I need advice from AppleVis community. It seems that MacOS is losing much of its glory with each release of the OS, particularly as far as Accessibility is concerned. Not only lack of updates to VoiceOver, but also problems that emerge with each release. I feel like that nice piece of hardware deserves better appreciation by Apple in terms of accessibility.
I wish I can browse with Safari with ‘not responding’ message, and with the recent MacOS release it seems to be inflicting other apps like TextEdit. MacOS has not been like this since the time I used it for the first time ten years ago, VoiceOver was much more responsive and in comparison to today’s VoiceOver I could hardly find any difference.
I wish I can edit my documents with my braille display reliably as other Windows users do, experience there is a world of difference. Formatting my documents and discovering oddities with JAWS seems to be great in comparison to VoiceOver with Pages.
I am considering buying a Windows laptop to replace my MacBook Pro, what do you think all of this? Maybe some of you have similar experiences switching from MacOS to Windows?
Comments
Get a parachute
Great discussion! Hexagon has it about right on the analysis. I empathise very strongly with the frustration aired by Andy Lane—he's not wrong, and objectively VoiceOver is sliding into mediocrity. But, ultimately, Jason White has the right solution: if you are honest, use both platforms for their real and genuine respective virtues. You can't do more. Sorry. It's just too bad. I can no more run a small and quiet server on Windows, than I can browse the web fluidly on macOS. Use what works, guys. I understand the costs aren't always in favour, especially now with Apple Silicon. Windows-on-ARM is certainly changing this, with the aid of a virtual machine, but that's not always sufficient. So draw up your checklist of desirables, and use the platform that most meets your needs. I am not happy with the inadequacy of VoiceOver, but right now, macOS is closer in spirit to Windows XP than Windows 11 is, despite all the amazing technical developments on the latter platform. But I do look with envy upon the functional screen reading on Windows, in the most basic widgets and use cases, and even for certain power-user work, not to speak of the simple-minded utilitarianism of the WinTel marketplace. And who knows? I may yet face off against the Windows Settings app in a life-and-death struggle sufficient to configure a working system without dying first and be in a position to actually appreciate it, at some point in the future. But as long as macOS is just about working, I'm just about staying. But I have my hand hovering near the ripcord. I can jump at any time. Meantime, Windows and Linux VMs make it possible for me to fill in the gaps. I'll rue the day I am forced to move to WinTel hardware if it means losing out on macOS for the one and only accessible multi-engine interactive fiction interpreter, Spatterlight, but I'll probably survive. Otherwise, I'm benefiting from all three operating systems and all they have to offer, and I recommend that, if you can afford it, you do too.
RE: Get a parachute
Very nicely written. It truly does just boil down to, what do you need, what do you want, what can you afford, what are you willing to do to learn the systems that you have determined that you need. Kind of a difficult situation, if you really are forced to use more than one system, just to get daily tasks done. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in these circumstances sometimes. It is nice that we can have some flexibility out there, to try to resolve whatever electronic frustration might be at hand.
To the original poster of this thread, I sincerely hope that you find a workable solution for you.
Very Subjective
I use my computer for a very wide variety of tasks. I used Jaws from 1997 through 2016 and have used Mac OS ever sense. I had some problems using JAWS, both with JAWS itself and with Windows, and I have some problems using VoiceOver, though not much with Mac OS itself. Both platforms have served me well but I have had my share of problems with both. For me, the tightly integrated nature of the Apple ecosystem and the increased stability of Mac OS make the Mac the more desirable choice but that certainly won't be the case for everyone. The Windows verses Mac debate is an endlessly ongoing one because it has no definitive answer as to which is better. Logical arguments can be made both ways but, in the end, it really comes down to personal needs and personal preference.
Great discussion!
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread. Reading through your experiences and insights has been really informative.
As someone who has been exclusively a Mac user for the past 12 years, I can certainly relate to the frustrations shared regarding the declining user experience for VoiceOver users. I had been seriously considering making the switch back to Windows in the near future, but the discussion here has reminded me that there are always trade-offs to be made, and the grass is not always greener on the other side.
After investing so much time and effort into macOS and VoiceOver, I am now questioning whether the prospect of learning a new operating system and screen reader with its own set of issues and frustrations is really worth it. It's a difficult decision to make, but I'm grateful for the insights shared here, which have helped me to reconsider my options more thoughtfully. Thanks again, everyone!
I don't think VoiceOver for Mac is declining
I've been using VoiceOver for Mac since 2014. I don't think its quality has declined during that time, and I've been relatively thorough in reporting bugs that I've found.