I was just thinking about this actually. Forty years ago, if you wanted to
use a computer you had to enter in source code one line at a time on a
punchcard and hope to god you didn't make an error. Something you found out
only after the huge mainframe worked all night. Ten years after that
personal computers started getting made. Ten years after that, they were
everywhere and we had DoS and Apple and Unix systems. Ten years after that
we started getting into huge graphical programs and the old command line is
greek nowadays to most users. Now, we have windows 7 and 8 and ios 12 or
whatever version they are at now, and we have Unity desktop and gnome three
and all kinds of other eyecandy stuff that puts more emphasis on how pretty
it is, rather than how usable and customizable it is. I think life was a lot
easier when all you had to worry about was a command line, in a lot of
respects.
----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 10:09 AM
Subject: RE: Guess What? Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 Supports Windows 8!
Hi Bill
When I think of the history of computing, I actually find that
everything is getting much easier. Although it is very different.
where the challenge lies is just when we get into thinking about
something in a specific fashion the playground changes. Think about how
word processing programs like Word Star used to function. We had to use
dot commands at the beginning of lines and control characters to create
specific behaviours. And we began thinking of Windows in a certain way
during the 3.1 era. Windows 95 began to change that, but not much.
Windows 7 is rather easy, but again when we got used to the pull down
menus, which might be a carry over from some DOS applications, we get a
ribbon tossed at us.
What I do find the most frustrating is when something isn't working
correctly it is a lot more difficult for me to get into low level
trouble shooting on a Windows 7 computer. Back in DOS and using the
CONFIG.SYS file to block off sections of memory and INI files to set
interrupts I could wrap my head around that and know where to look for
things. However although trouble shooting is more challenging for me due
to my background, someone like my father in-law has a much shorter
learning curve when using Windows 7 and newer office products. Even when
I work with new comers to computers from the vision impaired community
they seem to be OK, because they are not carrying as much history as I
am when they are taught new software.
Vic
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Scherer [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 9:58 AM
To: Raul A. Gallegos
Cc: Window-Eyes discussion list
Subject: Re: Guess What? Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 Supports Windows 8!
Seems as though, that the operation of these new OS's gets more
complicated
for blind users rather than easier.
I don't see that as a screen reader fault, but rather the fact that
Microsoft
still doesn't consider the blind in it's design like it should--of
course
that's not only Microsoft that does this.
<grin>
Bill
.----- Original Message -----
From: "Raul A. Gallegos" <[email protected]>
To: "GW Info List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 5:43 AM
Subject: Re: Guess What? Window-Eyes 8.0 Beta 1 Supports Windows 8!
Hi, this same kind of discussion happens every time a new Windows
operating system comes out. It was true when it went from Windows 3.1
to
Windows 95, then again when Windows 98 came out. Then again when
Windows
xp came out. Then when Vista came out. And of course when Windows 7
came
out. So, while your question is valid, the truth is, it's human nature
to
wonder about such things. Windows 8 may or may not be as easy as other
operating systems, but just think of the past history of Windows
operating
systems. Things change, and so is it learning a new Windows which is
frightening, or is change itself what is more frightening.
--
Raul A. Gallegos
STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS.
Home Page: http://raulgallegos.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rau47
Facebook: http://facebook.com/rau47
On 10/16/2012 4:58 PM, Sandra Fouts wrote:
So what would be the hardest to learn? Windows 8 or a Mack computer?
Windows 8 sounds confusing to me.
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