Does Ichat still have that weird limitation as to who you can add to your contacts? Sorry, I know that's vague, I just remember that when I got my Mac last summer people were opting for Adium because of some issue pertaining to chatting with contacts from certain providers, like I think maybe those with Yahoo addresses? Thanks, Donna On Jun 18, 2010, at 6:59 AM, Dave Taylor wrote:
> Another really useful response, thank you. All this is information I will be > using to get the most out of our day for as many people as possible. This > netbook has a couple of years in it I should think, but I have a feeling it > has received its last paid for update. My feeling is that by then, there > will be no second thought about making the switch. I've already been shot > down for being so excited about the trackpad, but I know it will be an > important way of doing things. Few people are born blind and I totally > believe that for somebody losing sight, even if they used Windows when > sighted, switching to VO would be much easier for them than learning Jaws or > NVDA. > > Cheers > Dave > > > -----Original Message----- > From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com > [mailto:macvisionar...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Laura M > Sent: Friday, June 18, 2010 12:44 AM > To: MacVisionaries > Subject: Re: Prospective Mac User > > As to 1, I find messaging on the Mac to be much, much more enjoyable > than I ever did on Windows. If you want to, you can use it the way you > describe, so you don't have to switch back and forth between the > message area and typing field, but even if you use it by tabbing > between them, your place is generally remembered, at least on iChat. > It also handles multi-person chats better than anything I ever had > with Windows. and the best part is, it works without any kind of Jaws > overlay. The same commands I use to switch between windows, or bring > up contacts are exactly the same for non-Voiceover users. > > On a general point, I think listening to demos isn't a good way of > figuring out whether you'll be efficient. They don't sound convincing > in that regard, I know. That's no fault of the demos, I don't think. > It's just hard because some of the concepts, like interacting, seem > much more complicated than they are when you're just hearing about > them. When you're using them, they're far more intuitive--or at least, > they were for me. > > Once I started using it, I found that I loved the Voiceover way of > doing things. I don't know if it's always more efficient (though I > certainly don't think it's less), but it's more useful than that for > me. Between group mode and the trackpad, I have a far better sense of > how websites and screens work. There's a context that was never > present with JAWS. I know, for example, how the mail program is laid > out, or that certain webpages have easily accessible sidebars that I > can instantly reach. That absolutely does make me more efficient, > because instead of tabbing or arrowing everywhere, I can just touch > where I want to be. Far, far fewer keystrokes. And because I know > where things are, if I'm explaining something to a friend or family > member, I can help them visually identify it far more easily than I > could've with JAWS. It really has shortened the distance between how I > use a computer and how my sighted friends do, and that's awesome. > > That's also why I like that VO doesn't make assumptions about what I > want it to do, or decide that I'll inevitably want certain extra > commands. There are some essential things that really do have to be > there for basic functionality, and a lot of really cool stuff that > just makes life easier, but I'm not relying on the kind of special > JAWS scripts to get things done. Again, it increase parity between me > and everyone else using Macs. I didn't know it at the time, but now I > really do feel that JAWS was a layer between me and the operating > system, which in many cases made it very difficult if scripts broke, > or programs were updated, or I was simply trying to explain to a non- > JAWS user how I did something. Now I tell them what steps I take, and > in most cases, they can replicate them. > > On Jun 17, 10:35 am, "Dave Taylor" <d...@cl333.plus.com> wrote: >> Here are some specific questions on areas where it appears Jaws is ahead. >> >> 1. In messenger programs, is it possible to have a set of keystrokes that >> will read messages and stay within the history area while being able to > type >> in the edit area at the same time and review that typing? I would want to >> have a feature set like the alt plus numbers and arrows in Jaws otherwise > it >> would be too slow. This is one of the main reasons I haven't switched to >> NVDA rather than Jaws. >> >> 2. In Skype, I can get to my contacts or conversations list with single >> keystrokes using ctrl 1 and ctrl 2, and focus most other areas with > similar >> keystrokes. In addition to the feature I just asked for in messenger, how >> easy is this in Mac? >> >> 3. This one is not a Mac problem, but is really important to me. I use >> several programs that make tasks so easy in Windows that don't work on the >> Mac. How much does it cost to buy Windows stand alone these days to run >> those on a Mac? I'm thinking of SpeakOn which makes internet radio, > podcasts >> and all sorts of other audio things much easier and gives you fantastic >> control over speed etc, Kurzweil 1000 which though expensive automates so >> much of my mail reading by simply scanning and automatically reading > things >> while I'm doing things, and programs that don't even exist for Mac like > the >> VIP communicator for the Accessible Friends Network and VIP Conduit. >> >> It is also possible with Jaws for people to write scripts to do things and >> share them. Is this possible for VO? >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@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 macvisionar...@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 macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. 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