Getting Started With the Mac

In this post I explain the importance of reporting accessibility-related bugs to Apple; and make a few suggestions for the best way to do so.

AppleVis is a great platform for talking about VoiceOver, braille, and low vision bugs - to confirm with others that what you are experiencing is actually a bug; to seek and share workarounds; or to simply vent the occasional frustration - but we also need to make sure that the Accessibility Team at Apple is aware of each and every bug so that they can fix them in a future software update.

Also in this series:

• GarageBand Part 2: Mixing and Mastering
• GarageBand Part 3: Drummers and Loops
• GarageBand Part 4: Recording a Podcast
• Related podcast: The MacOS Audio MIDI Setup app

I've always used Audacity for digital recording projects, including ripping my vinyl collection for use in iTunes. A 64-bit Audacity build for Mac exists, but it doesn't work with VoiceOver. As a result, Audacity is no longer a viable option for blind Mac users.

Also in this series:

Also in this series:

• GarageBand Part 1: The Basics
• GarageBand Part 2: Mixing and Mastering
• GarageBand Part 4: Recording a Podcast
• Related podcast: The MacOS Audio MIDI Setup app

GarageBand makes it amazingly easy to create music. In this blog, I'll show you how to create the following blues-based rock jam. You don't need an instrument. You won't have to play a single note.

Also in this series:

Finder Navigation

General

• New Finder window: Command-N
• Up one folder level: Command-Up-Arrow
• Open selected folder: Command-Down-Arrow
• Back: Command-left bracket
• Forward: Command-right bracket

Direct Folder Access

• Open the Applications folder: Command-Shift-A
• Open the Computer folder: Command-Shift-C
• Open desktop folder: Command-Shift-D
• Go to Folder: Command-Shift-G
• Open the Home folder of the currently logged-in user account: Command-Shift-H

Editing Commands

• Select all (e.g.

Intro

Safari is the Mac's default web browser, and it does all the usual web browser things - opens webpages, downloads files, plays audio, all that. It has some neat tricks, too, like the Reader that can show you only the meat of an article.

However, if you are coming to the Mac for the first time, especially from a Windows background, Safari can seem like a clunky app at best, and a totally unusable mess at worst. As with all things on the Mac, though, you just have to understand how and why it does what it does. Eventually, you will be flying through webpages again, and there are even some nice tricks that VoiceOver can pull off to make your life easier.

The Finder

Finder is the Mac's file browser. With it, you can look at files and folders on internal, external, and network drives; copy, cut, and paste items; tag files for easier locating later; search for files; and more. The problem is that, particularly for those transitioning to the Mac from Windows, Finder is a confusing mess that makes you scared to even go looking for a file. I understand that, because I was there too. Hopefully, in writing down what I've learned over the years, I can save you a lot of time and frustration, and let you get on with your Mac much better.

For Windows Users

If you are switching from Windows to Mac, there are a few things you should know about the Finder.

First, try very hard to get used to pressing command-o to open things. Pressing enter will prompt you to rename them, not open them. If you do accidentally press enter, simply press escape to cancel.

Intro

When you first get a Mac, and are learning VoiceOver, it can be hard to remember the myriad commands available. Some are pretty easy, like control-option-w to read the current word. Some are quite complex or seldom used, such as control-option-command-f5 to move the mouse pointer to where VoiceOver is focused. Then there are the core concepts, like interacting, moving around dialogs, getting to menus, and plenty more. So, I wanted to offer a guide that does not explain most of the commands and concepts, but rather tells you where to go if you need help. Mailing lists, books, online resources, and cheat sheets are great, but there are powerful help facilities built right into every Mac, just a keystroke or two away at any time. The trick is knowing how to access them.

In this podcast, Thomas Domville shows us How to contact Apple for accessibility inquiries.

Topics Covered in this Podcast

Apple Accessibility Web Page:
https://www.apple.com/accessibility/

Apple Product Feedback Web Page:
https://www.apple.com/feedback/

Accessibility Support - Official Apple Support Web Page:
https://support.apple.com/accessibility

Today at Apple - Accessibility - Apple Web Page:
https://www.apple.com/today/collection/accessibility-collection/

Apple Accessibility and Assistive Technology Email Address:
Accessibility@Apple.com

In this podcast, Katie demonstrates how to enable and disable the FileVault encryption feature available on Mac computers.

FileVault uses full disk encryption to help keep your data secure. However, once enabled, it does change the login process for those using VoiceOver, so Katie also demonstrates this so that you know what to expect and how to deal with it.

In this podcast, Tyler Stephen shows us how to share folders in iCloud Drive on a Mac running macOS Catalina 10.15.4 or later.

More information on sharing folders with iCloud Drive is available on this Apple Support page.

With folder sharing in iCloud Drive, you can share entire folders of files with friends, family, or colleagues. Then, you can work together on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or iCloud.com.

When you create and share a folder in iCloud Drive, participants can access all the files in that folder. If you add a file to a shared folder, it's automatically shared with all participants, too. You can also add or remove participants, edit sharing permissions, or stop sharing a folder anytime.

Intro

Recently, I was helping someone with their Mac and the question came up, “What is iCloud and what is the cloud?”

This happens to be one of the most common questions I am asked about Apple products, and that’s no coincidence. Although Apple markets its products and services as being seamless and easy to use, they still conjure that image of some mysterious and complicated cloud, something that often tends to confuse people. In this guide, I will attempt to explain iCloud and the cloud in general; something that, in my opinion, the tech industry has not done a great job at when employing such jargon.

In the first of a series of podcasts intended to help new users of VoiceOver on the Mac, David Woodbridge shows us how to get VoiceOver running on any Mac laptop or desktop.

These demonstrations were recorded on a Mac running OS X Snow Leopard, but the procedure is still the same at the time of posting.

In the second of a series of podcasts intended to help new users of VoiceOver on the Mac, David Woodbridge shows us how to use the Keyboard Helper feature in OS X to familiarize yourself with the keyboard layout and functions.

These demonstrations were recorded on a Mac running OS X Snow Leopard, but the procedure is still the same at the time of posting.