I know it might be pretty weird to ask this on AppleVis, but I’m wondering if there are any Chrome OS users out there. Android seems to work pretty well for the blind, but what about Google’s computing platform? What are your experiences? I’ve tried Linux, macOS, and Windows; now I’d love to test Chrome OS on my MacBook. Is there any way to install it virtually and get TalkBack running? Thanks in advance!
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ChromeVox
;The big thing is you'll have a new screen reader: ChromeVox. It works similarly to others but has its own list of commands, and also its own shortcomings. It's included in ChromeOS.
90% of using ChromeOS is just using web apps in the Chrome web browser. SO you can really think of it as using Chrome but with a different screen reader. In fact, you can install ChromeVox into Chrome browser and get most of the experience, at least on Windows.
You can also run it in a VM. I have not done it. Google points us to https://promevo.com/blog/chrome-os-and-virtual-machines-vdi
ChromeOS also supports running Android apps, and for that you'll have to install TalkBack. NOte, I am not sure if this is supported on all hardware, you may need a ChromeBook with decent RAM.
Thank you!
Thank you very much for the detailed response. I was actually interested in testing the ChromeVox screen reader through the Chrome extension. However, Google’s own extension doesn’t seem to follow the proper practices or standards for extension development. Here’s the error message I received:
“This extension is no longer available because it doesn’t follow best practices for Chrome extensions.”
Any opinions/suggestions?
Oh a mac OS thing...
I tried installing the screen reader on my windows VM and it worked; I guess it's just not designed for the Chrome on mac OS
Chrome OS Is Great, For The Right Person
For the first time when ya get a Chromebook, wait for 30 seconds after ya turn it on, and Chromevox will say "press the space bar to begin setup."
After that, ya can toggle on/off Chromevox on Chrome OS with CTRL+Alt+Z.
If ya wish to use Talkback instead of ChromeVox and Talkback itself doesn't switch automatgicly, you can do:
Chromevox+A followd by Right-Bracket to turn Talkback on.
Chromevox+A follow by left-Bracket to switch back to ChromeVox.
Android 13 I believe should be the latest on Chrome OS these days....
My best advice if ya buy one, make sure it has a touch screen with it. Just in case.
ChromeOS
If you have an extra computer lying around that you don't mind dedicating solely to ChromeOS, give ChromeOS Flex a try. You'll get the ChromeOS and ChromeVox experience for the most part. The only thing you'll be missing is the Play Store. I don't think it's possible to run ChromeOS Flex inside a virtual machine, at least not officially. This is by the way a great way to revive old Intel Macs as well, though I don't think it works on T2 and possibly T1 Macs.
Yes, yes!!!!! I recycled my…
Yes, yes!!!!! I recycled my old dynabook machine into chromeos flex and I so much love this screen reader on the web, for my usecase it's almost as good as NVDA and way better than VoiceOver on Mac for what it does.
It's a delightful little OS
It's so light, so fast, and screenreader doesn't feel laggy at all. Just for browsing internet, I won't mind a Chromebook. I had my eyes on Lenovo Chromebook Duet, a detachable tablet/laptop.
However, just got a Lenovo Tab Plus, running Android 15. Talkback's keyboard shortcuts, plus the PC mode this tablet offers, is not that far off from a Chrome OS experience in my opinion. Plus the speakers would nock any iPad out of the water.
Edit: Also, I wish Chrome OS Flex supported Dual booting. Wouldn't mind having it on my Windows laptop, just for those situation where I need to save battery, but, do basic tasks on the internet.
Edit: Just in case if someone is looking to buy a Chromebook, keep in mind that Google is in process of merging Android and Chrome OS, potentially having just 1 OS for tablets, Phones and Chromebook like devices in the future.
Yeah and I am both excited…
Yeah and I am both excited and terrified about this merge, as this time it seems to be quite serious. Time will tell if the Chromevox experience will be a memory of the past or keep improving.