Appendix 4 -
Macintosh Control Panel options
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The Macintosh Keyboard,
Mouse and Easy Access Control Panels can be used to
modify the keyboard and mouse to make them easier for some people to use.
To open Easy Access, look in the Control
Panels.
If Easy Access is not there, search for it on the
computer, and then copy it into the Control Panels folder in the
System Folder. If you cannot find it on the Mac, look on the original system
disc(s). |
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Easy Access
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If you have difficulty using the mouse but can access
the keyboard, try Mouse Keys. This allows you to move the mouse
pointer and operate the button with the numeric keypad on the right side of the
keyboard. |
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If you tend to tremor on a key and get several letters
by mistake, try Slow Keys. This ignores short key presses. To
press a key, you must hold it down for the 'acceptance delay' time, before the
computer will print it on screen.
If you are a one-finger typist who cannot hold down
two keys at once, try Sticky Keys. Sticky Keys lets you press and release the
modifier key (Shift, Apple, Alt, Ctrl) and then press and release the key you
want modified. For example, to type capital 'H', you would press Shift, and
then press 'h'.
The Easy Access Tools also have sound feedback which
helps to confirm when a key has been activated. See the Mac OS Help Guide for
more information on Easy Access. |
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Keyboard
If you have difficulty taking your finger off the key
and tend to get letters repeated by mistake, try slowing down the repeat delay
or rate, or turning off repeat completely, using the Keyboard
Control Panel. |
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Mouse
If the mouse pointer moves too fast across the screen,
slow it down with the Mouse Control Panel. |
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Windows PC
PC keyboards come in three varieties:
‘AT’, ‘PS/2’ and
‘USB’. USB keyboards can only be used on computers with
Windows 98 or later versions of Windows 95 – see below for more on USB. AT
and PS/2 keyboards are similar, with the main difference being the plug on the
end. Older PCs may have the larger AT ‘5-pin DIN’ keyboard socket
while newer machines usually have the smaller PS/2 ‘6-pin mini-DIN’
socket. You can buy cheap adaptors to convert an AT to a PS/2 plug and vice
versa. As standard only one AT or PS/2 keyboard or mouse can be used with a PC
at one time; if you want to connect two keyboards at once you need to buy a
Y-Key-Key or Co-Pilot adaptor. |
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Pointing devices may be serial, PS/2 or USB. Serial
devices plug into one of the COM (communication) ports. Newer computers often
have a dedicated PS/2 mouse port or USB ports (see below), leaving the COM port
free for connecting switch interfaces, overlay keyboards or other devices.
You can buy adaptors to convert serial to PS/2 and
vice versa, but these are not always successful because some pointing devices
are serial devices only and do not work with a PS/2 adaptor. To connect two
pointing devices to a Windows 95 PC you usually need a Y-Mouse, Mouser or other
dual mouse adaptor.
With Windows 98, you can control the mouse with a
serial, PS/2 and USB mouse all at the same time.
PC laptops
PC laptops usually have a single dual purpose PS/2
connector which can take either a keyboard or a mouse. If you want to plug in
both, you need a ‘PC Y splitter cable’.
Older ‘ADB’ Macintosh
Macs pre-iMac and new G4’s (apart from very old
original Macs and Mac Plus) have
a port called the ‘Apple Desktop Bus’ which is used to connect
keyboard and mouse. You do not need to switch the computer off to plug and
unplug keyboards and mice, and you can have up to four different devices
plugged in at the same time.
Mac keyboards and mice are usually straightforward:
you plug them in, switch on, and they work. You can also get adaptors to plug
in extra ADB devices from Maplin and Global Direct. PC keyboard and PS/2 mice
can be connected to a Mac by using the OmniView or Kinesis Mac adaptor. A PC
serial mouse can run on a Mac by installing SerialMouse software. |
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iMacs, G4s and PCs with USB
Newer Macs (iMac, G3 / 4), and most PCs built since
about 1997 have two Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors. There are many good
things about USB: 
- you can plug in devices without having to switch
the computer off
- USB keyboards and mice can usually plug into both
iMacs and PCs
- you can add a USB Hub to provide more
sockets, for connecting lots of USB devices at once
- you can plug in several different keyboards and
mice, and also floppy and ZIP drives, printers, scanners, digital cameras, and
many other devices all at the same time
- USB is much faster than an RS232 serial (COM) port,
which makes it good for connecting digital cameras, etc
At the time of writing in January 2000, only a few USB
keyboards and pointing devices were available, but more are likely to appear.
The Griffin iMate converts older Mac ADB devices (keyboards, mice, IntelliKeys
etc) so they can be plugged into an iMac. To use a USB device with a Mac, just
plug it in USB. |
| USB works on Windows 98 (and sometimes
later versions of Windows 95). In most cases, you plug the keyboard or mouse
into the USB connector, Windows detects its presence, and asks you some
questions about whether you want to install the USB drivers for it. In our
experience, you answer ‘yes’ to everything and Windows does the rest
without too many hitches – but check the documentation supplied with your
USB devices for any special instructions. USB works alongside the standard PS/2
keyboard and mouse, so you can have two keyboards and pointing devices working
at the same time. |
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Introduction
To use switch controlled software on your computer,
you need a suitable interface box which has sockets for your switches (most
switches have 3.5-mm plugs). There are several switch interfaces available for
different computers. The interface may let the switch:
- act as one or more mouse button(s)
- act as one or more keyboard keys (e.g. Space bar,
Enter, cursor keys)
- connect to a serial (COM) port on the computer
Mouse button switches
Some mice and pointing devices are available with
switch sockets fitted to them, so that extra switches can be plugged in and
operate the buttons, e.g. Inclusive KidTrac rollerball. The Mouser 3 interface
(PC PS/2) provides a switch interface, two sockets for connecting the mouse and
another pointing device, and lets you switch off unwanted buttons.
If you have access to technical support, it is fairly
easy to take apart a mouse or other pointing device and fit switch sockets.
Lastly, some of the interfaces that let you use switches to replace keyboard
keys work for mouse buttons as well – by turning on MouseKeys (see
Appendices 3 and
4), the numeric keypad keys can operate as mouse
buttons. Mouse switch interfaces are usually fairly reliable methods of
connecting switches to computers; the main disadvantage is that the teacher,
parent or helper does not have full control of the mouse themselves when the
user is operating the switches.
‘Serial’ switches
A lot of PC software can use switches plugged into a
serial switchbox. These are small, inexpensive interfaces that connect to the
serial or ‘COM’ port on the back of the computer. Sometimes problems
arise because there are differences in the operation of serial ports. In
addition, good software from other countries does not support serial switch
connection. For these reasons, we would recommend a keyboard switch interface
rather than a serial switchbox, even though they are more expensive.
Keyboard switches
Most switch-operated software can be controlled with
one or more keys on the keyboard. The most common are the Space bar, and Enter
keys, although some software uses the number keys 0 to 3 or the cursor arrow
keys. Keyboard switch interfaces are generally very reliable and do not
interfere much with other functions on the computer; so although they are more
expensive, they are to be recommended.
See Unit 8 – The
development of switching skills for more information on connecting
switches to the computer and other devices. |
   
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