Category: Geeks r Us
So I started using the Mac and everything was fine until we got into complex tables and rows. I could understand the simple ones but couldn't figure out how to interact with these. I skipped it and finished the tutorial and then it asked me about the wireless network. Every time I tried to connect it kept giving me an error saying the password was invalid, even though Mom was giving me the information from the paper. Anyway, I eventually told it I wasn't connecting to the internet so I could move on with the process. It started asking me my name etc and I'd type in the various fields, but I'd still get an invalid message. Still, my info showed up and everything, so I don't understand that. So now I'm stuck in the table with the states. I chose New Jersey, but can't figure out how to stop interacting with it or to let it know that yes, I selected it and want to move on to the next field. I'm sure I'll get all of this as time goes on, but right now, I'm a bit frustrated. The stupid fucking HP restarting itself and making me lose this post plus a nice one that I wanted to put in Simagic because I screwed it up when I turned it back on doesn't help either!
Ok, I hit shift-vo keys up arrow and it stopped interacting with the table. But after I finished filling out the information, it said I didn't fill everything in. I don't understand this. How do I fill out these forms and work with this? Am I doing it wrong? Maybe, that's why the wireless thing wouldn't work either. Btw, how do I get that back so I could change my settings once this is done?
So I think figured it out by myself but I can't figure out how to get to the different applications. I got there once, but don't remember how I did it. I also need to figure out how to set all the preferences to VoiceOver or even how to get into VoiceOver itself. When I made my user account, it wouldn't read me the letters I was typing, so I got them wrong. It says the username can't be changed. So can I just delete the account and create another one? Finally, when it said select my time zone, I only saw PST and all the cities in the list were on the West coast, so the time is three hours behind where it should be. How can I fix this?
Sounds like you kinda went crazy trying everything. Anyway, here's the basic hints. VO-D will get you to the dock, where a lot of application shortcuts are. Command-shift-A will bring you directly into the applications folder where you can launch any of them by pressing command-O. Your time zone can be changed in system prefs. To get there, press VO-M to get to the menu bar. Pull down the apple menu, and press return on system preferences. Your username setting is there as well.
BTW, to get connected to your wireless, press VO-M twice quickly, then right arrow till you come to the airport menu. Press down arrow on it, and connect to your wireless network. It's very easy, just be patient.
lol Yeah. I love this thing! So I did that and found a few networks. When I found the one I wanted, I typed in the password but it said that the security was incompatible. When I tried it with two of the others, it said the password was invalid, which I understood, since it wasn't the same network I'm guessing. When I tried it with yet another, it said it was connecting then it failed. I tried several more times on that one and got the same thing. When, I exited and can't figure how to get back in again. lol I hit VO keys twice with M but it keeps bringing me from the choices of Apple and edit etc and then to spotlight search. I've tried this both from the desktop and from applications but no luck. I think I'm gonna have Joanie disable the security or password or whatever it is tht's not enabling me to connect to the net. Maybe that way, it'll work. Thanks for all the help. I just found out that the VoiceOver manual is actually available in braille, so I'll be calling Apple on Monday to see if I could get it. I did enjoy going through the different programs and checking out their options, I'll say that much.
Ok, Joanie got me online. She did something sighted. She said that the option was on the desktopbut VoiceOver wasn't reading it and when I tried to switch to that window or program it wouldn't let me. So now that I'm on, I can start to learn how to use Safari.
Ok, so now I have the VoiceOver Getting Started Manual (converted it to txt) and am looking at it I have Safari open and am trying to figure out how to work with it. Is there something like internet options, where I can set a homepage? It comes with a bunch of preset sites. How do I edit those either to add some or to delete some? I think the link chooser seems like the best way to navigate, since I always use the links list utility in Hal and I'm used to that idea. Is there a quick way to get to the field for opening a url? Also, if I wanted to delete what's in the field how do I do this? I typed in a site but it still had the old site in it. I didn't know how to select and delete text so I had to go one letter at a time. I'm sorry for all of these questions. I know I should read the whole manual before plunging into this, but I can't help it! *smile*
I'm writing this whole thing on my Mac and have put away my HP for now, except for my Greek lessons (still seeking a Greek synthesizer for Mac) and my messenger. II have to download Adium and try it out. I can't ait. Anyway, I'm getting better with safari. I know how to get to input fields (command tab) but I'm having trouble going backwards to get to the other field if, for example, I go too far. I'm also getting better with the insertion technique used by the Mac, though I still need to practise copying, selecting and pasting text and need to write tdown the commands for that. I also need to learn how to open various folders. I have the command to open downloads, but don't know how to get into a regular folder where I can put my documents etc. I'll be downloading them, along with my music, from divshare.com and all of those files are in zipped format. So that'll be a new experience as well. I've looked, but can't find any information on editing bookmarks in safari. How is this done? I saw the add option, but not delete. There are some preset sites that come with the browser that I'd like to delete and I'd also like to add to some of those folders. is that possible? Finally, any help with ITunes would be appreciated. Btw, I was gonna post all this under the VoiceOver in Leopard topic but figured I'd put it here since I'd already started this one. However, if any of you feel my questions are better there or wish to put your answers in the other one as a quick reference for newbies, please feel free to do so.
well tif i know alot on the mac and might be able to help you how would i be able to chat with you?
I would be so incredibly grateful for the help. I'm stuck! I even wrote out all the stuff from the index! You could msn me at scholar1983@hotmail.com, email me at tiffanitsa@gmail.com or skype me at Therebetisa. I'm not on skype much though. I've also joined the Mac Visionaries list, so hopefully, they could help me. I wrote a whole intro with questions but lost it cause I accidentally deleted everything. So now I'm doing this on the HP.
Ok, just to make things easier, here's what I wrote to the list. Sorry if some of these have been asked here earlier. Oh, btw, I keep using Mac commands on my Xp machine! It's hilarious and also frustrating.
"Geia sas/hello,
I'm 24-years-old and have been totally blind since I was two-months-old. I've been a computer user for at least 11 years and bought my first Mac two weeks ago. It's wonderful but confusing. Some things I get immediately and some I don't. I've gotten some help from my friends and even wrote out the appendix to the VoiceOver Getting Started Manual in braille. But I still have some questions. Sorry this is so long.
1. Safari
How do I edit the bookmarks on the bookmark menu (the ones that came with the machine)? What about regular ones? How do I select text from Safari, copy it and paste it into Text Edit? How do I properly read a webpage? I've been using the vo keys and the left and right arrows but am not sure if this is right. How do I get the browser to stop bringing me to the top of the page when I switch windows? Can I open another window with safari in it and have two websites open at the same time? How do I download and install things? I tried with Skype and MSn but neither seemed to be too accessible. Of course, I chose the ones for Mac not Windows, so I know that's not the problem. How do I delete the programs or uninstall one if I find that it doesn't work? Sometimes, VoiceOver won't read text fields in programs. It'll just say edit. How do I get it to read these?
2. Text Edit
What are the editing commands to use with Text Edit? I can use most of them but I can't seem to use select all, copy and paste. How do I get to the menu of Text Edit where I can save and open files etc? Also, in the manual, some of the commands used page down, but I can't seem to find that on my Macbook keyboard? Am I stupid or are they not there?
3. Zips and Accessing Files
I uploaded all of my music and documents to divshare.com in zip format. Can Mac handle zips? If so, does it come with preinstalled software or do I need to download something? I once found myself in a place with things like documents, desktop, downloads, music. How do I get there again? I'm assuming I could open all my files etc from there.
4. ITunes
Once I have my music in the Macbook, how do I listen to it? I heard I have to use ITunes and that I can't just put my music in a folder and then have it play like it would with Windows Media Player. Is this true? If so, what do I need to do?
5. Greek Synthesis
One of the main reasons why I switched from JFW to Hal two years ago was that it offered a Greek synthesizer. I know that I could just install Windows through Bootcamp on the Mac, but isn't there an easier way? Do any Greek synthesizers for the Mac exist? The ones I saw were either for Windows (Loquendo and Realspeak and perhaps E-Rhetor) or they seemed to require knowledge of programming (Festival, ESpeak and Demesthenes.) If such a synthesizer does exist, can I just install it and use it or do I need to install the Greek keyboard and fonts as well?
Thanks for all your help. I really love my Macbook and I look forward to being able to use it more efficiently.
Talk soon,
Tiffany aka Tiffanitsa"
Tiff,
I'm sorry I can't get to all your questions now. I'm using my cell phone to connect to the Internet, so until I get home next week, won't be able to comment much. Sounds like you're working through most of your problems though. It didn't take me real long to start figuring out everything. Once I got it, it started coming naturally. remember, most of the key commands in Windows that you executed with the control key are executed with the command key in Mac. Lose control, take command.
I hardly ever use the control key in windows. *smile*
I'm getting used to the mac myself, and its going pretty well.
Safari is slower then ff, Adium takes forever to sign in to msn, my internal mic don't work with skype, skype don't make or recieve calls.
Skype I've read online is a known issue with no known fix.
I notice my external line in mic don't work either, any help, would be greatly appreciated.
I figured out that all of my issues were caused by my router, a DLink DGL 4100.
I know this because I'm currently on a Linksys which has no issues, it signs into Adium, Skype and can use Safari mostly, though there're still some sites that don't work with it.
So not saying don't get DLink routers, but keep in mind that they might comflict with any mac that is on your lan, hope this helps someone out, if they're having any similar issues to what I was in the past.
Ah yes, the old DLink problem. I remember it. There's firmware updates to fix the problem though, so you may want to boot your Windows machine and get them. Otherwise, do what I did, and get an Apple router.
I did end up solving the DLink issue, it has to do with the ip address that the DLink uses by default which is 192.168.0.xxx, which the mac doesn't seem to like.
So I ended up switching the ip address space to 192.168.1.xxx which is what my older Linksys likes just fine.
The mac seems to like the second ip address space just fine, the change affected noone else on my lan. Hope this helps someone else out, if they run into the same issue.