I'd just like to make it clear that VoiceOver is built into the Mac OS X operating system, not a standalone program like speakup or Jaws. After Freedom Scientific and others gave up on the Mac platform because of the even smaller market, Apple and their devs figured they should do all of the accessibility work in house, and that's how VoiceOver started. You cannot, I repeat, cannot, port VoiceOver to another OS like Windows or Linux. It relies on the Mac OS too much. This also means that VoiceOver cannot work on an iPod. On another matter, the cheapest Mac out there is 500 dollars, and is called the Mac mini. Since the new operating system came out on the 29th of April, as of now, if you go online or to a store and buy the Mac mini, it will come with the OS and VoiceOver. If you're planning on going out maybe today or within the next week, inquire about whether or not it comes with Tiger, which is the OS that VoiceOver comes with, and not Panther just in case. Be warned, the Mac mini does not come with a keyboard, a mouse or a monitor. This computer was meant for PC and Mac users already with older computers that don't mind keeping their old setups. Mac laptops, such as the iBook or the Powerbook, start at around 1000 dollars. Voiceover is not an additional application that you have to pay for, it comes with the OS, which is 129 dollars. Some third party retailers will have it at a discounted price, while schools, teachers and college students will be able to buy the OS from Apple or a university bookstore at the education price, which is 69 dollars. A "family pack" that gives you a license for use up to 5 computers is 200 dollars but has restrictions and only comes with one install disk. Personally, I haven't been able to try out VoiceOver much on my Mac, but I found that the accessible installation of OS X, the VoiceOver enabled login menu and the overall integration makes it fun and easy to use. There's no serial number to install the OS and there's no activation (like Windows) either. If you have any specifics on how to use a Mac, go to the local Apple retail store and ask one of the people there. The genius bar at all the stores should be able to help you out with setup (like turning on VoiceOver for the first time). If you have technical questions on problems with your Mac, feel free to drop me an email :) I can help out with most of the smaller issues. If you're looking for anything in particular though (about Apple, their computers, anything, really) feel free to drop me an email. cheers jane
