Hi, I am behind with my mail reading so not sure if you got many replies
yet. Some additional random thoughts:
Software on the mac is generally less expensive then on the pc and some
great software is even free of charge included with the mac and
accessible (garageband for example, i seem to remember that sonar on
iwndows is quite expensive and requires many jaws scripts).
I think your back up points is very important but also that it is
possible and even very easy to reinstall the mac as a blind person. With
windows this is also doable but certainly not as easy.
IF for some reason you need to use windows on a mac, foryour work for
example, then it also has added benefits (if you dont need to edit audio
a lot then you would need to use an external soundcard) above using just
a windows box (if you only use it less then 50 per cent i would say)
because you can install any windows within vmware fusion without sighted
help and it is very easy to back up that windows virtual file to an
external drive. Also you dont need to manually install any drivers and
there is no trickyness with graphic cards and screenreaders.
This is all I can think of right now but contact me if you want to brain
storm further.
Greetings, Anouk,
Op 1-9-2011 12:56, Paul Erkens schreef:
Dear list,
I have a question for us mac users. If anyone thinks it is off topic, if you
have an idea where to better ask this, please let me know.
Shortly, I will attend a discussion with one of our national funds that help
blind people buy a computer. If a blind person living in the Netherlands,
really cannot afford a computer themselves, and they can't get any financial
support from any other organisations, there is a fund that they can call upon,
however. It is with these people that I'm going to talk soon.
Currently, if a blind person gets a computer from this pc fund, then what you
get is a Dell configuration with windows and a screen reader. If you want
anything else, because you think an Apple computer could give you more
possibilities, then you can indeed get financial support if they are going to
honor the request for help of course, but then you will get half of the money.
This puts windows in favor of a mac, because getting haf of the money means
that you still cannot get hold of the other half to make it happen, and because
you do need a computer, it's going to be windows.
This reasoning was understandable, until some 3 years ago. Since then, Apple
has given us many new, innovative and exciting possibilities with a mac. What I
want to achieve is a change in the way they look at this. No matter if you need
a pc or a mac, I would like the fund look at it as being 2 equal solutions, one
suited better for a person than the other. Not: windows always.
What I need from you, is some help in putting together a factual enumeration of
reasons for a mac. Reasons that people can check upon, and that hold true. I
have a number of questions.
1. Which part of the blind community is best helped with a mac?
My current answer: those who are willing and capable of self study. As with
sighted folks, of course this does not include every one. There are courses
being developed, but if you have no users, there is no urgent need for courses
to get to know the mac. And if there are no courses, there's no urge to buy a
mac. So for the moment, the user will have to be willing to self study.
Please add to this if appropriate.
2. When is a mac preferable?
My current answer: if the user is willing to solve his own problems,.
The mac avoids repair cost. if the user is willing to get himself out of
trouble when something goes really haywire, then a mac will let you do this,
and keep him her independant of sighted help. If you have a current backup, you
can restore your system without help, and even install an os the same
independant way. This avoids sending out staff to the user to go fix their
system problems. Besides, if the hard drive fails, you can still work off of an
external usb drive
until the hardware is fixed. Please add to this, or contradict it.
3. From a user's perspective, Are there any areas where a mac is really better
for an independant blind user?
My current answer: I would say not really. You can get all things done on both
systems, but the mac will give you a smoother experience. Speaking for myself,
if something doesn't work, it is usually me, who doesn't know how to do it, or
something is just plainly inaccessible. You almost never wonder why the system
acts strangely this time, and tomorrow it might act differently. I need reasons
in daily experiences.
4. From the buyer's perspective, in this case the fund paying for the mac for a
blind person, is a mac cheaper than a pc?
My current answer: In the long term yes. Initially, a mac is more expensive.
However, you get the screen reader with it, which outweighs the problem of cost
for a mac. Further more, if the mac gets updated, usually the screen reader is
updated with no further cost. This avoids having to lag behind, where the os is
more modern than your screen reader, and you will probably have to spend
another sum to update that. Please add to this if appropriate.
5. Unknown makes unwanted. Why do funds, insurance companies etc, stick with
windows, when there could be a better alternative for a particular user and
with respect to price?
These are my questions for now. I'm not an expert. Just an average user,
wanting others to benefit from macs as well as windows pc's, whatever is best
for them. The fund is open to input, and I'd rather not let this opportunity
pass, now that they are listening. I don't want to favor the mac either. I just
want it to become an equal alternative, not suited for everyone, but
complementing the array of choices.
Paul.
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