Hi Shaun, Honestly, I think you are seriously over reacting to upgrading. I know some people hate change, but going to special devices made specifically for the blind most certainly is not the answer to the problem. They are often over priced, way too expensive, and proprietary to the point they are hard to service and get software for.
To give you an example I can go to my local Walmart right now and buy an Apple iPad for $499 complete with a screen reader and a number of accessible apps. There are potentially hundreds of games and other apps I can buy from the Apple store for it which makes my $499 up front investment worthwhile. If I look at similar devices made for the blind I am looking at better than $2,000 for a basic notetaker which doesn't have the power of the iPad nor the selection of applications. I could do that, of course, but why would I buy a specialized notetaker for three or four times the cost with less features and abilities? The thing is that while you and others may not like the changes going on in the technology world I also don't think you really have much of a choice but to roll with the change. Access is improving on Mac OS X making it an alternative to Windows. Orca is constantly improving on Linux making Linux an alternative to Windows. The new Narrator for Windows 8.1 is fair as a screen reader. NVDA is better, but in many ways accessibility for Windows has gotten better not worse. Bottom line, retreating into specialized devices is not necessary, because we are on the verge of having a real choice when it comes to computers and software for the first time in history. We need to be going forward not backward because cost of adaptive technology is dropping and I see no reason to retreat back into the world of expensive high priced specialty products. Cheers! On 12/19/13, shaun everiss <sm.ever...@gmail.com> wrote: > I agree dark. > a simular discussion is going on the nvda list. > I have 7 but a lot of the games that are for the blind are old. > I have used xp for ages, and it still works. > 7 is a good system as far as its better than vista. > > 8 though I don't know its ok but there are som many visual things now. > And who needs all the extra cloud services anyway. > So much is focused on touch. > Yeah touch is good but the blind never needed to use it before and I > see no reason why we should even do so. > We don't need the extra stuff. > back in the day dos with the blind persons os. > Now its xp. > and still is to a major extent xp. > I have 7 which is the last so called desktop os, and well who knows. > Linux is starting to look attractive except I have spent so much cash > on windows apps I will need something to run windows like a vm in > which case I may as well continue running windows. > I have no doubt that there will be another system a system which is > better than xp, better than 7 better than 8. > I do think though that we need some interface for windows that is > like the old os, desktop, internet explorer, start menus and the like. > We never needed all the extras for ages and I recon we still don't. > I hate to say this, but it may be time to retreat into devices > designed for the blind and bugger the sighted. > I never thought I'd do a reversal like this but its almost like the > entire world of software is going against us. > We fight back and continue but there is a point when I do wander what > would have happened if I had never gone. --- 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.
