Re: [orca-list] Which distribution to switch to from Windows? [was "Re: A real message with a question"]

[Kyle <kyle4jesus gmail com>]

For someone switching from Windows, especially if Windows is what they 
have known and used for a long time, I can't make a better 
recommendation than either Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS or Sonar. Sonar classic 
will probably give an experience that is closest to XP, but the 
gnome-shell version showcases the latest features of the newer GNOME 
interface. However, every Linux distribution is fundamentally different 
from Windows, so will take some learning either way. The nice thing 
about this is that the newest versions of Windows also have quite a 
learning curve if you're used to XP, and Windows 8 has a rather steep 
learning curve if you've been using 7, so there's never been a better 
time to take the plunge.

I currently use the latest gnome-shell on Arch, and it has all the 
latest accessibility fixes, so works extremely well. However, because of 
the command line knowledge needed to install Arch, I don't usually 
recommend it as the first distro to try after having used Windows for a 
long time. It's my choice for power users and for those who like to 
package software without all kinds of hassle, but it does take some 
initial effort to get started, so requires a certain comfort level with 
the internals of the OS.

On a side note, I had heard that Cinnamon has no accessibility with Orca 
at all. Is this information incorrect? For those who are using it, what 
needs to be done to get it working with Orca? I have been hesitant to 
recommend Mint to visually impaired users exactly because I thought 
Cinnamon was unusable with Orca and other assistive technologies. It 
would be great if the information I have is in error.
~Kyle
http://kyle.tk/