Popping up on the dark side - How well does microsoft word work on a windows machine?

I only use Narrator if things go badly but it is definitely usable. I use Word with NVDA often. Same with Excel. Perhaps JAWS would be better for more complex things (though I'm not sure what, and I'm unsure on what things NVDA can't handle). Definitely go for it - if I give a dig at Mac, it's so much better than Pages + VoiceOver **in my opinion**.

Hello,

I transcribe Tibetan texts into Latin characters using word and NVDA. I cannot think of anything more challenging to create in word. There is the line of Tibetan characters scanned in, followed by a line of transliterated Tibetan characters, followed by a line of the English translation. All from a Tibetan prayer book scanned using OpenBook. Using NVDA!

On a further note, there is an NVDA tutorial for using Word with NVDA for a quite reasonable amount. I think it was $25, and it took me about three hours to get through it. There are additional tutorials for the other Microsoft 365 applications like Excel, and so on.

In excel, I have a spreadsheet with multiple bread formulars for my baking. I modify the number of loaves and the weight of each loaf in grams, and the table below tells me exactly how many grams of flour, water, salt yeast, etc. I need for the recipe. So excel is also quite manageable using NVDA.

Your friendly deaf-blind Tibetan monk,
feofil

Oliver, what is a microsoft laptop 13?

Oliver, what is a microsoft laptop 13?

Hi,

Word works amazingly well with NVDA. By itself, it is pretty great. With the following add-on, it is absolutely phenomenal.

Word access enhancement:

https://nvda-addons.org/addon.php?id=151

From the add-on page ...

This add-on adds extra functionality when working with Microsoft Word: * a script ("windows+alt+f5") to display a dialog box to choose between most of objects 's type to be listed (like comments, revisions, bookmarks, fields, endnotes, footnotes, spelling errors, grammar errors,...), * a script ("Alt+delete"") to announce line, column and page of cursor position, or start and end of selection, or current table's cell, * a script ("windows+alt+f2") to insert a comment, * a script ("windows+alt+m") to report revision at cursor's position, * a script ("windows+alt+n") to report endNote or footNote at cursor's position, * modify the NVDA scripts "control+downArrow" and "Control+Uparrow" (which moves the carret paragraph by paragraph) to skip the empty paragraph (optionnal), * some scripts to move in table and read table 's elements (row, column, cell), * adds specific Word browse mode command keys, * possibility to move sentence by sentence ("alt+ downArrow" and "alt+upArrow"), * a script to report document 's informations(windows+alt+f1"), * accessibility enhancement for spelling checker (Word 2013 and 2016): * a script (NVDA+shift+f7") to report spelling or grammatical error and suggested correction by the spelling checker, * a script (NVDA+control+f7") to report current sentence under focus. * automatic reading of some elements as comments , footnotes, or endnotes. This add-on has been tested with Microsoft Word 2019, 2016 and 2013 (perhaps works also with Word 365).

Document Formatting Rotor:

https://github.com/derekriemer/nvda-documentFormattingRotor#document-formatting-rotor-for-nvda

From the GitHub page ...

The Document Formatting Rotor is an NVDA addon that allows users to quickly adjust document formatting settings without needing to open the settings menu or remember numerous keystrokes. With this addon, users can easily navigate through and modify various document formatting options, streamlining the process of making adjustments.

Screen-reader support for productivity apps, console terminals, web browsing, and development tools is precisely why I recommend Windows over macOS to most blind people. It does have other things that I value, which is why it's my daily driver as well as why I spend so much money on Macs, but those things are generally not very relevant to most people.

Hi Oliver,
I'd definitely recommend a combination of NVDA and Narrator for Word. I do have JAWS here but only because it's an extra tool in case something still doesn't work for whatever reason. But since JAWS is moving to an outragiously priced subscription model, and after the 31st October you won't be able to buy the perpetual licence, and there's no guarantee the SMA will still be around in a few years, I wouldn't recommend going down that road at all. And Brian thanks for the NVDA add-ons for Word, will check those out. I remember being able to deal with track changes and comments with a combination of Narrator and NVDA before, but with those NVDA add-ons it'll be even easier.

Is there a particular reason you need the laptops you mentioned above? Are you specifically looking for "stock Windows OS"? Regarding tablets, I would recommend a surface or surface pro over anything else tablet wise. Ultimately it boils down to exactly what your needs are, of course. NVDA is compatible with touchscreen devices, so at least you are in luck there. Also, and much like iOS, you can assign your own touch gestures to various functions within NVDA as well, both for keyboard and touch gestures.
Personally, I would recommend checking out Amazon for laptop deals, as windows 11 makes it very easy to uninstall unwanted bloatware, you really don't need to waste the extra money on "stock Windows" these days. Of course, everyone has their own preferences, so to each their own.
So to summarize, if you want a decent laptop, that's both powerful, yet cost-effective, check out Amazon for laptop deals. If you want a tablet, go with a Surface model, because if it's going to be your primary workhorse, you're going to want both quality and functionality. You absolutely do not want to try writing professionally on a cheapo tablet.

You're a writer and a Windows tablet does not seem to offer versatility a writer may need. You may write from the comfort of your couch or from a train seat, your lap may not accommodate a tablet with keyboard and a flap thing in the back to hold it. I have a keybaord case for my iPad and writing while on the go is such a horrible thing.

The Microsoft Laptop 13 has a SnapDragon processor. Voracious Brain, a user here on AppleVis, does not recommend the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 due to the Prism emulation. So be leery of the Laptop 13 as it might use the same SnapDragon processor.

I recommend staying with the x86 (read Intel or AMD) platform and not going Arm. Yes Arm has the best battery life but even Intel laptops are fine now. And there are just enough software quirks yet I don't feel Arm is ready for prime time. SO yes Microsoft has some Surface laptops with Intel processors. They are good laptops, etc. But in the Windows world there are many many good options. Dell, Acer, Asus, HP, Samsung, Lenovo (the famous ThinkPad line known for its keyboards). Speakers are a subjective thing and I have pretty bad hearing, nevertheless I currently find Samsung GalaxyBook Pro to have some of the better laptop speakers especially for speech output. In these manufactuers you can find laptops at every price point. Budget sensitive may want to check Amazon for Dell, Acer, Asus...

You get a number of choices for OCR with windows. Obviously, there's the be my eyes windows app. I personally like it, although as I understand that there is a bug when trying to sign onto it through Apple or Google. Overall however, it's a fabulous application. There's also a few NVDA add-ons for this, such as cloud vision, AI content describer, and so on.
On a sidenote, that Asus sounds sexy! Since you will likely be going with Office and OneDrive, you can potentially have 2 TB of storage, one terabyte on board, and one terabyte in the cloud. Just think of all of the things you will have to write to fill up that space! 😀

I’ve used the Zenbook S14 before, and it was excellent—lightweight with phenomenal battery life. That said, the model I had came with lower specs, which likely contributed to its longer runtime. Hopefully, the phantom of Mac hardware won’t follow you whenever you’re on the Asus, though it’s hard to deny that the MacBook Air has the edge, offering a noticeably more premium feel compared to the Zenbook S14.