[DECtalk] status of DECtalk SAPI from Enable Rehab
Brandon Misch
bmisch2002 at gmail.com
Tue May 10 16:44:09 EDT 2011
that never will work.
On May 10, 2011, at 11:42 AM, Jayson Smith wrote:
> 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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