Re: why developers should port their games to the Mac
I'm finding this discussion interesting myself.
I heavily considered getting a mac in 2015, since at the time I didn't like the look of windows 10 but manifestly could no longer go on using XP which I'd used for far longer than I should've done by that point.The chief reason I didn't in the end was basically that other than compatibility with my Iphone, I couldn't really see the advantage in a mac.
I tried one out, and the Vo commands looked a bit complex, which admitedly I could've gotten used to, and the ways the operating system worked weren't obviously what I was familiar with, but again I could've got used to it, but ultimately my thought was "why?! should I?
If I was going to be emulating Windows to play a huge baclog of audiogames, well why not use Windows anyway? And it wasn't as if I was a huge fan of things like Itunes anyway.
My basis for spending time and trouble on any technology has always been "What does it do!"
Not some nebulous set of Superlatives.
It doesn't matter if you tell me that computer x has seventy thousand hoojamaflops of giga maxity, or an all new squiggly wiggly processor, or that its more secure or more faster or more huggable.My question is always going to be "So what does it do!"
Thus, the only time I considered Windows 10 worth while was when I started to run into stuff I couldn't do on Xp, the only time I bought an Iphone was when I heard about games and useful aps on it etc.
This has always been my issue with a Mac. Where are the games and interesting applications and things to do that you can't do on Windows anyway?
I don't mean to come across as a Mac hater, I am certainly not a microsoft or Ios fan boy, or a fan boy for any software company really, I'd just be interested to know, given this discussion and the fact that even regular mac users like Slj are using Windows to play games what the practical advantage of a mac is, especially given that Macs are generlly more expensive than Windows pcs.
I will try to answer this.
I live alone without any sighted help at all. Therefore I have to fix my own computer and stuff on my own. If I need to reinstall my Mac, I can do it on my own. I can also do that on Windows 10, but that require me to have a sound card, which works with the Windows installer, or by using a USB headset.
Mac computers do not have a bios. All the settings are done directly from the OS itself.
I have used Mac OS since 2008 I think, and I have never had issues like I have in Windows, where it suddenly won't boot. If I ever get this issue, I can access the recovery part, which I might not be able to do in Windows, depending on what computer I have.
I find the Mac OS much more stable than Windows. The system can run for months without the need for restarting the computer. If an app crashes, it does not crash VOiceover that often that I have seen apps crash screenreaders in Windows. That's my experience, however, others might have other experiences.
I find using the Mac OS easier than using Windows. When working with multiple applications, programs, you can switch between the different programs by pressing command tab, which is the same as alt tab in Windows. In Windows, you switch between all the Windows you have opened, and not just the programs. Here is an example:
I currently have my web browser opened, which have five different Windows opened. I also have my mail program opened, which contains lots of opened mails. When I press command tab, I switch between only the mail app and my webbrowser. Not all the windows I have opened inside the different programs. There is an other command for switching between the windows in the current program.
I find web navigation easier with VOiceover than a screenreader in Windows. There are a lot of web navigation commands in VOiceover as well. But you don't need them. Instead, you can use the rotor like on the iPhone where you choose headings, links or other web navigations, and then you just use the rotor to navigate. An other cool feature is quick navigation, which lets you navigate the whole website, including web navigation commands, just by using the arrow keys. So, I can for example navigate this forum link by link, heading by heading etc. with one hand, just by using the arrow keys.
You mention media players. I don't like iTunes as well. Only for buying music. VLC Player is fully accessible. Much more accessible than in Windows.
We have some amazing audio apps like Highjack, which can record sound from applications or external sound devices. You can connect sources together and make your own setup. There are accessible audio editors as well, and if you are into music production, Garage band is free, and Logic is also accessible.
Then, having access to both the Mac OS and Windows lets you choose the programs which is mostly accessible on either platforms. For example: I reasonly discovered that the Twitch app and the Discord app seems to be quite accessible on the Mac. I just like an other alternative, so I can use the platform which is mostly accessible for the app I need.
Regarding the Mac computers, yes they are expensive. I'm using a Macbook Air 11 inch which I bought back in 2014. The computer have ran all day and night since the first day I got it. The only thing which needed to be replaced was the battery. I always take the computer with me when I'm traveling. I think that's quite good for the cheepest laptop to last for so long. I want a new laptop, not because this computer here is bad, it works just fine, but it would be great to have a newer and more powerful computer.
-- Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com https://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
