[DECtalk] status of DECtalk SAPI from Enable Rehab

Tue May 10 11:42:49 EDT 2011

I'm assuming the same thing. A SAPI synth would be future-proof in that if 
some new screen reader came out which supports SAPI, it'd be instantly 
compatible. The only thing that concerns me is the 32-bit thing. If it won't 
work with 64-bit screen readers, in years to come it could come to pass that 
very few people could use the synth. For instance, we have one 64-bit 
Windows 7 machine. I tried installing a 32-bit JFW11. Didn't work.
Jayson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alex H." <linuxx64.bashsh at gmail.com>
To: "DECtalk Discussions" <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2011 11:32 AM
Subject: Re: [DECtalk] status of DECtalk SAPI from Enable Rehab

> It would probably be easier to develop one SAPI driver than a few
> screen reader modules. I'm assuming it will be SAPI.
>
> Alex
>
> On 5/10/11, Brandon Misch <bmisch2002 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> will that module have its own driver or will it work through sapi?
>>
>> On May 10, 2011, at 8:49 AM, Corine Bickley wrote:
>>
>>> The Enable DECtalk module for screen readers will work with any screen
>>> reader that runs on a 32-bit machine.
>>>
>>> On Sat, May 7, 2011 at 2:02 PM, Pitermach <pitermach at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> <blockquote>
>>>> then we
>>>> will offer that version for sale as an add-on to screen readers of the
>>>> user's choice.
>>>> </blockquote>
>>>> does this mean, then, that you will develop some propriatary
>>>> jaws/wineyes/nvda drivers or are you refering to making that one into
>>>> sapi?
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Corine Bickley" <corine.bickley at gallaudet.edu>
>>>> To: "DECtalk Discussions" <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2011 7:56 PM
>>>> Subject: [DECtalk] status of DECtalk SAPI from Enable Rehab
>>>>> Hello DECtalk friends,
>>>>> We at Enable, two former students of Dennis Klatt and his 
>>>>> friend/mentor
>>>>> Prof. Ken Stevens, learned of an interest in a version of DECtalk that
>>>>> was
>>>>> SAPI compliant. Both of us had worked for short intervals with Force
>>>>> Computers and then Fonix to try to keep DECtalk alive commercially in
>>>>> 2000.
>>>>> However, our efforts were not appreciated at either company. We both
>>>>> were
>>>>> laid off. However, we stayed in touch with Ed Bruckert who has kept
>>>>> DECtalk
>>>>> alive for over 30 years. Ed was our manager at Force and then Fonix.
>>>>> Sadly,
>>>>> Ed is now legally blind and can only advise, not program. He helps 
>>>>> with
>>>>> advice as he best as his memory allows.
>>>>>
>>>>> Ed has explained that DECtalk has not made any money for many years.
>>>>> Enable
>>>>> will never make any money off of any version of DECtalk, but in honor 
>>>>> of
>>>>> Dennis we'd like to keep DECtalk available. No other company else has
>>>>> any
>>>>> interest in doing so. After much negotiation, Ed was finally able to
>>>>> convince Fonix to let Enable license whatever old copies of DECtalk 
>>>>> code
>>>>> that we could find. That cost alone is far more than any profit Enable
>>>>> will
>>>>> ever realize from sales of DECtalk. Also, Fonix owns any changes we 
>>>>> make
>>>>> to
>>>>> DECtalk code. They, Fonix managers, are smart. You may conclude that 
>>>>> we
>>>>> at
>>>>> Enable are stupid, at least naive, but please be assured that we are
>>>>> well
>>>>> intentioned and want to make DECtalk available to whoever wants it, if
>>>>> anyone does. It seems now that no one does, at least not any version
>>>>> that
>>>>> Fonix will let Enable have access to. However, I can rest easy in
>>>>> knowing
>>>>> that we tried. I'm sorry to all of you that we failed. We wish you 
>>>>> well
>>>>> in
>>>>> continuing to use whatever versions of DECtalk you have access to. 
>>>>> It's
>>>>> wonderful that those versions still exist - do enjoy them.
>>>>>
>>>>> One of the old versions of DECtalk does work with at least some of the
>>>>> voices, such as Paul. That old version is now being evaluated by the
>>>>> Acoustical Society of America's Standards Committee for 
>>>>> intelligibility
>>>>> of
>>>>> TTS systems for blind users. If that old version evaluates adequately
>>>>> (the
>>>>> first report will be presented this summer at an international
>>>>> conference
>>>>> by
>>>>> Drs. Ann Syrdal and Taniya Mishra), particularly at high speeds, then 
>>>>> we
>>>>> will offer that version for sale as an add-on to screen readers of the
>>>>> user's choice. Both the Paul and Betty voices are being evaluated. If
>>>>> anyone
>>>>> on this listserv is interested in hearing the samples as well as the
>>>>> other
>>>>> synthesizers included in the evaluation, please access the site:
>>>>>
>>>>> http://dudley.research.att.com/tts/TESTS/TTSrateIntelligibility/html/index.h
>>>>> tml
>>>>> Sometimes this link is down because the ATT researchers are accessing
>>>>> the
>>>>> results. Please try later if it doesn't work when you first try it.
>>>>> Several
>>>>> kinds of TTS systems are included, each with a male and a female 
>>>>> voice.
>>>>> You'll have to re-enter the site quite a few times to hear samples of
>>>>> all
>>>>> the different voices in all the different TTS systems. The 
>>>>> presentation
>>>>> is
>>>>> randomized, so there's no way to know whether you will hear DECtalk or
>>>>> some
>>>>> other system each time.
>>>>>
>>>>> Again, best wishes to all on this listserv in your continued use of
>>>>> DECtalk.
>>>>>
>>>>> corine bickley
>>>>> Enable Rehab, president
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> DECtalk mailing list
>>>>> DECtalk at bluegrasspals.com
>>>>> http://bluegrasspals.com/mailman/listinfo/dectalk
>>>>>
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>>>>>
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