar with the fastest method of interacting with the platform. Ultimately, I'm thinking that since this presentation might end up on some public forum, the possible lack of skills of the user interacting with their particular platform might convey to an audience that the platform cannot efficiently do what is being requested of it when in fact it might be user error or user lack of knowledge. This could be very unfair to an otherwise very easy to use operating system.

Thanks,

Matthew
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ken Perry" <whistler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 11:42 PM
Subject: RE: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling Operating Systems at CSUN




In this same vein

3.  Check some kind of web mail and respond to it using a web browser for
example a gmail account.

Ken

-----Original Message-----
From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of James Panes
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 11:36 PM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling Operating Systems at CSUN

A couple of obvious ones:

1) Retrieve and respond to an email.

2) Use an internet browser to go on-line, fill out a form and submit it.

Regards,
Jim
jimpanes@xxxxxxxxx
jimpanes@xxxxxxxxxxxx
"Everything is easy when you know how."

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Meredith" <tallin32@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 10:32 PM
Subject: RE: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling Operating Systems at CSUN


Wouldn't that only be effective if the system specs were similar?

-----Original Message-----
From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John Greer
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 6:24 PM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling Operating Systems at CSUN

Quickest boot times from first press of the on button to screen reader
start.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jamal Mazrui" <empower@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 4:37 PM
Subject: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling Operating Systems at CSUN


I am moderating an event called Dueling Operating Systems at the CSUN
conference next week.  Three users of an operating system and screen
reader
combination will compete for a couple hours:  Windows with JAWS, the
Mac with VoiceOver, and Gnome/Unix with Orca.

We agreed to develop a long list of possible tasks that would each take
from about 3 to 5 minutes using software that comes with the operating
system, except for JAWS and Microsoft Office. Either I or others I enlist
would pick a selection of tasks from the list at the actual event.
Each task should be described in a general enough way so that someone can
choose the application and screen reader techniques that achieve the same
result.

If anyone has suggestions about possible tasks to include on the list, I
welcome such input.

Jamal

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