“Now KeyStrokes for Mac OS X gives me the ability to use Apple's newest operating system. KeyStrokes goes at the top of my list of software I consider essential.”

My name is Jack Wilson and I live in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. I have a rare, progressive muscular disease, called FOP for short (see the International FOP Association, www.ifopa.org, for more information), which has resulted in the gradual loss of motion in all my joints.

Sitting behind my TiBook. (Photo supplied by Jack Wilson and used with permission.)

I've enjoyed working with computers since first using them in college and bought my first Apple II around 1981. It was just natural to switch to a Mac later, and I've used PowerBooks for about 4 years, since they give me the freedom to use the computer wherever I want to. I normally have the PowerBook sitting on an old, rolling hospital over-bed table, so I'm able to use it from my chair or pull it over and use it while resting in bed. For a mouse, I use a cordless trackball. It gives me a little more flexibility in moving the computer. The shape of it also works very well for holding it in my lap and letting my hand rest fully on the trackball, so my arm does not get tired from the hours I spend on the computer. The trackball and it's receiver can be seen in the accompanying photographs. I also have a typing stick (actually just an old dowel I had on hand) which I can use to type on the keyboard when necessary.

At first, the computer was mainly a source of entertainment for me -- an early video game machine. Over the years, as it's become more difficult for me to get around and with the expansion of the Internet, the computer has become a very important part of my life. My condition has progressed to where I have virtually no movement in my hips and shoulders, so I stay at home most of the time. The computer gives me a link to the outside world through the World Wide Web, easy communication with others through email, and also provides the opportunity to work from my home doing web design. Most days I spend 8 - 10 hours on the computer doing web site design, surfing the Web and still taking some time for fun.

My input devices: on the left a wireless trackball, in the center the computer screen showing KeyStrokes virtual keyboard, and on the right the wireless receiver for the trackball. (Photo supplied by Jack Wilson and used with permission.)

When it became difficult for me to reach a normal keyboard, I started looking around for alternatives. KeyStrokes is the ideal solution for me. Typing using KeyStrokes with my trackball is much easier than typing on the keyboard with the stick, and I don't have any extra hardware to deal with, as some options would require. It works seamlessly with the system, so I can use it in all situations. KeyStrokes is also fully customizable, so you can set it up for however works best for you. For instance, since I have KeyStrokes set at a small size to maximize my working area, I add just a little space between the keys and set the background to dark. This makes each key stand out, so it's easier to be sure I'm clicking on the one I mean to. When I don't need to type, such as when I'm doing graphics work in Photoshop for a web page design or when I'm surfing the Web, I can easily minimize KeyStrokes to get it out of the way. And now KeyStrokes for Mac OS X gives me the ability to use Apple's newest operating system.

KeyStrokes goes at the top of my list of software I consider essential.