Hi Scott. I switched to the Mac November 3, 2010 because of two reasons. 1. I was getting tired of my Lonovo laptop freezing and crashing. At one point, the hard drive failed completely so I had to take it in and wait a few days for it to be repaired. Needless to say, they didn't do a good job because after receiving it, it still kept freezing and crashing. 2. I was going to University and I needed a computer that was stable and didn't crash. So when I had the money, I went to the store on campus and purchased this very white MacBook I'm writing this message on. As for wanting to go back to the PC, last year I did just that because a job I was doing required me to use Windows. Let's just say I didn't miss it at all because that computer was doing the same thing as my Lonovo was. So rather than using a PC to do Windows stuff, I just installed Windows 7 on this Mac so I have the best of both worlds. And like Devin says, I wish there were more games for the Mac, including a proper client of the Playroom since the web client sucks. Not only that, but I'd be using the OS side if the Siri voices were available like they are in NVDA. Wish whoever made those voices work for NVDA would do the same on the Mac.
Shawn Sent From My White MacBook From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Alex Hall Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2014 6:27 PM To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: Experience Switching to Mac I wanted to give the Mac a try, and I liked the iOS syncing. In 2011 I got a Mac Mini, and my only regret is not getting a Macbook straight away so I could take it with me. I find the Mac more convenient, stable, and usable. However, if you do a lot with MS Office for productivity, you may miss some features of Jaws (like Text Analyzer). Don't get me wrong - iWork is very accessible. It just takes a bit longer to do some tasks, though other things are easier, and some advanced screen reader features are absent. The OS has odd little things in it you might find frustrating, such as the inability to re-order the columns in Mail. You are going to hear the conversation count, sender, subject, attachment status, preview, and unread status, in that order. Once you get used to them it isn't bad, but these are the sorts of things that can hang on for quite a while, no matter how often you email Apple. I recommend the Pros and Cons of the Mac article on www.applevis.com, but be warned, some people think it is too biased towards Apple. On Apr 5, 2014, at 7:08 PM, Pamela Francis <gypsykitt...@gmail.com> wrote: Hello, I thought of another thought provoking and conceivably decision-making reason as to why one should or should not change to the Mac. Go in to any electronics store that sells windows laptops. You will find their prices a little more impulsive and easier to stomach than you would when thinking of your purchase for a Mac. However, the trade-off is the support you get from both the Apple Store and their telephone customer support. Apple has a dedicated accessibility line with reps who are trained in the use of VoiceOver and how to help a visually impaired person workaround an issue. There is also a basic voiceover tutorial built into the OS. I paid for the one to one training upon my first Mac purchase. That might be good for most cited users, in my opinion, the trainers are not as well-informed in the store as the help one can get from lists such as this or their telephone representatives. In the closest Apple Store to me, there are no accommodations made for those who need a quieter environment to work with voiceover. One must compete with the den of the store and any other people in a class or on the sales floor. Don't waste your money on one to one training as a blind person. By all means, purchase AppleCare. It Pays for itself within the three years you have it. The Genius Bar within the Apple Store is also a very good resource and good support if you have computer issues that are not voice over related. One does not get this kind of person-to-person support by Microsoft when purchasing a Microsoft product. You pay little more for the Mac, yet when comparing it to what you get with Windows, you get what you pay for. Pam Francis On Apr 5, 2014, at 4:47 PM, Devin Prater <d.pra...@me.com> wrote: I totally agree with the last point. I don't think Microsoft has added a real feature to Windows in, many years. I've been using Windows since, uh, 4th grade? Third? And nothing is truly different. Yeah yeah, you got the start screen and the charm bar and all, but they're really just superficial things. Apple updates all components of their OS. They add new apps and services and improve old ones. And goodness, don't get me started on Apple's Office suite. Lets just say? Even though I got my mac two years ago, I downloaded Office 09, upgraded to 14, and um, how can you beat FREE? Plus, Apple's iOS devices sync perfectly with the mac, and while Windows boasts flexibility, Apple boasts secure, pretty darn flexible in my opinion, and easy! Oh and add fast tothat too. And the braille support on all Apple devices, blows anything Windows has out of the water. Why? Because accessibility is built right in. The only bad thing about the mac, is that truly not many people have jumped in. I know of only a few blind programmers on the mac. Alex, make us some games, would you? :-) Its not like college is that hard, lol. I'll expect an accessible version of super mario 64 by next year. :-) But yeah, not many games for mac. But while I'm sitting here going on about that, I'll say that when I used my windows laptop, I honestly didn't play that many games. I really don't remember what I used it for. Oh right, skype, because it had a mic and webcam built in. But yeah, its not that hard to get an iOS app to make your iDevices act as a webcam and mic for a mac. :-) Sent from my iPod On Apr 5, 2014, at 16:05, Pamela Francis <gypsykitt...@gmail.com> wrote: Hello, I switched to the Mac almost 3 years ago for several reasons. I was tired of the SMA upgrades for windows based screen readers. I still own a Windows 7 machine, and would use it if I had to, yet fortunately I don't see that being the case to this point. There were too many conflicts with Windows programs and the basic Windows operating system. Also, my mother had passed away. I needed a channel for my feelings along with the reason to keep learning. I am not sorry. The Mac experience was definitely different. There are still things I don't know. However it's a continuous reason to learn. Windows stagnates, the Mac experience does not. Pam Francis On Apr 5, 2014, at 3:24 PM, Ray Foret Jr <rforet7...@comcast.net> wrote: 1. I switched because windows 7 was about to come out and I thought to myself, "If I've got to learn a whole new operating system and screen reader, why not give the Mac a serious look instead of window-eyes or staying with JAWS?" 2. For me, switching to the Mac was one of the best decitions I ever ever made. I would not even think of going back to clunky crashy windows. 3. No regrets at all about switching to the Mac. Go back to PC? What? You kidding me? Sent from my Mac, the only computer with full accessibility for the blind built-in! Sincerely, The Constantly Barefooted Ray, still a very happy Mac and Iphone 5 user! On Apr 5, 2014, at 3:11 PM, Scott Duck <scottduck1...@gmail.com> wrote: Hi, As I have said, I am thinking about switching to the Mac and have been trying to gather more information about it. To that end, I have been asking specific questions. I will continue to do that but I would like some general feedback from people who have made the switch from Windows to the Mac. Why did you switch In the first place? Having switched, do you feel that it was the right choice for you? Do any of you regret having switched or have you even gone back to the PC? Thanks, Scott Duck -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to <mailto:macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to <mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at <http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. For more options, visit <https://groups.google.com/d/optout> https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- Have a great day, Alex Hall mehg...@icloud.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. 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