> Can someone comment on the minimum requirements to run jaws without issues on a pc laptop? I’m sure I can just get whatever the minimum listed system requirements are, but will it be clunky? I need a new laptop, so looking for advice. I’m mainly using it for word processing/creative writing, so nothing too intense.

I've never used JAWS, but got away with a very cheap Windows 10 laptop with just 4GB of RAM, a 1.2Ghz Celeron CPU, and a 128GB SSD running NVDA between 2017 and 2019 just fine, so it baffles me to read people say that you need a gaming laptop with 24GB of RAM.

> Edit: unrelated question because I’m a screen reader novice. Can macs with numpads navigate word docs similarly to how jaws uses the numpad, or is that a uniquely jaws thing? I’ve only used voiceover on a laptop without a numpad, so just curious.

As said above, I've never used JAWS myself, but regarding VoiceOver you can set up the number pad to execute any action, from VoiceOver or not, with the number pad commander, which you can enable in VoiceOver Utility. There are also other options, such as the keyboard and trackpad commanders, that allow you to assign keys or trackpad gestures to any action of your choice.

I use NVDA and am confused, why are people mentioning such high ram? I have a computer with intell core i3 I think, and 8 gb of ram and the jaws demo ran fine.

I would go with 8 gb or higher. I think 24 gb is a bit much for your uses. My work computer has 8 and my home rig has 16, and JAWS runs fine on both.

I've never understood why people use a desktop layout with any screen reader that supports laptop. Typists can reach all of the conventional keys on a laptop far more efficiently than by using a numpad, and the laptop layout works on a bigger keyboard but the reverse doesn't (you can't easily use numpad shortcuts to control the screen reader on a laptop). Maybe it's just me being odd, but I'd far sooner have keyboard skills transferable to a smaller device if I am on the road or something?

You can get by comfortably with 16. On the XPS I designed and bought about 6 months ago I went with 32.

I was having a memory leak issue with Dell’s MaxxAudio for a while before I switched drivers, so I now keep Resource Monitor opened a lot. Since I switched Audio drivers I’ve almost never gone over 10 Gigs. I’m usually using 25 percent or less of my ram.

I have a Blade 15 with a core i7 10875h and 16 gigs of RAM. I suspect I could get away with a weaker CPU, but make sure to get plenty of RAM. If r/r/razer is to be believed, my laptop is a ticking timebomb, and I'll likely downsize to a Surface Laptop on my next upgrade, provided I can get enough RAM and ports.

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As for numpads, get an external bluetooth unit. Trust me, dealing with the hair-tearing anxiety of trying to find something with a tenkey that doesn't have a horrible compromise is just not worth the effort.

Source: I spent 6 months chasing something with a numpad before I gave up and bought the Blade.

My voc rehab told me a gaming laptop with at least 24 gb of ram is preferred if you want to be able to do other things while running jaws.

For MATLab and Jaws, I have to have a labtop/desktop with 32gb of ram. But most won't use programs like MATLab.

I would recommend 16GB of RAM as a minimum; you are never running just JAWS, it is Windows+JAWS+Office+Browser+a dozen utilities running in the background. JAWS is not light on its feet, and it gets heavier every upgrade. I have worked with at least two clients PC in the last couple weeks that was sluggish because JAWS was being piggy.

Realize when companies list their minimum hardware requirements it is like asking "what is the least I can do for ....", but this does not reflect real-world use. It is like when the laptop is tested to get nine hours of battery life but that claim is based on being in airplane mode, with the screen dimmed 95%, and using only notepad.

As far as keyboard goes, every single laptop keyboard I have used in my life (and that is quite a lot) is horrible in terms of touch-typing and ergonomics. The laptops with a full keyboard with numberpad are also almost 17" screens or bigger and are HEAVY. My recommendation would be a smaller laptop with a mechanical keyboard (tenkeyless if you don't need a number pad - as others mentioned, running in laptop mode) that attaches to the computer via USB (or Bluetooth). Some of my blind/LV clients like mechanical keyboards based on the Cherry Blue microswitch - it gives good audible and tactile feedback when keys are pressed.

Ever thought of using Linux with Orca? You can probably load it on your old MacBook. Libre office would work fine for novel writing.