"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
John Doe writes:

That's hardly current technology.

If you're going to talk about making computers more accessible, you're
going to have to offer solutions that don't require the latest,
fastest, most expensive hardware available. A lot of people are
running machines much slower than 400 MHz, and they cannot afford to
buy new hardware. What do you suggest for them?

Maybe I should say a medium to high end current store-bought
computer.

Why can't people use the computers they already have?

It probably also depends on whether the system is loaded
with many of the common bundled programs like Microsoft office and
Norton Utilities.

Not really. Most of these aren't running unless the user starts them.

These are my specs, all homemade.
... MSI K7N2 Delta2-LSR mainboard
... Athlon XP 3000+
... PC 3200, 1 GB RAM
... Western Digital Raptor 37 GB 10,000 rpm HDD
... external Creative Labs USB Live sound box

Bigger and faster than 99.99% of all computers in the world. Hardly
representative.

The default voice, the only voice Microsoft currently provides is
called Mary. There are lots of better voices.

The only voice I see is Sam.

With enough experience, you begin to realize that what Microsoft
says is oftentimes mostly hype. That's a good example.

What built-in text-to-speech function is available on Linux? What
about the Mac? What about OS/2?

Try using it.

I did. Works well enough to get by. If someone wants a deluxe
system, he can go out and buy one (after all, according to you, he can
afford a top-of-the-line PC).

Because it's not programmed to do so.

Programming it to do so would be prohibitively expensive.

Microsoft has met serious resistance at the server operating system
market. One of the factors is probably that CEOs are typically more
intelligent than an average personal computer user and they don't
want Microsoft limiting their server operating system quality.

No, the real reason is that Microsoft servers are technically somewhat
inferior to UNIX servers for most purposes. It has nothing to do with
intelligence or product quality. Windows servers are of excellent
quality, but they are more poorly suited to server roles than the
simpler UNIX and Linux operating systems are, in most cases. Also,
Windows is much more expensive, which makes a difference especially
when one is purchasing thousands of licenses at a time.

Only if he (or she) wants to live in a closet without being able to
run the vast majority of personal computer software.

So what do you suggest? Should application developers be prohibited
from writing software for Windows and forced to develop software for
the current underdog operating systems?

At one point, Apple Computer almost went out of business simply
because Microsoft temporarily decided to discontinue making Office
for the Mac.

Apple should have gone out of business long ago, based on its
incompetence alone. It clings to life because it has a very loyal
customer base.

It's a long story.

Summarize it, then.

Bill Gates Jr. has more money than he or 10 generations could spend
in a lifetime.



At last.
I have followed this thread from the beggining waiting for the subject of
Bill Gates' money to be introduced, as these fanatical Microsoft bashers
always seem to reach that point in their arguments.
This has been a very informative thread and I wish to congratulate the other
posters on their self restraint and knowledge of the facts.

PWY







Not true. I could spend it all in a year. But he gives a lot of his
money away.

All of the millions Bill Gates has given to women and
race-based charities hasn't put a dance in his tens of billions in
personal wealth.

He has given away billions, not millions, and it has made a dent.

I'm not saying they aren't doing anything about it, I am saying that
they are not very concerned.

They are more concerned than they need to be. They could just ignore
it.

Microsoft used to publish a systemwide
macro recorder called Macro Recorder. It came with Windows 3.11.
According to Microsoft, one of its uses was to help the disabled.
Unfortunately, Macro Recorder went out the back door.

There are serious security issues with such a facility, and I doubt
that it was used very much, even by the disabled.

The lack of
built-in scripting and speech are two areas where Microsoft clearly
proves to me that Microsoft is not really interested in enabling
users.

Scripting is a vector for viruses. System-wide scripting would be a
security nightmare.

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