In this video, I discuss the dangers of using beta software in a production environment. I’ve done it myself, but I’m aware of the risks and am prepared to face them. With 30 to 35 years of computing experience and over 15 years of teaching, I believe I can make sound judgments, and I have plenty of redundancy in case of equipment failure.

Using the latest beta on the Mac and iPhone, (26 Beta Dev 5), I recorded the Table Topics contest at the Wandin Toastmasters club on Saturday, where I was the chair. This required leaving the equipment unsupervised for an hour. Fortunately, it worked smoothly. However, there are still concerns about Apple’s VoiceOver on the Mac, even with full public release versions of the operating system.

Following the runaway success of VoiceOver on iPhones and iPads, it’s reasonable to assume that many people who are blind or have low vision will try the Mac. The continuity between iPhones, iPads, and Macs is excellent, with features like the universal clipboard, the ability to use the camera across devices, and the sharing of iCloud documents, along with the security of the Apple Keychain.

Unfortunately, these benefits are overshadowed by numerous bugs in the Mac’s VoiceOver screen reader, crucial for users who are blind or have low vision.

VoiceOver has failed on the lock screen in Sonoma, Sequoia, and the latest beta version of the operating system I’m using. While some bugs are expected in beta, they’re unacceptable in a public release. These bugs have caused four clients and friends to return to Windows in the past 18 months, which is unfortunate because the Mac is a powerful and creative tool.

As we move through the Apple iOS and Mac OS 26 beta cycle, this presents a great opportunity for Apple to improve VoiceOver on the Mac.

#Apple #AppleVoiceOver #EliseLonsdale #Mac #iOS

Elise Lonsdale – Access Technology Specialist – DATA Australasia.