Getting started with a mac air.

By Jenifer, 30 July, 2012

Forum
macOS and Mac Apps
Hi all. I just got my mac air a few days ago and have upgraded to the new mountain lion. Is there a manual or something that I can read that is particular to voice over users that will help me make the switch to a mac from a windows computer smoothly? Tjanks.

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By David Woodbridge on Thursday, July 26, 2012 - 12:26

Hi Jenifer, Have a look at this guide on applevis of switching from Windows to the Mac to explain a number of things about the Mac: http://www.applevis.com/guides/guide-making-switch-using-windows-screen-reader-voiceover-mac The keys you will use most often are the four keys to the left of the Space key and are from left to right: Function (FN), Control, Option, and Command. The Control and Option keys are used to commence most VoiceOver commands and are referred to as the VoiceOver or VO keys for short. So for example, to turn on keyboard help to allow you to explore the keyboard and VoiceOver commands, it could be either written as Control+Option+K or VO+K for short. If you do go in to Keyboard help, just press the Escape (ESC) key to exit (top left hand key of the keyboard). The manual for VoiceOver for the Mac can be found at: http://help.apple.com/voiceover/info/guide/10.8/English.lproj/index.html You can get to this manual from VoiceOver itself by pressing Control+Option+H for VoiceOver Help, Control+Option+DownArrow until you get to Online Help and then press Control+Option+Space to activate the menu option. The best way to get started using VoiceOver on the Mac is to use the QuickStart tutorial also accessed via the VoiceOver Help menu. Otherwise, you can press Control+Option+Command+F8 to activate the Quick Start tutorial at any time. If your Mac is new and no changes have been made, to use any of the function keys at the top of the keyboard for VoiceOver commands, you will have to use the function (FN) key. So the Quick Start tutorial command would then be FN+Control+Option+Command+F8.

Hi David. There are some things which are not explained in podcasts and getting-started tutorials, for example how to use autocorrection when it offers a number of suggestions to correct the misspelt word. Can i move the insertion point with a keyboard shortcut? Is it possible to drag items into the Launchpad and move icons and create folders in it? And finally i would like to know how to highlight text in OS X Mountain Lion in Safari and other applications, and are four-finger gestures supported in Voice Over mode for example to open LaunchPad?

Hi, the podcasts were only to outline what is new in Mountain Lion. Auto correction: With QuickNav turned off via Left/Right Arrows, when you hear that there are auto suggestions, press the DownArrow to hear the first suggestion, RightArrow to hear other suggestions (or LeftArrow to go back to previous suggestion), and then press the Enter key to select your choice. Launchpad: The system gesture for Launchpad is thumb and a 3 finger pinch and works whether you have VO Trackpad Commander turned on or off. I have a VO Keyboard commander short-cut for Launchpad anyway as it keeps my fingers on the keyboard. I haven't ben able to create folders in Launchpad, so if anyone else has, it would be good to hear about it. Highlighting in Safari for example is just holding the Shift key down and pressing DownArrow for Line, Option+RightArrow for word, and just RightArrow for character. Hope this helps.

I pray I am not sounding like an idiot. I am trying to delete a program from my mac in Launchpad. The menu options don't seem to work as they do when the icon is sitting in the dock. I have a couple of programs I no longer have use for. How do I delete them?

Thank you very much David. Really i can't understand why guys in Apple can't do the handling of Launchpad for voice over users like that of iOS home screen. And actually i didm't mean that your podcasts does not provide that kind of information, i just meant podcasts all in all. Your ones are very informative and i like them.

By Ekaj on Sunday, January 26, 2014 - 12:26

I am finding this website to be an excellent resource. I only got my Mac Book Air 2 days after Christmas, and I've found some good stuff on here. So thank you David and the rest of the editorial team.