about the latest ubuntu

[Zachary Kline]

Hello,
I, too, would appreciate this explaination of sorts.  If it might be posted 
on the list, I'd gladly read it.
Thanks too,
Zack.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Smith" <bdsmith at buncombe.main.nc.us>
To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 9:58 PM
Subject: about the latest ubuntu


> Ok, I have to ask these questions.  I have enjoyed all the
> conversations about hardware resources.  I know nothing of hardware,
> and this discussion has been quite interesting, to say the least.
> However, I need to know the following, if someone can help me before I
> get the latest ubuntu and get into something I cannot use.
>
> First of all, how accessible is accessible?  With this combination of
> espeak and this reader called orca, is it possible to effectively use
> all the programs in the system?  Do you have remaining accessibility
> problems, or do they all work?
>
> Now, I have never, in my entire life, used a graphical interface, and
> I have used computers for 21 years, 7 months, and a few stray days
> here and there.  Just exactly how do I use this gnome interface?  When
> I get the ubuntu system going, how can I do the following?
>
> get online, read and send mail, read books, view pdf documents, view
> MS word documents, write programs, build my web site, run the usual
> administrative tools, and more?
>
> How do I get this screen reader to respond to my requests to see
> what's on the entire screen, or just in a particular part of it?
>
> All of you who have moved to something like gnome are right.  I have
> seen this coming, and have just hoped it wouldn't happen.  That's like
> standing on the train track, because you like the sound of a
> locomotive engine, or steam whistle, and hoping that the thing won't
> hit and run over you, even though it's just 30 yards away.  I saw it
> when I was in university and now, it's here.
>
> We cannot any longer avoid the need to go graphical because of such
> technologies as javascript, dynamic content that changes each time you
> open the web page and several others such as swf and other integrated
> A/V technologies.  This is the only reasonable solution to our
> problems.  We are working with devices that have been designed by
> sighted persons, and they have just been good enough to allow us the
> first access to these things.  We have come a long way ourselves, and
> there is no real other way to do it than going to their graphical
> interface, no matter how inefficient, memory-hogging, slow, or
> undesirable in a billion other ways it might be.  The only other
> alternative is to build our own internet and patch it into the
> existing one.
>
> It is good that the text-based tools are still available through
> xterm, gnome-terminal or whatever else there might be, and that can
> still keep the old ways alive.  However, I just want to experiment
> right now, and see how this stuff works.  If anyone could explain it
> to me, and tell me what keys to enter, I can get started.
>
> Well, I hate to philosophize about change on here, but I just wonder
> if anyone could explain to me how to use gnome and orca and I will go
> and get the latest ubuntu and give it a test-drive.
>
>
>
> Thank you.
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Doug Smith: C.S.F.C.
> Computer Scientist For CHRIST
>
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