[gui-talk] Still hassling with my laptop keyboard

[Wayne Merritt]

Not to belabor the point, but if the laptop layout is chosen, you can
still use all the familiar desktop keystrokes. So, for instance, you
could use the plus sign on the number pad to activate the PC cursor,
and the minus sign to activate the JAWS cursor. The advantage as I see
it with the laptop layout is not only can you use the desktop keys,
but also the laptop keys. Granted, when I want to route JAWS to PC, I
still every time use the Insert with Minus keys to do this, even
though I'm using the laptop layout. Then again, for checking the title
of the current window, it's way easier to with one hand press Caps
Lock and T, rather than stretching fingers to hit Insert T or use two
hands altogether. So Joel, even if you decide to switch to laptop
layout in JAWS, you won't be stuck with only laptop keystrokes. It's
up to you of course, but it seems that myself and others think that it
might ease your transition to using a laptop. And, if you switch to
laptop layout but end up using total desktop keystrokes, that's
perfectly fine. Bottom line, the laptop layout gives you more options
and choices than the desktop layout. Besides, if you switch and decide
that you don't like it after a few days, you can always change back.

Regards,
Wayne

On 1/1/10, Geetha Shamanna <geetha at millernorbert.de> wrote:
> Joel,
>
> When I switched to using a laptop in 2002, mastering the keyboard was
> initially difficult. However, since I had no access to a desktop or an
> external keyboard once I purchased the laptop, the process was a lot faster.
> I have never longed for a desktop since.
>
> It might be a good idea for you to switch to using the laptop altogether
> rather than practising on it for an hour or so daily. This way, although
> things will be painfully slow to begin with, you will get accustomed to the
> laptop keyboard a lot faster.
>
> Geetha
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joel Deutsch" <jdeutsch at dslextreme.com>
> To: "GUI-Talk" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:44 AM
> Subject: [gui-talk] Still hassling with my laptop keyboard
>
>
> Hi listers,
>
> Okay, please come clean. I know some of us are totally blind and some are
> partial. I'm partial, myself, but I have no central vision thus can't read
> at all with my eyes. Only with Jaws, recorded literature, and so forth. So
> in dealing with this new machine of mine, which I'd hoped would be a handy
> tool, I'm at a loss.
>
> I thought I'd be able to get the hang of the keyboard with some effort. it's
> an Acer with a number key pad so I don't have to learn the Jaws laptop key
> commands.
>
> but still there's no space between the keys and the sections of keys as I'm
> accustomed to on a normal keyboard, and no matter how patiently I sit and
> turn on Jaws Keyboard Help to explore and get the lay of the land, so to
> speak, I just am finding it nearly impossible to operate the machine.
>
> Please bear in mind that I'm a pretty damn good touch typist, plus a Jaws
> user from way back with the current release. Ordinary stuff like that is not
> impeding me. But try as I might, my fingers just can't figure out where keys
> are, except in small, lucky instances and a few keys I happen to have taught
> myself by now. I don't think this is gonna work.
>
> I know I can get a USB keyboard to plug into this laptop, then set the
> computer within earshot and sit back with only the keyboard on my lap. But
> this ain't what I'd daydreamed about. I guess I didn't anticipate
> realistically how tough this would be to do blind.
>
> Please just tell the truth, guys. I think a number of you are using laptops,
> at least as your secondary computers. How many of you actually use your
> laptops (mine's an Acer PC, for what that matters) normally, and how many
> use an auxiliary keyboard? Am I in a very low-skill class, sort of, if I
> can't figure out how to type on something like this the way sighted people
> do with their own laptops?
>
> Ug. Bummed out. thanks for any helpful feedback.
> and Happy New Year.
>
> Joel
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> gui-talk mailing list
> gui-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> gui-talk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/gui-talk_nfbnet.org/geetha%40millernorbert.de
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> gui-talk mailing list
> gui-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> gui-talk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/gui-talk_nfbnet.org/wcmerritt%40gmail.com
>


-- 
My blog:
http://wayneism.blogspot.com
My websites:
www.wayneism.com
www.whitecaneday.org