[access-uk] Re: Accessibilty and the iPad: First Impressions | ATMac
- From: "Paul Leake" <paul.leake@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:45:39 -0000
a wholly understandable rant making many justifiable points about language
provision and it's lack!
Cheers
Paul
paul.leake@xxxxxxxxxxxx
----- Original Message -----
From: James & Nash
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2010 7:38 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Accessibilty and the iPad: First Impressions | ATMac
Applause, applause, applause! Exactly, this is the benefit of having
mainstream products being made accessible to us. We can use the same products
as our sighted friends and co-workers etc, without the need to buy over priced
(and generally unworthy) Blindness products. That last comment is a personal
one aimed squarely at Freedom Scientific as I don't feel that anything they've
introduced since JAWS 7.0 has been worth paying for. Also, using mainstream
products means that we don't have to deal with the questionable business
practices of such companies. Yes, I know that Apple too have some less than
ethical practices - at least in my opinion, and that the choice to use a
proprietary operating system has drawbacks, but Windows too is locked down. But
the keyword there is "choice". All of you Windows AT venders listen up - it
seems the reason you guys are taking shots at Apple is because you can see that
if you were to become Apple re-sellers, you wouldn't be making so much money
from the very expensive products foisted upon the Blind.
Also, let's take an example from here in Europe. JAWS 11 came out at the end
of last year, however in Central Europe in ooh let's say France for example,
JAWS 11 is still not available in French. This is disgraceful and FS should be
ashamed of themselves. Having fought with them for years over issues like this
as a foreign language user, I have come to the conclusion that they really are
not interested in providing the same level of accessibility to all of their
customers at the same time. And before anyone says anything, I know that Apple
do not provide French voices etc by default in Mac OS X which is equally
disgraceful on their part and again I've told them so - especially when they
are available on the IPhone. However, the fact that they are there on the
IPhone suggests that they might put them into Mac OS X if they can get the
licensing sorted out. There are voices though - and although they are around
300 Euros, they are still more reasonably priced than JFW which costs between
1300-1600 Euros. Whichever way you look at it, the ability for us to use
mainstream products opens up so many new avenues for the Blind. Remember too,
that all you are purchasing are the voices - VO comes with the operating
system. That said, Mac OS X does provide Grade 1 Braille (all be it English)
allowing a Blind person to install the operating system independently. Quite a
few foreign language codes are available though after installation, including
French Grade 1. Grade 2 is proving a bit more difficult to implement, but
hopefully in time, the person doing this should get it done.
Anyone interested in getting foreign language Braille codes for their mac on
this list can go to:
http://www.cecimac.org
This site is in French, but I think there is an English translation too.
I don't like ranting like this - and I'm sorry if this upsets the moderators,
but as i said in a previous message, Blind people have been dreadfully
misinformed and people should be given the opportunity to hear "the truth" if
they want to. I fully accept that there are those who are happy with what they
use and that is absolutely fine. i also know that there are those people who
just don't want to hear about alternatives and put their heads' in the sand -
that's ok too. This is just a personal view and it is not meant to antagonise
anyone.
TC
James, Lyn, Nash & Twinny
On 30 Jan 2010, at 18:09, Tony wrote:
Blind person visits apple shop.
Buys Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, in the future an iPad maybe, who knows what's
next?
Takes it home, switches it on, and begins using it.
No need for specialist software, or any further outlay of cash.
So, the assistive software may have its limitations, but hasn't the
assistive software used to access the Widnows operating system got its
limitations too?
Hats off to Steve Jobs, main stream products, accessibility built in, that
can't be bad surely.
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Gordon Keen
Sent: 30 January 2010 15:53
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Accessibilty and the iPad: First Impressions |
ATMac
It's being so cheerful that keeps him going.
Cheers
G
From glorious Devon, England.
On 30 Jan 2010, at 12:20, James & Nash wrote:
Your distain disguised as sarcasm is really telling on your position Steve.
But I must agree with you, it's a little strange considering that Mac OS X is
built upon UNIX which is a true multi-user operating system. Unless of course
the IPhone doesn't run on top of UNIX. As I don't have an IPhone and I've not
intention of getting one, I am not really that interested in it.
TC
James Lyn, Nash & Twinny
On 29 Jan 2010, at 23:59, Steve Nutt wrote:
Hi Gordon,
I think the only real telling thing in that article is that you can only do
one thing at once. This means no multitasking. Just like the Touch or the
iPhone, you can’t even turn Zoom and speech on at the same time. Turn one on,
and the other goes off. You can’t leave Email being collected in the
background. You can’t have a Twitter client running in the background or an
Instant Messenger.
A reall leap forward I must say.
All the best
Steve
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Gordon Keen
Sent: Friday 29 January 2010 14:18
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Accessibilty and the iPad: First Impressions | ATMac
Steve Nutt, look away now :-)
.
Thought this might be of interest.
Cheers
G
From glorious Devon, England
http://atmac.org/accessibilty-and-the-ipad-first-impressions/
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