[orca-list] help migrate a windows user to linux?

[kendell clark <coffeekingms gmail com>]

hi all
I have no idea if this is the right place to post this, and if not I apologize, but it's the only place I 
could think 
of. I'm trying to get my fiance, mellisa, to switch from win7 to linux, but she has refused until she can use 
most of 
the same apps for the same things. I'm writing to get advice on what to do, and possibly information on apps 
that are 
close to, if not identical to what she's using now. Her major hang ups are: 1, a daisy reader. You can 
currently open 
books up in firefox by pressing enter on the xml file, but it's not very intuitive, her words not mine, and 
she wants a 
daisy book app similar to fs reader. There are only 2 that I know of, one firefox addon called buttercup 
reader and an 
abandoned app called emerson. Emerson won't build, and I've had no luck getting anyone interested in either 
maintaining 
it or writing a new one. 2, mud client. There are quite a few for linux, but the best is probably tintin. The 
problem 
there is she's used to mush, which has a nice friendly gui, whereas tintin doesn't. She's also used to lots 
of nice 
sounds for all the spells, etc, which tintin has, but again, it's command line. I've thought about trying 
wine, but 
wine has no accessibility infrastructure that I know of, so unless I can get a windows screen reader running 
under wine 
that's not an option.  I thought about writing some sort of 
desktop file that would launch tintin in a terminal connected to her mud of choice, but orca's terminal 
support needs an 
overhall. It can sometimes skip entire lines of text, or just a few words. 3, this one is really tricky. In 
windows, she 
can just open up the run dialog with windows+r and type in www.site.com. This is not currently possible in 
any desktop 
that I know of except mate. But in mate, you have to type http://www.site.com, which she insists isn't good 
enough. Does 
anyone know how in the world I could fix this? I've tried explaining why linux works the way it does, but 
she's not that 
interested, insisting I make it work as much like windows as possible. Her last is ie, but she says she's 
willing to 
learn firefox. I've taken considerable time customizing orca's shortcuts to make them as jaws and nvda like 
as I can, 
but without a daisy reader and mud client she's holding back. Sorry for the long email, but I'm at the end of 
my rope. 
SHe doesn't want a mac, and she doesn't want win 8, so linux is her only option when she gets a new computer. 

Thanks
Kendell clark