Laura, very well stated and very much to the point. On Jun 17, 2010, at 7:43 PM, Laura M wrote:
> 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. -- 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.
