[gui-talk] Multiple platforms and Operating Systems
Trevor Saunders
trev.saunders at gmail.com
Tue Jul 13 16:14:43 UTC 2010
Hi,
On Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 10:50:20AM -0500, Steve Jacobson wrote:
> Trevor and others,
>
> I thought it made sense to change the subject line. This is an interesting topic.
>
> to add to my previous post, we have occasionally experienced formatting issues when converting from Open
> Office to Microsoft Office formats that seems not to involve accessibility in any way. In one case, a complex
> single-page document in Open office converted to an Office document having 16 pages. My daughter was able to
> edit the document in Microsoft Word on a Windows machine fairly quickly to restore the format, though.
I've only heard about this the other way, microsoft -> open office.
What I meant was in the case that a complicated document doesn't
appear properly in open office I believe it may be that while open
office has a correct model of the document that it provides to the
access api, but incorrectly renders the document. I don't know if
that is the case, and haven't put much energy into figuring it out,
but think it may be true since I believe I remenber seeing something
like the situation I just described.
> However, an additional point I'd like to make here about mixing platforms is that I think there is great value
> in using the same software as one's co-workers or as is used by other students particularly in high school and
> before. Even though the ability to transfer documents is pretty good, I feel strongly yet that using
> Microsoft Word to create ODF documents when one's co-workers are using Open Office, for example, is still not
> something that we should accept as an accessible solution to the fact that Open Office is apparently still not
> very accessible under Windows. Further, if a school uses a MAC but does a good bit of work using Microsoft
> Word for the MAC, serious consideration needs to be given to whether a student should use a MAC where
> Microsoft Word is not accessible or whether they are better off with a Windows computer but can then use
> Microsoft Office products. Besides the fact that complex documents may not convert, I find it very helpful to
> get information on how to do something from my co-workers, even if they do it with the mouse. It can help me
> zero in on what I need to do. These are not simple questions, unfortunately,, but the situation will get
> better over time.
I'll agree that we shouldn't accept another program as access.
However as a general principal, not as a blind person I prefer to
use the best tool even if it isn't the popular one. SO if the
alternative program is better even with the conversion required I
would rather use that than the common tool. For example personally I
do all my document preperation with latex instead of any word
processor.
Trev
>
> Best regards,
>
> Steve Jacobson
>
> On Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:48:58 -0400, Trevor Saunders wrote:
>
> >Hi,
>
> >Personally I use linux, but here are some comments on the compatability
> >issue.
> >open office produces files in the actual microsoft formats, the only
> >microsoft format I haven't seen it support is the one for access, and
> >when I needed that I found a different utility that could do that. I
> >have heard that openoffice sometimes has trouble formating things from
> >word documents correctly, but have never personally seen this, and
> >wonder if it is a formating issue that is correct in what the
> >accessibility api sees.
> >mp3 is a standard format, there are some patent issues I believe, but
> >it is standardized and any OS should be ale to deal with it.
> >networking is also all standardized protocols (tcp/ip dhcp etc), so it is no suprise
> >that a mac can use the same network.
> > given a choice I would probably use a networked printer, then you
> >shouldn't have to worry about drivers, but hardware may be an issue.
>
> >Trev
>
> >On Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 08:56:01AM -0500, Steve Jacobson wrote:
> >> Rob,
> >>
> >> These are all good points. I must say, though, that I was surprised to find that my Daughter's MAC was
> able to connect to our home network and copy files she
> >> needed from the Windows computer she had been using and all seemed to work. She has e-mailed me files from
> her MAC prepared both in TextEdit and in Open
> >> Office for me to print and they printed all right. She had to pick a format in Open Office that emulated
> Microsoft office or RTF, though, but it worked. She saved a
> >> song for me in MP3 format on her MAC and put it on a jump drive that I, in turn, put in my Windows laptop
> and copied the MP3 file to my computer. The apple
> >> system does use some extra files that are hidden on the MAC, so I had to sort through what was there to
> find the file I wanted. In short, I would not ignore the
> >> compatibility issue, but I have been surprised at what we have been able to do. However, I had a little
> Dell printer that I was hoping she could use and there just
> >> seems no way to get it to work. In doing some searches, I find that telling the MAC that the printer is
> really a particular Lexmark printer mostly works. Therefore,
> >> hardware compatibility can still be an issue. However, a Samsung printer I have seems to work fine on the
> MAC or on Windows, although it sometimes needs to be
> >> reset when changing from one computer to the other.
> >>
> >> I say all of this only to make the point that some of what I assumed would be an issue has been less of one
> than I had thought.
> >>
> >> Best regards,
> >>
> >> Steve
> >>
> >> On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:05:41 -0500, Rob Tabor wrote:
> >>
> >> >Hello Laura and List.
> >>
> >> >The OS compatibility dilemma is exactly what I tried to address in a recent
> >> >posting, albeit not as artfully as Laura's observations and concerns. Having
> >> >no direct experience in the Apple environment I am unable to respond
> >> >directly to Laura's question. However, I have heard that the
> >> >interoperability problem rears its two janice-like ugly heads, namely file
> >> >sharing and network interface. The first problem it appears could be
> >> >remedied by installing dual OS's which seems like an inefficient way to do
> >> >your IT, or by making use of a web based collaboration platform such as
> >> >Google Chrome, which may not yet be ready for prime time. I suspect the
> >> >network interface problem is much more complicated but I'll defer judgment
> >> >to the techies among us. Then, as mentioned by Mr. Foret, Linix based
> >> >systems add a whole new layer of corporate and consumer choices.
> >>
> >> >I mention these issues to encourage anyone who is entering into the personal
> >> >IT arena for the first time or who contemplate changing to a different OS to
> >> >consider these issues carefully and to take the choice that meets one's I.T
> >> >needs 90 percent of the time.
> >>
> >> >Best regards,
> >> >Rob Tabor and White Cane Ra?l
> >> >----- Original Message -----
> >> >From: "qubit" <lauraeaves at yahoo.com>
> >> >To: "NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
> >> >Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 6:55 PM
> >> >Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Microsoft security essentials
> >>
> >>
> >> >> the only thing that a windowss groupie could say about that is that Mac
> >> >> doesn't get viruses because it is not yet popular enough to have the bad
> >> >> guys attacking it. If it has a simple installation protocol, then it is
> >> >> all
> >> >> the easier for bad stuff to quietly install itself in there as well.
> >> >> I don't know enough to say this is plausible, I'm only speaking from
> >> >> general
> >> >> experience with unix and windows.
> >> >> I'm concerned about interoperability between mac and pc. I have an old
> >> >> mac that I hardle ever use. Virtually all of my activity is on my windows
> >> >> laptops.
> >> >> I want to move to mac for some activities but worry I won't be able to
> >> >> exchange files between mac and pc without compatibility problems.
> >> >> Has anyone else resolved this problem?
> >> >> TIA
> >> >> --le
> >> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> >> From: "Mike Arrigo" <n0oxy at charter.net>
> >> >> To: "NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
> >> >> Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 6:27 PM
> >> >> Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Microsoft security essentials
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> I suppose what I am about to say could be considered a shot at windows,
> >> >> though that is not what I am intending here, indeed, if someone is going
> >> >> to
> >> >> say something is better than something else, they should provide reasons
> >> >> for
> >> >> it. So, I will provide a few reasons why I think the mac operating system
> >> >> is
> >> >> better, aside from the fact that the screen reader is built in of course.
> >> >> The fact that it's much more difficult to get a virus on the mac has
> >> >> already
> >> >> been covered, so let's look at a few other things, particularly with
> >> >> applications. As someone who works in tech support, I get several calls
> >> >> from
> >> >> users attempting to install our software, and receive errors that files
> >> >> cannot register, or there are conflicts with different versions of the
> >> >> same
> >> >> file on someone's system. The mac does not have these problems. In most
> >> >> cases, the application is simply copied to the applications folder, and
> >> >> when
> >> >> it is run, it creates the preference files that it will use. If you want
> >> >> to
> >> >> uninstall a program, simply delete it from the applications folder, and go
> >> >> to your library folder and delete the preference files. No need to worry
> >> >> about shared files, and no left over entries cluttering up a registry.
> >> >> Clearly, when it comes to applications, the mac operating system has a
> >> >> better approach
> >> >> On Jul 11, 2010, at 12:40 PM, Ray Foret Jr wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >>> Well, of course, point taken. Now, here's the funny thing about that. I
> >> >>> find myself now doing the very thing I said I would never do. Gives one
> >> >>> pause for thought doesn't it? Looks like you win one.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Sorry about that.
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Sincerely,
> >> >>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
> >> >>>
> >> >>> E-Mail:
> >> >>> rforetjr at comcast dot net
> >> >>> Skype Name:
> >> >>> barefootedray
> >> >>>
> >> >>> On Jul 11, 2010, at 10:47 AM, David Andrews wrote:
> >> >>>
> >> >>>> Why is it that Mac users almost always have to take a shot at Windows?
> >> >>>> If I want religion I will go to church. If I want to do some work I
> >> >>>> will
> >> >>>> use the computer/OS of my choice!
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> Dave
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> At 08:05 AM 7/10/2010, you wrote:
> >> >>>>> Frankly, I'd have to agree with Mike. IF you feel you must continue to
> >> >>>>> run Windows, (for what ever strange reason), Just couldn't resist
> >> >>>>> that...yes, Microsoft Security Essentials is indeed a good solution.
> >> >>>>>
> >> >>>>>
> >> >>>>> Sincerely,
> >> >>>>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com
> >> >>>> Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> _______________________________________________
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> >> >>>
> >> >>>
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> >> >>
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> >>
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> >>
> >>
> >>
>
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