[access-uk] Re: Anyone on this list using a Mac with Tiger?
- From: "Neil Jarvis" <neiljarvis@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 07:45:22 +1200
Anyone on this list using a Mac with Tiger?Hi,
Sadly, the Access World article is a very disapointing effort on this occasion.
I normally recommend the publication to others as its easy to read and
authoritative.
On this occasion, I'm afraid the reviewer has clearly not had time to do the
review: its filled with factual errors and also shows a total lack of
understanding of how Voice-Over interacts with the Mac; hence he had difficulty
using it in situations where others have had no problems.
By all means have a read but you might want to take the points in the following
article in to account as you do.
I do highly recommend the Main Menu review which has also been talked about
here.
That was done by somebody who has actually used the programme for more than a
few minutes.
Personally, VoiceOver and the Mac are not for me yet as there are real
limitations for somebody doing the kind of work I do, but for many it might
just be the ticket. Certainly it deserves better than Access World was able to
do and I'll be reading future articles in that publication in the light of
this. I think to use Jonathan's analogy, its more of a run-around car than the
kind of unuseable vehicle he described.
All the best,
Neil
Neil Jarvis
Wellington, New Zealand
e-mail: neiljarvis@xxxxxxxxxx
MSN: neil.jarvis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Skype: neiljarvis
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anne Robertson" <anne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <afbinfo@xxxxxxx>
Cc: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by
theblind" <discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <a-a@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2005 10:56 AM
Subject: Article on Apple's VoiceOver screen reader (Vol. 6 No. 5)
Hello,
I have just read Jay Leventhal's article on Apple's VoiceOver screen
reader. Does anyone check his "facts"?
I am a totally blind Mac user and am writing this e-mail using
VoiceOver, which I previously used to read the article!
So VoiceOver is not a practical tool. Oh really? As a translator, I
find it very practical. Since I am not a stupid pathetic blind
person, I have managed to make VoiceOver work in French for me to
read my source texts (TextEdit can read MS Word documents), and I
type my English translations using TextEdit and correct my mistakes
using its spell checker as I go along.
Here are a few other factual corrections to the article:
1. Tiger was released on April 29 2005 (I know, I received my copy on
that very day!)
2. The Powermac g4 laptop computer with 512 DRAM does not exist, it
must be a PowerBook G4 with 512 MB DRAM (a little short on memory, in
my opinion, though VoiceOver only actually Needs 368 MB)
3. The bottom lefthand key on a PowerBook is the fn key which
switches the action of the function keys between software and
hardware control.
4. It's true that when you buy a computer with VO already installed,
it does not always talk straight out of the box. It should, but
accidents can and do happen. However, a totally blind person can
install Tiger from scratch unaided. I know, I've done it. Oh, and
hitting a key while the computer is booting has no effect whatsoever.
Quick Start guides are available on the Apple website.
5. The Dock is not equivalent to the Windows Desktop, the Mac has a
Desktop. There is no Windows equivalent for the Dock.
6. TextEdit can save documents in MS Word format, as well as RTF, and
it has a spell checker.
7. I use Safari with VO and find it perfectly simple. I browse the
web, listen to podcasts, make online purchases, etc.
8. Is the author of this article deaf? VO speaks the name of the
window as it opens a website. I always know that I have reached the
Apple site when I open Safari.
9. Command-O opens a file. Command-L opens a location.
10. I can't comment on Windows screen readers, I've never been able
to afford one! However, Jay clearly did not set up his computer
correctly. I navigate through websites easily by using the Group
feature in the VoiceOver Utility. He did not even learn how to lock
the VO keys (Control-Option-semicolon).
11. VO was not "rushed onto the market", it was beta-tested for
almost a year and modified considerably during that time, I know, I
was one of those who tested it.
12. So "VoiceOver has none of the tools that users of screen readers
have come to expect", what a sweeping statement. Actually, VoiceOver
is not a screen reader per se, it is an alternative way of
interacting with the operating system. It means that blind users talk
the same language as sighted users and not some private jargon that
excludes the rest of the world. VO does not, in general, duplicate
existing keyboard shortcuts. In fact, as long as an Apple computer is
running Tiger, a blind person can use any sighted person's computer,
simply by pressing Command-F5.
To sum up, I enjoy using my G4 iBook to do my e-mail, surf the web,
listen to the radio, listen to music, Skype my friends and family all
over the world, and do my work as a translator. I feel this article
by Jay Leventhal is unfair to those who do not have the money to buy
a PC plus a screen reader. It is possible to have a brand-new fully-
accessible Mac system for under $500, and it can cost even less to
buy a secondhand Mac plus the Tiger operating system. We are not all
rich or have access to grants etc. Besides, Macs are so far virus
free, not plagued with spyware and pop-ups, and the operating system
is extremely stable.
Jay Leventhal should have done his homework before writing this
disgraceful article. It is a travesty of the truth!
Yours in sadness,
Anne Robertson
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