Well, vo is the only screen reader that has failed to keep up with my typing, and it is just as slow speaking letters as it is moving around a webpage or arrowing around mail. Yes, a monitor would likely help, but I don't have $120 to spend on a monitor when I already spent $600 on the Mini itself just to get a screen reader to speed up. If the adapter that aame with my Mini would connect to the dvi to vga adapter I have, and so would work with the older vga monitor I am trying to use, I may have a different experience, but I doubt it will help the speed of speech as it reacts to my typing or tabbing. Looking back, an Air would have been a much better choice, but I didn't realize that until after the return period was up, plus I didn't have the extra $400.
On 1/4/12, Ricardo Walker <rwalker...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi, > > I fail to see how voiceover not keeping up with the speed of your typing > indicates voiceover making your Mac sluggish. After all, the letters are > coming out just as fast as your pressing them. Its the speech thats lagging > behind. This is no different than on windows when you open an application, > and the app is on the screen for 2 or 3 seconds before Jaws says a peep. > Saying the screen reader slows down the screen reader, which is kinda what > you said, is a pretty circular argument, no? What I was referring to was > the screen reader draining so much of the computers resources, that > performing tasks liking opening applications, playing media, etc becomes > effected. > > Ricardo Walker > rwalker...@gmail.com > Twitter & Skype: rwalker296 > www.mobileaccess.org > > On Jan 4, 2012, at 10:05 AM, Alex Hall wrote: > >> Yes, I should have specified, and I apologize to the list for any >> confusion. From past discussions, though, I gathered that a monitor >> *may* fix *some* applications being sluggish, such as mail, but not >> the overall slowdowns I see when doing anything at all. For instance, >> I have key echo off because vo is too slow to echo the characters I >> type as I type them, yet jaws or nvda can do this just fine. For that >> reason, I also disagree that screen readers in general slow down a >> machine. So far, the mac is the only machine I have seen where using a >> screen reader causes lag in even tabbing or arrowing. >> >> On 1/4/12, Ricardo Walker <rwalker...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> Hi, >>> >>> all screen readers, on any machine slows things down. Its just the >>> nature >>> of the beast. As far as your mini goes, the lack of a monitor is >>> definitely >>> the cause of most of your sorrows. If you hooked up a monitor, I think >>> you >>> would get much better performance. If you don't want a monitor, a >>> macbook >>> air might have been a better fit for you than a mini. Its just a fact of >>> life for the Mac Mini and voiceover users at this time. You need to have >>> a >>> monitor hooked up to have a stable experience. This has been the case >>> for >>> years now, and I don't see Apple doing anything about it anytime soon. I >>> do >>> think when you shared your experiences with your Mac earlier in the >>> thread >>> you should have specified you were using a Mac mini with no monitor. I >>> think not doing so was a little miss leading. >>> >>> JMO. >>> >>> Ricardo Walker >>> rwalker...@gmail.com >>> Twitter & Skype: rwalker296 >>> www.mobileaccess.org >>> >>> On Jan 3, 2012, at 11:36 PM, Alex Hall wrote: >>> >>>> I find it interesting that you specify that Macs are faster when a >>>> screen reader is not involved. Do you mean that you find vo slows >>>> things down, or just that screen readers make for inaccurate >>>> comparisons? I always figured the extreme sluggishness of my mini was >>>> due to its lack of a monitor... >>>> >>>> On 1/3/12, Ricardo Walker <rwalker...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>> lol, >>>>> >>>>> I think your sighted friend is on drugs. :). I find the Mac to be >>>>> just >>>>> as >>>>> fas and more often than not faster when doing tasks than windows when a >>>>> screen reader is not involved. Man, You know how long it takes iTunes >>>>> to >>>>> open on windows sometimes? smh. >>>>> >>>>> Ricardo Walker >>>>> rwalker...@gmail.com >>>>> Twitter & Skype: rwalker296 >>>>> www.mobileaccess.org >>>>> >>>>> On Jan 3, 2012, at 8:44 PM, Chuck wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Thanks for the information. I do plan to use my PC and the Mac Mini in >>>>>> parallel until I get used to the Mac. I am familiar with voice over >>>>>> and zoom on the iPhone and iPad and I'm hoping that they translate as >>>>>> well to the Mac Mini. >>>>>> >>>>>> I have a sighted friend who also says that the Mac is a little more >>>>>> sluggish than the PC. I don't do any gaming, 90% of my computer uses >>>>>> buying online, word processing, and web development >>>>>> >>>>>> But having dealt with Zoom text for the last 15 years, I am totally >>>>>> frustrated with the program. I have to reboot it about five times >>>>>> every day in order to get the text smooting to work. And it no longer >>>>>> works with Internet Explorer nine. I'm sure that when they do finally >>>>>> fix it, they'll want another $150 for the update. >>>>>> Chuck >>>>>> >>>>>> On Jan 3, 6:22 pm, "Missy Hoppe" <melis...@fuse.net> wrote: >>>>>>> Very well said. I've had my mac since may, and although I've recently >>>>>>> become far more fond of Itunes than my bank account is >>>>>>> comfortable with, I just don't use it for daily tasks. I just can't >>>>>>> get >>>>>>> comfortable with any of the word processing options, >>>>>>> and since I've been using a PC for close to 25 years, I'm always >>>>>>> going >>>>>>> to >>>>>>> be more comfortable on a windows platform. One of >>>>>>> my favorite activities, especially while I'm unemployed, is playing >>>>>>> games, and while I'm thrilled that the RS games client >>>>>>> works on the mac, there aren't any other options. I'm still hoping >>>>>>> for >>>>>>> a >>>>>>> truly accessible mud client; if atlantis is >>>>>>> accessible, I sure haven't figured out how to make it speak >>>>>>> automatically. >>>>>>> My other major task is writing/editing a story I've been working on >>>>>>> for >>>>>>> several years now. I just can't get comfortable >>>>>>> working on my files using the mac, so just keep using good old >>>>>>> wordpad >>>>>>> on >>>>>>> the PC. >>>>>>> Since it cost me so much money, I have chosen to use the mac for >>>>>>> things >>>>>>> that either don't work or I don't want to mess with >>>>>>> on my PC: adium, skype, itunes, and a couple of other similar things >>>>>>> that >>>>>>> I can't remember at the moment. I figure that the >>>>>>> mac is a lot easier to fix if something goes wrong, and that's >>>>>>> definitely >>>>>>> something I'll give Apple credit for; you can >>>>>>> install the operating system without any sighted assistance, and with >>>>>>> carbon copy cloner and time machine, it's easy to >>>>>>> restore your machine on the off chance that something catastrophic >>>>>>> happens. Another thing that I really love about the mac is >>>>>>> Growl. It essensially reads things that happen in the system tray: >>>>>>> changes in dropbox files for example. That's 1 thing my PC >>>>>>> can't do, or if it can, I don't know how to set it up, so the mac is >>>>>>> really awesome in that respect. >>>>>>> With all that being said, however, while I certainly like my mac a >>>>>>> lot >>>>>>> more than I did when I first bought it, to be >>>>>>> perfectly honest, there's still a rather big part of me that regrets >>>>>>> the >>>>>>> purchase. I eventually hope to get bootcamp and/or >>>>>>> VM fusion up and running, but so far, that just hasn't happened. >>>>>>> I hope this makes at least a little sense and that it helps you in >>>>>>> your >>>>>>> decision. Sadly, I can't comment on the large print >>>>>>> side of things, but I've become moderately comfortable with using >>>>>>> Voiceover. Good luck in whatever decision you make, and I >>>>>>> hope this helps you out at least a little. >>>>>>> Missy >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>>>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com >>>>>>> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Alex Hall >>>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 8:01 PM >>>>>>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com >>>>>>> Subject: Re: Switching to a Mac from PC >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I got a Mini after hearing nothing but great things about the Mac and >>>>>>> VoiceOver. I can honestly say that I regret the >>>>>>> decision. I never understood editing, my system seemed sluggish >>>>>>> compared >>>>>>> to NVDA with Windows, and web browsing is slow on >>>>>>> the Mac when using vo. Also, a lot of what I do on the pc is audio >>>>>>> gaming, and not so much as a good, accessible version of >>>>>>> Solitaire is available on the Mac, let alone shooting, strategy, or >>>>>>> other >>>>>>> intensively audio games. >>>>>>> I am still willing to admit that a good, long skype session with >>>>>>> someone >>>>>>> who is an experienced Mac user may help me, but as >>>>>>> of right now I almost never boot into Mac, using the Windows half of >>>>>>> my >>>>>>> dual-booting mini almost exclusively. If you do >>>>>>> switch, make sure to either set up bootcamp or a virtual machine so >>>>>>> you >>>>>>> can run Windows, because I can pretty much promise >>>>>>> that you will still be using Windows for a while after you start >>>>>>> playing >>>>>>> with the mac. Sorry to be so negative, but that's my >>>>>>> experience so far. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On 1/3/12, Red.Falcon <velocity.focu...@virginmedia.com> wrote: >>>>>>>> Hi Chuck! >>>>>>>> Although I do not use windows and never have! >>>>>>>> I have seen posts about the zoom and one thing the Mac cannot do is >>>>>>>> change colours! >>>>>>>> So its black on white or vice vursor! >>>>>>>> hth Colin >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On 4 Jan 2012, at 00:05, Chuck wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Hello everyone, >>>>>>>>> I'm seriously considering switching to a Mac Mini from PC. >>>>>>>>> I intend to use both the zoom and voice over programs. >>>>>>>>> I am currently using a PC with Windows 7 and zoom text as my >>>>>>>>> magnification and reading software. >>>>>>>>> I would like to hear from those of you who have made the switch. >>>>>>>>> What pitfalls should I look for? Are there any trade-offs? >>>>>>>>> In your opinion after making the switch which is the better system? >>>>>>>>> Why? >>>>>>>>> Thanks. >>>>>>>>> Chuck >>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>>> 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. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> Have a great day, >>>>>>> Alex (msg sent from GMail website) >>>>>>> mehg...@gmail.com;http://www.facebook.com/mehgcap >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> 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 >>>>>>> athttp://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. >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Have a great day, >>>> Alex (msg sent from GMail website) >>>> mehg...@gmail.com; http://www.facebook.com/mehgcap >>>> >>>> -- >>>> 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. >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Have a great day, >> Alex (msg sent from GMail website) >> mehg...@gmail.com; http://www.facebook.com/mehgcap >> >> -- >> 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. > > -- Have a great day, Alex (msg sent from GMail website) mehg...@gmail.com; http://www.facebook.com/mehgcap -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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