[DECtalk] DECtalk TTS licensing

[Karen Lewellen]

Hi Chime,
I dare say the scores of Jaws users who, while paying and continuing to 
pay, or have rehab pay insane amounts for  the product, but  have little 
input  or support 
whatsoever would say otherwise about the commercial element playing a 
role.
There are some resources that indicate the most popular windows screen 
reader in the world is a free one,  nvda, with users providing allot 
of input i understand.
Further  Linux is quite commercial,  showing up as infrastructure from 
cellphones to smart devices, but that has not translated into a consistent 
quality product where speech is concerned, speaking personally.
Red hat, one of the best known Linux platforms has an office here in 
Toronto.
  they are hiring people world wide  just now, and pay allot.
as for DOS not having a commercial project,  a number of mainstream 
computer makers like hP install an edition of DOS on their machines to 
avoid licensing issues with windows, and allow for some of them to sell 
Linux machines off the shelf...so I am not following how commercialism 
leads to quality if that makes sense.
Still, build the market, and you might be surprised who will come.   There 
are  a number of DOS projects built into small computers, games, those 
sorts of things.  One must be shopping in the right store.
Additionally, my understanding as for part of why Linux speech and screen 
readers are so, speaking personally, poor is because one must use what is 
free, with projects abandoned  rather often.
Perhaps a challenge, but such does not endear a tool to those needing 
reliable  technology professionally and personally.
Giving the money making companies for Linux, the we must only use what is 
free logic does not resonate.
Lastly, while  I believe you are correct about early Apple hardware and 
speech, the years might be a bit off..perhaps mid 80s, more than say 1980 
or 81, but I am not certain.
What I can say is that, unlike Windows, DOS, and Linux Apple has only had 
two major screen readers, outspoken, and voiceover.  Such is because Apple 
accessibility for a number of populations seriously from the start, 
working with, instead of against, those creating adaptive technology.
Kare



On Tue, 31 Aug 2021, Chime Hart wrote:

> Bravo Karen-and-I would also say that maybe more often in Linux, folks write 
> software because they enjoy a challenge, as where in windows, not sure about 
> DOS, there are more commercial projects. Certainly if you offer a paying 
> project, there are more chances an average user can get help or even have an 
> avenue of suggesting improvements.
> And lastly, didn't an Echo 2C have speech in the early 80s?
> Chime
>
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