At the 2012 NFB of North Carolina State Convention, I was called an “extremist” for loving Apple products. I don’t consider myself an extremist, but I’m definitely a fan, and with good reason.
Prior to owning an Apple product, I thought of everyone who owned Apple products as rich snobs. After all, their computers, and their iPhone, when it first came out, were so expensive. Then, the iPhone 3GS came out, and I just knew there was no way using a slab of glass could be efficient for blind and low vision users. Man, was I wrong...
Intrigued, I purchased my first Apple product, the 3rd generation iPod Touch. While I loved the look and feel of the device, and felt the software ran very smoothly, I didn’t think it was that efficient. I rarely used VoiceOver, and I mainly used the device for listening to music. That all changed when I started learning to use VoiceOver. Once I learned some tips and tricks, I began using the device for everything. I remember walking around my apartment with two devices: my phone, for text messaging, and my iPod Touch for everything else.
My world was beginning to open up, but things really changed in February of 2011, when Verizon Wireless finally got the iPhone! I was using an HTC Touch Pro 2, and like every phone I’d owned up until that point, I hated it. I was on a family plan with my mom and brothers, and every time an upgrade became available, I took it; I would then give my used phone to one of my brothers. I was on a constant quest for a phone that was more accessible, and worked better. I never kept a phone for more than a few months, until the iPhone 4. I happily used the iPhone 4 for nearly two years, and I plan to do the same with my iPhone 5.
The iPhone has many accessibility features, which make it easier for blind and low vision users. You can learn all about them simply by doing a quick search online, or on Apple’s website. What’s so great, for me, is having the ability to quickly switch between using VoiceOver, to read the screen, and Zoom, to magnify the screen, depending on the task at hand. For reading large amounts of text, I typically use VoiceOver, while Zoom is great for quickly checking notifications and text messages. In fact, I can even use both if I wish. It has really made life so much better for me.
I love that VoiceOver and Zoom are present on all iOS devices. This makes helping my mom and sister with things on their iPhones, and on my mom’s iPad, so much easier. I was their go-to person for technology related stuff anyway, but man has the implementation of accessibility features made my life so much easier. My mom has an Apple TV that she can barely use. I pretty much have to either do everything myself, or walk her through how to do things, each time she wants to use it. I’m not complaining; I love this kind of stuff!
Based on the information above, can anyone guess what kind of computer I’m using to type this? LOL! In August, 2012, I purchased a used MacBook Air from a friend of a friend. I figured I’d try it out, and if I absolutely hated OS X, I could simply sell the computer, and go back to Windows. Before purchasing a Mac, I made sure to listen to podcasts, and read as much information as possible, to learn how to use it with VoiceOver. This was a brilliant idea, on my part, because it meant that I avoided much frustration. For example, a concept many people struggle with when learning the mac, is the concept of interacting with things. Some people hate having do interact with things, but I guess I’m weird, because I love it. It means you’re only be confronted with information that you are working with at that point in time. It can be frustrating, though, if you don’t know you’ve interacted with something, and can’t figure out why you’re stuck in one particular area.
I no longer own that MacBook Air, but I sure am glad I purchased it. It was a great starter Mac! The MacBook Air had some sound issues that only got worse over time. Eventually, the sound didn’t work at all. This meant that, unless I got the computer fixed, I could no longer use it with VoiceOver. I found a place in my hometown that does Apple repairs, and prepared to contact them. Then, I received some money from my university. Realizing no amount of repairs would fix the piece of junk that is the Sony Vaio I own, i purchased a MacBook Pro in early January 2013. For those who are curious, it’s a 13 inch, 2.9 GHz i7, with a 256 SSD, and 8 GB of ram. After receiving my new MacBook Pro, I sold the MacBook Air to my sighted cousin, who was also in need of a new computer. Win, win!
I love my MacBook Pro! I’m constantly encouraging others to at least try using one! The slogan, “it just works” is so true! It definitely does; I’ve had no problems with it! Oh, and for the haters, I use my Mac for school work! Take that! LOL!