Mac review part two: Accessibility

A brief note before we begin: once again, I find it necessary to apologize for the fact that this review on the accessibility of my Mac is extremely overdue. And there have been several people ill with bad colds here. I have also had a number of developments in college life that I cannot discuss here. Everything is fine and when college begins again in the fall, I am sure I will have a tremendous success. All of these developments along with some overdue reunions have kept me from blogging. Now that I have explained my situation, let's get on with the topic at hand which is the accessibility of the Mac.

I've been using my MacBook Pro for quite a while now and I still love it! No, I have not given up Windows and because I own a Mac, I will never have to make the choice to give up Windows. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go back to the first part of this review read about parallels.

 

As all 2 readers of this blog will know :-), I have cerebral palsy which means that when I use a computer, I have to do so in a different fashion from most people. For one thing, my CP impacts the muscles in my eyes. This can make it difficult to read small print. To address this problem on my PC at home, I recently purchased a product called ZoomText for approximately $400. Now this product is absolutely worth it and I could not run my PC nearly as effectively without it. I know this because I did so for years and never realized just how much of my computer I couldn't see. ZoomText is not like the simple magnifier you'll find in Windows. ZoomText can magnify the entire screen, rather than just a small portion. What to do about the Mac? Well it turns out... nothing. That's right, you heard me to achieve the exact same results as in ZoomText, I didn't have to do anything apart from turn on the built-in magnification utility in OS X Leopard and learn the keyboard shortcuts to control the magnification. So to review: on the PC $400 was spent to get a good magnifier. On the Mac, I spent nothing apart from a little time learning exactly how the magnifier worked.

 

If magnification is not enough for you and you need something read aloud, what we do you plan Windows-based PCs? Yes, it is true that Microsoft has a utility in the accessibility options called "Narrator". In my experience however, the utility can only read selected text. Let's contrast this to the Mac experience. What do I do on my Mac if I want to read the document or an e-mail? I simply click "Edit", "Speech", and "Start Speaking". This functionality is built into any Mac application that supports text. That means you can use it in a word processor, or, e-mail. The only place where the reading utility is not available where it should be is in web browsers. If you still require more expensive audio feedback due to blindness, the Mac has a built-in utility Called "Voiceover. This will read anything on the screen, including menus and dialog boxes. And it's built into the Mac directly. A good voice navigation system/screen reader for the PC such as Jaws for Windows Can cost or $800 for the Standard Edition.

Mac: part 1 The convergence of the operating systems

First, let me apologize for being away so long. As I have previously reported on this blog, I am in the middle of doing school related tasks. But I have a lot of technology stories to cover and so over the next few weeks, I hope to catch up. We're going to begin today with the topic that has engendered much passion on both sides of the issue. Yes, it's that age-old argument, PC or Mac. Most of you know that I bought a MacBook Pro for school and I have to tell you I love it! Now hold on, before you fire up those angry e-mails saying, "but PCs run more applications." Before you even think of calling me a turncoat, let me describe computing in the ideal world.

 

In an ideal world, wouldn't you like to be able to run any application you wanted, regardless of which operating system it was made for? If you could have your ideal computer, wouldn't it always boot up without fail? Wouldn't it be less susceptible to viruses than your computer of today? If you could deal with an ideal company, would you deal with a big conglomerate that only makes software, or would you want the company you deal with to also have intimate knowledge of the hardware you're using because they made it? In an ideal world you shouldn't have to worry about system requirements in choosing software to the degree that we do today. All you should have to do is go through the simple act of putting the disc in question into the appropriate drive. Yes, you heard me, That's All You Should Have To Do. Now do we live in an ideal computing world? No, of course not but the day is coming because frankly, my experience with the Mac as shown me that it is possible not to have to make certain choices. Today though as I said, we are not at the "ideal world "stage of computing. So let's take a good look at where we are with the Mac today.

 

 

Let me state for the record that my MacBook Pro provides the best mobile computing experience I've ever had! Why is this? The answer is very simple I did not have to choose between Windows and OS X. I run them both simultaneously and seamlessly using a program called "Parallels". "Parallels" doesn't just allow me to run Windows on a Mac. You can actually do that without purchasing anything apart from your own copy of Windows using a program called "Boot Camp", which is free in the newest version of OS X "Leopard" the advantage to "Parallels" is that it allows me to integrate all by Windows applications directly into my Macintosh experience. In other words, using the Mac, I can run Windows applications just as though they were made for the Mac. rather than having me try to explain how parallels works, watch this video.

So this means I do not have to abandon needed Windows applications while at the same time, I can simultaneously take advantage of all the easy to use Mac applications. The latest version of "parallels" does in fact support DirectX for improved gaming. Before you e-mail me and say, "This game doesn't work on parallels", I said improved gaming, not perfect gaming. It is also no longer necessary to drag files between the two operating systems to choose which application can open them. So that's how I run my Mac. I like choice. Ask yourself why we choose between operating systems. Why is there a great debate? Why can't each individual to decide what is easiest for them and work that way? That time is coming and "parallels" and other software like it offer a glimpse into the future when operating systems will look the way each user needs them to but still be able to run the applications they want.

 

The Mac itself is tremendously well built. MacBook Pro's are aluminum and glass, not plastic. The keyboard is backlit for use in the dark. Although I don't type, I do find this feature useful for seeing what I'm doing in the dark. There are also a number of accessibility features that are a great improvement over those found in Windows. If you're familiar with Narrator, you may find as I did that the Macintosh Voiceover utility is an incredible improvement. OS X also includes a far superior magnifier to that found in Windows. The Windows one sits at the top of the screen, while the OS X equivalent can magnify the entire screen. This means you don't have to look in one particular area at to get a better view of what you're working with. And it will even work on the Windows apps you run. Probably the easiest thing to do is to devote an entire blog entry on accessibility between parallels and OS X. This I will do next time but for now, just know that one day, the convergence of the operating systems will happen! "Parallels" and other such solutions are a good stopgap in the meantime. You do however, need to make sure that you're running an Intel Mac with at least 2 GB of RAM for parallels to be responsive in a timely manner. When setting up Windows in this fashion, you can then devote 1 GB of RAM just Windows. I run Windows Vista this way on my Mac. I'll have more information about installing adaptive software used in Windows on the Mac in my next entry, "Accessibility and the Mac"

Thanksgiving

This post was published to Technical Musings at 3:25:50 PM 11/20/2007

Thanksgiving

 

 

You might be wondering what this has to do with technology. If I could ask for your indulgence for a moment, I think you'll see the connection. For all of our friends outside the US, Thursday is a national holiday. November 25th is Thanksgiving Day. This day is supposed to commemorate the day the pilgrims (Puritans) shared a peaceful meal when the native population after a rough winter. For me, Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate my life and to look for ways to bring the same hope and encouragement to others in my situation. Anyone who reads my blog will know that I am greatly concerned with making a difference in the world. Right now, the people of Bangladesh are in terrible pain. Tragic events there have separated families. Children are hungry and dying. When we look at the devastation there, we might think, "There's nothing I can do. It's so far away." With so much turmoil there, it is difficult to know where to begin. Television cameras and other broadcasting technology have however, made us aware of the problem. And technology may provide a partial solution. We may not be able to go to remote countries to assist those in need personally, but we can and must do something. Go to the Red Cross website, to see what can be donated. If Bangladesh seems too far way, begin here at home. Get your local church, synagogue, mosque, or, community group to crochet, knit, or, collect hats, scarves, and, maintenance for the homeless and needy. Don't pretend we don't see them every day. Technology beams images of these people into our living rooms and what we as a society need to understand is that any one of us you one paycheck away from being in that situation. Did you know that one in 10 people had to choose between buying food and buying other daily necessities such as medications? What does that say about us both as people and as a nation? What kind of people do we want to be? I know, "I'd love to donate something, but I don't have money or time". While I'm proud to announce that beginning today, you do. You can simply go to the grocery store, buy extra roll of toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, or other nonfood items not covered by food stands and bring them to a nonfood pantry in your area. If you don't have a nonfood pantry in your area, talk to your local churches about being a drop-off point. It's these types is essential nonfood items that many people go without. What kind of technology do we have today? I know we've spent many hours discussing the benefits of technology for society, and I'm sure will spend many more. Right now though, we as a country; as people, have a decision to make. We have technology to help people in need, what are we going to use it? Are we so complacent; so convinced there's nothing we can do that we won't even try? Here's something simple you can do. Go to the Salvation Army website and make a small donation in your state. There, technology allows us to be charitable without leaving home. Still not enough? Unable to donate to the Salvation Army or other organization? Okay, try this. Right now, as you're sitting there surfing on the Internet, you could be feeding hungry people all over the world. You can do it without even leaving your computer chair. It doesn't require any money and there's no extensive amount of time necessary you can even get your children involved in this activity. What is it? Just go to freerice.com. As you increase your vocabulary, the sponsors of the website will donate rice to the UN to be distributed to needy countries. Currently correct answer you get, 10 grains of rice are donate it. The more vocabulary you know, the more you can donate. It's that simple. Yes, this is legit and for proof, you can go to CBS news, and look under the CBS evening news. If you know of any other programs or websites where people can make a difference during this time of need, please let me know. We have the technology to solve these problems and only by employing it correctly, can we truly make a great Thanksgiving for all. Please, remember to give thanks all year round.

Housekeeping

Hi everyone. Sorry I've been away for so long. School has taken a lot of prep work. I finally registered for classes and by the time you read this, my MacBook Pro will probably be on its way. I will have a review of OS X .5 Leopards as soon as my Mac arrives. Needless to say, I am looking forward to it and I'm also looking forward to working with Parallels in order to run Windows and Mac OS simultaneously. There are a number of other exciting developments I'll be following, so stay tuned.

Why it's important

Well boys and girls, my classes are beginning January 14. The Visual Basic course is not being offered this semester, so I will have to take that in the following one. This semester I will be focusing on learning Java. Java is a wonderful programming language because it's platform-independent, meaning that the software you develop using it can be run on any computer. So I'm definitely looking forward to taking this class and the associated lab. Today's post, however, is not necessarily about computers.

 

For those of you; and I know who you are :-); who think that I only write about boring technical computer stuff, this post is for you. Through this post, I hope to demonstrate the positive impact technology has had upon my life. In doing so, hopefully you'll begin to get a better understanding of why these things are important to me. I'm not the kind of person who will blog about every technological development ever made, only those that solve my problems for me and others like me. So with that, let's begin.

 

The world I live in is very different to most of you. Most of us develop limitations as we get older, as our muscles get weaker `with age. My situation is different in that I was born with limitations caused by my CP. Through physical therapy, I have developed my muscles and I am training the undamaged part of my brain to take over functions that are difficult and complex such as standing and balancing. Since walking is not my primary mode of transportation, I obviously need some way to get around and that, my friends, is where technology comes into play. I have a power wheelchair that enables me to get around. I know, "yeah, so what?" Yes, of course we say that now but consider for a moment... what did it take to develop the electric wheelchair that is so commonplace today? It actually takes some very sophisticated technology. Consider what a wheelchair is made out of these days. It's made out of aluminum and other lightweight alloys that were discovered where? That's right, they were employed by NASA for use in the space program other lightweight metals were developed by DuPont to improve cooking.. That's a practical example of technology at work to make lives better. Here's another.

 

Consider for a moment the method I'm using to post this blog entry. Do I type? Am I able to use a mouse for prolonged periods of time? Absolutely not! I use speech recognition. When I was in high school; actually beginning in grade school; my parents had to help me complete my nightly homework assignments by acting as scribes. They took my dictation. That was the only way I could complete the work that was required of me. If they hadn't been willing to do that, I would not have been able to go to school. So for those of you that think that science fiction is boring, consider the way I write to you today. Exactly what would my life be like without the ability to express my thoughts and ideas in such an efficient and independent manner? To be honest, we don't really know. What is certain is that we wouldn't want to know. I would probably be institutionalized, if not for my ability to get around and through my technology, making a positive contribution to the world around me.

 

Suppose that the artificial joint had not been invented. What would happen to your grandmother or grandfather when they had joint problems? What would happen to the returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, many of whom are amputees? If wheelchairs had also not been invented, people without full use of their limbs would be crawling in the streets. That includes me. Is this really the kind of world we would want? Not so boring now is it?

 

We all pray for a better world. That's wonderful because prayers are answered! I'm living proof of that. But if we're going to start solving problems for people, we have to care about it. We actually have to want to make a better world for everyone to live in. We've got to give dignity to all. We've got to start looking at technology as a means to help those around us. That's why it's important. Isn't that kind of world we really want? Don't we want to solve problems to make life better for those around us? I do and if you feel like me, you'll understand why I write this blog. Going to school and learning as many different programming languages as I can will enable me to get back to those who were kind enough to do the work that brought me independence. I want to develop software that addresses specific problems. That's why technology's important to me.

IPhone: the price drop and Doing the Right Thing

Okay, I know. There are a lot of angry iPhone customers out there. For those of you that don't know me personally, I'm not made of money either. I bought the iPhone because it addresses a very specific problem for me. There is no way I could use any other cell phone on the market without great difficulty. I have cerebral palsy and therefore, I also have coordination problems. The touch screen means that I don't need to dial any numbers to get help immediately. I tap a name and that's it. I don't need to remember long phone numbers anymore because with the iPhone, they don't exist. I keep phone numbers with my addresses in my e-mail contacts. I can then sync my iPhone via iTunes with my address book on my PC. So all I have to do to make a call is tap a name. That's the power of the iPhone. It's a huge step forward for someone like me because it means that I don't have to deal with small buttons. I have a 4 GB iPhone. Recently when Apple announced the new iPod lineup, something strange happened. After Mr. Jobs introduced the new iPod nano, shuffle, and, the iPod classic, he introduced the iPod touch. What is the iPod touch? The iPod touch is the iPod component of the iPhone and nothing else. That's right, it's an iPod that looks like an iPhone and utilizes the exact same touch screen interface. Steve Jobs also announced that Apple was dropping the price of the 8 GB iPhone by $200, bringing it to $399.

This friends, is where all the trouble began. But let's look at the circumstances surrounding this announcement. The iPod touch will come in two models (8 GB & 16 GB). So why are they dropping the price of the iPhone? It's simple. Jobs and company can hear the sound of sleigh bells. That's right, Christmas is coming. The iPod touch is priced at $299 for the 8 GB model. If Apple can say, "wait, for just an extra hundred dollars, you can have the easiest cell phone you've ever used" , that's a very attractive proposition. Since Apple has discontinued the 4 GB iPhone, it is also logical to assume that very shortly the company will be introducing a 16 GB phone that will most likely sell for between $499 and $599. Do I think it was a big price drop? Yes, of course I do. I can however, see what Apple is doing. And I think that as computer users, we are use to new product cycles every six months and frankly, that's not how the cell phone industry works at all. Their cell phone models do usually come out about every two months. Would I like to have a larger capacity iPhone? Naturally I would. Given time, I will but this does not detract from the fact that my current iPhone is fulfilling the purpose for which I bought it. Yes, I love the iPod in the iPhone and I would love to be able to import more songs and movies on to it but ultimately, I need the phone as a phone. The last time I checked, my home phone does not have a 4 GB iPod attached to it. Does yours? If it does, I want to hear about that :-)! Perhaps one of the reasons that Apple's announcement caught people off guard is that we seem to have a rather odd perception of this company. We think that because they're smaller than Microsoft, they must be "on our side". Let's be clear. Choice drives innovation. It is therefore; good that Apple does things differently than Microsoft. In the end though, they are a company and like all companies, they need to make a profit to stay in business. Apple is doing the right thing by offering a $100 Apple store gift certificate to early adopters.

Mac me up, Scotty. There's no intelligent lapttops down here.

Well folks, the time has come for me to begin thinking about returning to the halls of academiia in pursuit of my eventual masters in adaptive technology. For those of you asking, "exactly what is that", adaptive technology involves both the development of new applications and, the implementation and adaptation of existing computers and software technology to assist those with disabilities. Perfect job for me, right? I agree but in order to facilitate my academic aspirations, I'm going to need a notebook computer. Naturally because of my disability, any portable computer I use must meet specific requirements in order to run the specialized speech software needed. I also wanted a rugged notebook: something that would stand up to any little mishaps my coordination problems might visit upon it. It's wonderful having CP, boys and girls :-)! For those of you that don't know what it's like, I basically rent space in my body. Just because I occupy my body does not mean I have constant control ovver it or its muscles. The brain injury, due to lack of oxygen at birth, sometimes causes my body to move in ways I don't intend. That brings me back to the choice of notebook. I've looked at "toughbooks", which are notebooks that can be used in areas which would be dangerous to normal laptops, such as construction sites. These notebooks are extremely well-made and are designed to withstand almost anything: water, dropping, being run over, etc.. The price is astronomical, however, making it an unfeasible option for my purposes. So what did I decide to do? Well, I'm buying a Mac! Can I get a " hallelujah " from the Mac crowd? This should prove once and for all to everyone that Apple is a company I watch, love, and, respect. Does this mean I'm abandoning Windows? Not at all. I have a Windows Vista media Center PC at home with an Xbox 360 that takes the recorded TV shows from my media Center and streams them via my home network to my living room. I therefore cannot give up Windows, nor would I want to. For college however, my needs are somewhat different. I need a durable laptop that can run Windows applications. I need a laptop with the appropriate amount of RAM preinstalled. Upgrading hardwarre on a portable PC is nearly impossible, owing to the size of the components in question.

So why a Mac? The Macbook Pro is made of aluminum and glass, not plastic. This makes it somewhat more durable than the ordinary laptop. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that the MacBook could withstand everything in the world, just that it's a little more durable than some of its counterparts. They are Intel-based PCs, as are all Macs these days. This means that they are capable of running Windows when necessary through either a program included with the Mac called "Boot Camp",, or, a program called "Parallels (sold separately). With "Boot Camp", you are given a choice at start up of whether you want the computer to boot into Windows or, OS X. "Parallels" is somewhat different in that it allows you to run both operating systems simultaneously. This gives you access to both your Windows applications and, those on OS X. So obviously, I will be using "Parallels". I would point out that although the Mac can run Windows, you could not legally run the Mac OS on a PC. This infuriates me at times, but that's another blog entry. The choice of running both Windows applications and native Mac applications opens up a world of possibilities. I don't see any reason why we should have to choose between types of computers. I've always been intrigued by OS X and I like the basic concepts behind the operating system. At the same time, as I previously stated above, I cannot make an "either/or" decision. Therefore, the MacBook Pro offers me the best of both worlds. The MacBook Pro also comes standard with 2 GB of RAM preinstalled. I intend to try to get four gigabytes of RAM, if I can afford it. If you're still wondering why I would go to a Mac, the iPhone proved something not only to me, but to the rest of the world. The iPhone reminded people that at any moment, Any company could come up with something that changes the way we look at everything. The MacBook Pro has certainly done it for me. I will be getting more information on my experience with this notebook in October, when I'm actually able to purchase it.