I've heard rumors of this Apple screen reader before, but I've never
been able to find any information on it on the web. I see references to
Textalker from Street Electronics, and I know Raised Dot Computing had
some self voicing applications for the Apple II, but I don't recall this
screen reader from Apple myself, and like I said, I haven't been able to
find any information on it on the web.
On 11/20/2014 11:36 PM, David Chittenden wrote:
Your information about Apple's past regarding accessibility is not precisely
accurate.
Apple placed a rudimentary screen reader in the Apple II back in 1983. I know
because I worked with it for a brief period of time during my first attempt at
university. It did not give me the same access as the $10,000 specialised
computer system, and as I was a computer systems student at the time, I usually
had priority on the better machine.
In 1989, I managed a community college AT lab. I also managed the faculty port
server database for IT. One day, my IT boss summoned me to his office where he
demonstrated his nice new Macintosh. He loaded the built-in screen-enlargement
on the Mac (which Apple never advertised about, and showed me how much better
it was compared with the TSI Vista enlargement system I maintained on one of
the AT machines. At that time, I could see letters if they were two to four on
the monitor at a time. The mac enlargement was crisp and clear, even at my
magnification requirements. The Vista board system caused pixelation around the
edges of the letters. Also, the Mac system used and followed the mouse
precisely. We did not have a mouse on the Vista machine.
In the mid 90's, I learned from a cousin who is a Mac software engineer who
consulted for APPLE, that he was payed by Apple to interface with Berkeley
Systems so they would have the best possible interface with OutSpoken for Mac.
After Berkeley Systems went out of business, and HumanWare (or was it Pulse
Data) decided not to continue OutSpoken for Mac (after purchasing the rights of
the software), Apple contacted Freedom Scientific attempting to get them to
develop the screen reader for OSX. Freedom Scientific refused, so Apple decided
to take Mac screen reader development in-house in 2002 / 2003. They released
VoiceOver for OSX Tiger in 2005, which speaks to a two year screen-reader
development cycle.
Contrary to the common belief, the above history does not demonstrate a company
which was uninterested in accessibility. They often initially got it wrong, but
they were never not interested.
Note: everything except my cousin's information can be located on the net. I
will not divulge my cousin's information as what was said I consider to be in
confidence (especially considering Apple's pathological need for privacy and
confidentiality.
David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA
Email: dchitten...@gmail.com
Mobile: +64 21 2288 288
Sent from my iPhone
On 21 Nov 2014, at 16:26, Mary Otten <motte...@gmail.com> wrote:
Sadly, I knew people who had the old Apple computers back in the 80s, and also
who had max running outspoken. It is a fact, so far as I understand it from
people who know more than I do., That Apple did exactly nothing with respect to
accessibility until after the feds past 508 and they woke up and smell the
coffee and realized that they were going to lose out if they didn't develop
something. Then, they did voiceover. For the Mac, and then the iPhone, and they
have done an excellent job by and large, although with the Mac, there are still
some problems. That isn't to say that Microsoft or anyone else did any better.
I just want to make the point that Steve Jobs was not an angel. And for many
years, Apple really did less than Microsoft with respect to helping the
third-party developers who are trying to make the system accessible.
Mary
Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 20, 2014, at 1:29 PM, Mary Anne Lynskey <marlyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
I have never found that the Droid system has been easy to use from playing with my brother's phone. In fact, I have found it to be clumbsy and awkward to navigate. Having stated that, I've not really learned how to use it either and am just starting to do some homework on it now. I am hoping that things improve before the time comes for me to decide. I think the problem here is that Apple had raised the bar so high that we are all upset and disappointed when things fall apart, as we should be. And yes, I still think Steve J is a huge loss and even if the system was not good to start with, it became far superior to anything out there on his watch. In fact, my very first computer that I could use with good functionality way back in the early 80's was the Apple IIe or IIc, can't remember which. That was before MS really had much out there that was accessible and if IBM did, it was very costly. So I think the apple founders truly did have accessibility as a priority from the start. I
do think that one person can make a big difference in what a company does, its
policies and its priorities, especially if the person happen to be in Mr. J's
position. That's my take on the Steve J issue, a huge loss and too young. This
new person in charge needs to step up to the plate, fix what is broken and quit
tinkering with that stupid watch.
Mary Anne
On 11/19/2014 9:49 PM, David Chittenden wrote:
Well, Google obviously never releases extremely bug-ridden software like Apple
does, right? (see the below message).
Begin forwarded message:
*From:* MacDailyNews <comment-re...@wordpress.com
<mailto:comment-re...@wordpress.com>>
*Date:* 20 November 2014 14:59:33 NZDT
*To:* dchitten...@gmail.com <mailto:dchitten...@gmail.com>
*Subject:* *[New post] ‘Shockingly bad’ Google Android 5.0 Lollipop update
bricks phones, tablets; kills apps*
*Reply-To:* "MacDailyNews" <comment+e60benyponb65mhj-j_lcs...@comment.wordpress.com
<mailto:comment+e60benyponb65mhj-j_lcs...@comment.wordpress.com>>
WordPress.com
MacDailyNews posted: "[cfsp key="adsense_336x280"]"Early adopters of Google's latest Android
operating system are warning others of problems with the software," Leo Kelion reports for The Beeb.
"Issues include the update causing Nexus 7 tablets to run slowly and repeatedly cra"
Respond to this post by replying above this line
New post on *MacDailyNews*
<http://macdailynews.com/author/macdailynews/>
‘Shockingly bad’ Google Android 5.0 Lollipop update bricks
phones, tablets; kills apps
<http://macdailynews.com/2014/11/19/shockingly-bad-google-android-5-0-lollipop-update-bricks-phones-tablets-kills-apps/>
by MacDailyNews <http://macdailynews.com/author/macdailynews/>
[cfsp key="adsense_336x280"]"Early adopters of Google's latest Android operating system are
warning others of problems with the software," Leo Kelion reports for The Beeb. "Issues include the
update causing Nexus 7 tablets to run slowly and repeatedly crash, with several users complaining they had
become 'unusable.'"
*MacDailyNews Take: *Even more so than usual, apparently.
"The code also appears to remove apps built with Adobe Air and then prevent them from being
reinstalled," Kelion reports. "Dozens of messages posted to Google's own forums suggest
that owners of the 2012 version of the Nexus 7, in particular, are experiencing headaches. 'Some
apps won't work and some crash. I wish I didn't install the update,' wrote Kristen Sawyer. Another
user, nicknamed StretchToo said: 'Chrome is dead, unusable, Firefox just about works, the keyboard
takes over a minute to load, nearly works if you hunt and peck but dies if you try to swipe.'"
"'Updated and the Nexus is [so] shockingly bad it is basically unusable, lags just rotating
the screen, every task takes 10 seconds to perform if it does it [at all],' wrote Gary
Looker," Kelion reports. "Several Android Lollipop users have also highlighted
compatibility problems with Air-based apps... Reports elsewhere suggest some users are experiencing
problems with text messages, the way contacts are managed, and wi-fi connectivity."
*Read more in the full article here
<http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30116319>.*
*MacDailyNews Take: *It's well past time to stop settling for
inferior wares and get the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, iPad Air 2, and/or
iPad mini that you really wanted but stupidly tried to
approximate, fragmandroid settlers.
Pry open thou eyes, casteth aside thine darkness and
cometh-hither into the light!
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "buddabob" for the heads up.]
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- September 16, 2014
Reviewers fall all over themselves to praise Apple’s 64-bit iPhone 6/Plus
<http://macdailynews.com/2014/09/17/reviewers-fall-all-over-themselves-to-praise-apples-64-bit-iphone-6plus/>
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The Wall Street Journal reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPhone 6: ‘The best smartphone you can
buy’
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Macworld reviews 64-bit iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus: Bigger is better (in the right
hands)
<http://macdailynews.com/2014/09/16/macworld-reviews-64-bit-iphone-6-and-iphone-6-plus-bigger-is-better-in-the-right-hands/>
- September 16, 2014
*MacDailyNews <http://macdailynews.com/author/macdailynews/>* | Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 8:59 pm | Tags: android <http://macdailynews.com/?tag=android>,
App Store knockoffs <http://macdailynews.com/?tag=app-store-knockoffs>, App Store roadkill <http://macdailynews.com/?tag=app-store-roadkill>, App Store wannabes
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