# acer like WTF mate? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 26, 2007, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acer-like-wtf-mate/417033 "2007-08-26T23:18:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![netsplit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@netsplit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netsplit)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acer-like-wtf-mate/417033/1 "2007-08-26T23:18:31Z")
[seriously](http://www.acerpanam.com/synapse/forms/Acer_drivers.cfm)? I’m just trying to acquire drivers for someone’s 5570z notebook. Strike one: the site is in flash. There’s no need for flash for that. God help anyone with disabilities such as blindness. Strike two: it’s incredibly slow and unresponsive. Strike three: since it’s in flash I can’t copy the links to the drivers and put them in getright. This means I can’t schedule them so they don’t all happen at once unless I babysit the computer for the next 6 hours. (on a slow 10 KB down cell connection so this is a big deal) Strike four: it don’t have ANY drivers listed for the 5570z, has a big mess of them for the 5570 though so hoping the parts match up to the z. Which brings us to: Strike five: the drivers are all unsorted. The XP and vista drivers are all mixed togather. Some of them aren’t even labeled for which os they go too or exactly what part they belong to. For example for wireless there’s a braodcom driver, an atheros driver, and a mysteriously vague “wireless” wireless driver. 😕 strike six: no contact page. My guess is I’m not the first to find the site frustrating and want to complain, as well as offer some services for html coding and website design since they’re obviously in need of competent help. strike seven: just to reiterate… Why flash??? The list box it’s doing could easily be done with javascript, and html. Then instead of dumping them all out unsorted and unlabeled in the last edit box it could spit out a page with them listed on it. Just like how decent uncraptacular companies do it. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acer-like-wtf-mate/417033/2 "2007-08-26T23:28:55Z")
Try this one instead: > **[Acer Laptops, Desktops, Chromebooks, Monitors & Projectors | Acer United...](https://www.acer.com/us-en/)** > > Shop the latest Acer products, from Chromebooks, laptops, monitors, desktop PCs, and projectors for office, home, and entertainment use. It has a contact page. ---
**Author:** ![netsplit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@netsplit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netsplit)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acer-like-wtf-mate/417033/3 "2007-08-26T23:59:48Z")
**Q.E.D.** you rule 😃 sent them this > [@](#): > > Greetings, > > Having to reinstall an operating system for an Acer laptop model 5570Z I’ve attempted to use your driver download page. (located at [acerpanam.com](http://www.acerpanam.com/synapse/forms/Acer_drivers.cfm) ) While I’m sure it’s very pretty it’s a little lacking certain areas. Specifically in functionality. Due to it being in flash it makes it hard to put the drivers in a download manager. I’m certain you put alot of effort into it which is a shame because the choice of flash resulted in a slow awkward to navigate and unresponsive site. In addition while throwing all the driver files together certainly has an eclectic charm to it it makes it a bit more effort to figure out which drivers are for xp and which are for vista, especially when some aren’t labeled as such. Which makes each download a fun surprise. In addition using flash makes the site difficult and near impossible for those with visual impairments. Now I’m just trying to look out for you and let you know that is illegal under the Americans with Disabilities act. > > In addition it doesn’t have any drivers listed for the 5570Z (a couple of software tools but no drivers), but lots for the 5570 so guessing you’re trying to make a fun puzzle out of it. > Just a note of encouragement to keep up the good work. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acer-like-wtf-mate/417033/4 "2007-08-27T06:36:41Z")
Just a quick question, but why is Flash more difficult for people with visual impairments to navigate than Javascript? ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acer-like-wtf-mate/417033/5 "2007-08-27T10:16:26Z")
Because in the final instance, a Javascript/HTML page will still be outputting bog standard HTML, which can be read by whatever accessibility software a user has. On the other hand, because Flash pages are just one big embedded software object, with all the data tied up in that in various arcane ways, it’s exceedingly rare for page readers to be able to get access to the basic page elements in order to describe them. Javascript can cause problems, but it’s not an insurmountable obstacle. For example, for users with less severe visual impairment, some accessibility technologies just strip off all the HTML style information from pages, and apply high-contrast stylesheets (looking something like [this](http://www.keyskillssupport.net/accessibility/)) in its place. This is impossible with flash pages, which for all intents and purposes when they get to the browser are no more manipulable than a fixed image. So either the original website designer makes an accessible version (which you can pretty much guarantee someone who writes a whole site in Flash _won’t_), or you’re screwed. ---
**Author:** ![ReuvenB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@ReuvenB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReuvenB)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acer-like-wtf-mate/417033/6 "2007-08-27T18:19:42Z")
Why don’t the accessibility programs integrate some sort of screenshot/OCR technology to read the flash pages? ---
**Author:** ![netsplit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@netsplit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netsplit)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acer-like-wtf-mate/417033/7 "2007-08-27T19:24:36Z")
[QUOTE=XWalrus2] Why don’t the accessibility programs integrate some sort of screenshot/OCR technology to read the flash pages? [/QUOTE] I’m sure some of the better ones do. Still don’t change the fact acer sucks donkey balls. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acer-like-wtf-mate/417033/8 "2007-08-27T19:36:55Z")
[QUOTE=XWalrus2] Why don’t the accessibility programs integrate some sort of screenshot/OCR technology to read the flash pages? [/QUOTE] Reading the screen’s only half the problem. You also have to be able to interact with it without using a mouse, and I don’t think that embedded flash offers that capability. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acer-like-wtf-mate/417033/9 "2007-08-27T20:31:02Z")
[QUOTE=XWalrus2] Why don’t the accessibility programs integrate some sort of screenshot/OCR technology to read the flash pages? [/QUOTE] Because doing that puts the burden of accesibility onto the user, not the site. Furthermore, OCR would be costly, and a total pain in the ass, and much of Flash-based design isn’t OCR-ready, and Flash doesn’t readily give up its URLs. Who’s going to pay for developing it? There are perfectly good WC3 accessibility guidelines; currently Flash sites ignore them. Supposedly, versions 8 and 9 of Flash have W3C-compatible accessibility components, though I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s worked with them.