[senit] Safari on PC

It's been more than year, but I honestly can't imagine why anyone

I'd really have to pick you up on this Ira. Not with respect to how  
good Firefox is - simply the follow on comment that for Apple  
accessibility is an afterthought. I do try to avoid coming over as an  
evangalist for Apple, but every now and again feel a positive view  
needs an airing.

We deliberately chose Apple way back in the early 90's for the  
accessibility of its system. We stuck with it due to the innovative  
introduction of programmes like iMovie (express yourself - who cares  
if you haven't yet become text literate?), iTunes (move files around  
and use personal storage areas - ie a playlist?), iPhoto (how easy did  
that make it for pupils to download photos without needing me there?),  
iDVD (make your own portfolio of personal work and experiences, pre- 
Learning Platforms), Garageband (do you want your pupils to shuffle  
elements around that could make up a podcast, or perhaps create a  
piece of music?). We continue with it as the best option you can give  
to a person who has cognitive learning difficulties.

Perhaps your concern is with regard to sensory accessibility. I've  
explored but can't comment professionally on what I think is a really  
excellent built in tool, Universal Access, which for several years has  
been an integral element of the system software. From what I've seen  
it is in no way an afterthought, and perhaps even more important than  
what Apple do with their own software, is what they make possible for  
others to do with it:

Check out AssistiveWare's example of what you can do if your  
specialised field is to supply products to fit the interests of people  
with physical access needs (after all - are we suggesting that the  
access tools that are integral to Windows are so good, or is it a 3rd  
party product being referred to?):
http://www.assistiveware.com/index.php

Best,

Sean O'Sullivan
sean.frankwise at easynet.co.uk
Headteacher
Frank Wise School, Banbury
http://www.frankwise.oxon.sch.uk

http://www.parkroadict.co.uk

On 27 Mar 2008, at 19:20, Ira David Socol wrote:

> It's been more than year, but I honestly can't imagine why anyone  
> working in the SEN field would be using anything other than Firefox  
> (or perhaps Opera). As we've discussed here before, no browser  
> offers the range of accessibility options and study skill supports  
> that Firefox has. Opera is a close second. For Safari - as with most  
> Apple products - accessibility is an afterthought, if thought of at  
> all.
> Ira David Socol
> Special Education Technology Scholar
> CEPSE
> College of Education
> Michigan State University
> socolira at msu.edu
> http://speedchange.blogspot.com/
> Alex Hammerstein writes:
>>  Hi  - question for the really sad techies - how long has Mac  
>> Safari been
>> available for the PC?   I downloaded the latest update for ITunes  
>> onto my laptop this afternoon, and
>> low and behold, they have included their Safari browser with the  
>> update.
>> Got a very pleasant surprise when it popped up.   Wow IE 7 has been  
>> consigned to the trash!!   Alex
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