Hi Charles, Well, I wouldn't go to say that Mac users are limited in software choices, in the general sense, because there is quite a lot of software for all purpose day to day tasks such as office suites, sound editors, web browsers, etc. The real issue is accessibility, and accessible software. The Apple screen reader, VoiceOver, will only work with applications built to a particular specification and if an email client, web browser, or office program wasn't written with VoiceOver accessibility in mind forget it. That could be one reason it seems like Mac users have less options or choices than a Windows user.
However, when it comes to accessible games the real problem right now is many blind audio game developers simply are not creating Mac games. They often use languages, tools, and APIs not found on the Mac. For instance, many of the games written were written in Visual Basic 6 using DirectX 8. Neither technology is found on Mac OS X and consequently there is no way to make them run on a Mac without being rewritten from scratch or being run in a Windows XP virtual machine. Since it is rather unreasonable to ask a developer like Jim Kitchen to rewrite all of his games from scratch for a platform he doesn't even have or use the best option is a Windows virtual machine for all involved. Will's problem is he doesn't want to run a Windows virtual machine or install Windows into a separate partition using Boot Camp. Well, that's going to be his problem, because I highly doubt many developers will ever port their games from Windows to Mac. Its one of the prices one has to accept when choosing to use a different platform and OS. Not everyone is going to be using what you are using, and you make do with what you have even if that means virtualizing Windows for the handful of apps and games not available on your OS of choice. So by refusing to do this Will is blowing his own foot off proverbially speaking. For example, I use Linux for most of my day to day computer use. I think everyone or almost everyone on the list knows that. All the same I don't email GMA and ask them to rewrite Tank Commander, Lone Wolf, Time of Conflict, etc just so I can have a Linux version. I'd be elated if they did, but I know that it would be a long difficult task without a lot of financial investment for David Greenwood so don't bother making an issue of it. That is why I keep a Windows computer on hand for running a few things like the GMA Games that won't run on Linux. It is all a part of my choice not to use Windows full time. Mac users will have to face the same realities I have. However, if I refused to use a Windows virtual machine or keep a Windows computer on hand I'd only be shooting myself in the foot and I know it. Cheers! On 8/23/13, Charles Rivard <wee1s...@fidnet.com> wrote: > I don't know about now, but it used to be that Mac users were very limited > when it came to software choices. I know that Windows software can now be > run on a Mac, although I don't exactly know how, because I am a Windows user > > unless I am using my iPhone. Maybe your choice to not have anything to do > with Windows on your machine is shooting yourself in the proverbial foot? > > -- > If guns kill people, writing implements cause grammatical and spelling > errors! --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
