If that was the case, then why have Microsoft gone to all the trouble to bring Outlook back to the Mac? Why have they gone to the trouble to make Office 2011 100% compatible with the Windows version? Clearly they are interested in the product and there is a market there. Apple don't need any help in creating a Office product, they have never been interested in high end Office as many have failed in this arena. Look at Lotus SmartSuite, AmiPro and Lotus were excellent products. Novell had the totally wonderful WordPerfect and Quatro Pro. They were all better products, but are more or less dead now, Corel does not even push Word Perfect these days.
At the end of the day big businesses and government departments want Microsoft Office either running on the Mac or Windows platform. So why can't we fully join the party? If Microsoft turned around tomorrow and released Office for the Mac with excellent accessibility support, would you not be interested or pleased? On 4 May 2011, at 14:17, carolyn Haas wrote: > Hi: > I think Microsoft isn't interested in accessibility. I suspect time would be > better spent working with Apple to get a better office type program > developed. Microsoft knows they have the public by the neck, (for lack of a > better word:). Like Adobe, they've pretty much made it clear that > accessibility is not a concern that keeps them up nights. > In my opinion, Since Apple has built accessibility in, Microsoft won't be > bothered to make their product work with a rival platform. > > Carolyn > > On May 3, 2011, at 6:28 PM, Kevin Shaw wrote: > >> A few points from me: >> >> Windows comes with a screen reader called narrator. It's not as robust as >> Voiceover, but Microsoft does "develop" it, much the same way as one vacuums >> under the sofa—You're lucky if it's done every few years. >> >> Yes, I agree with the initial suggestion. Tell Microsoft you want to >> participate as a full user of their software. The squeaky wheel gets the >> grease. Peer-selling can be of great benefit, like telling them that if a >> company like DigiDesign can render a highly complex program like ProTools >> accessible, it would be easy for Microsoft to do the same for its most >> familiar productivity software. >> >> We may also mention the fact that 65 to 70% of blind people are unemployed >> or underemployed. Perhaps one person could take up the initiative, start a >> petition and be the go to person when it comes to engaging Microsoft in a >> dialog, much like my hero Slau did with ProTools. In which case, a carefully >> articulated and well-crafted series of statements could bring light to this >> issue. >> >> In addition, opening lines of communication to the media on this issue could >> also be of benefit to our cause. This is a large issue, as there is much to >> explain to a largely sighted audience. Explaining how screen readers work is >> one thing. Explaining how a popular program like MS Word doesn't work with a >> Mac or Windows screen reader is a whole other challenge, orders of magnitude >> beyond telling the journalist that talking computers let blind people surf >> the web. >> >> If it's at all possible, we could establish a list of people with the skills >> and connections to create these documents, the petition, press releases and >> other communication strategies to bring attention to this issue. If there is >> a lawyer on the list (and I doubt it because no one answered my black's Law >> Dictionary question), perhaps the mention of an anti-trust investigation >> will get things moving. I say this with a bit of jest, so please don't fill >> the list with messages bashing these suggestions. >> >> I work for a radio station here in Canada and would be willing to invest >> resources into getting this story told. If anyone else has a media contact >> or connection, let's develop the tools that we need to tell this story. >> >> the only question that remains is, are you ready to change the world? >> >> Kevin >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en.
