[DECtalk] DECtalk TTS licensing

[Don]

On 8/31/2021 2:28 PM, Blake Roberts via Dectalk wrote:
> I interpret Don's comment about hardware synthesizers posing a potential
> "problem" to mean methods for connecting to a modern computer became antiquated
> years ago. Don, if I am not understanding your point sufficiently, my apologies.

This is the flip-side of the problem I was presenting.

In the late 70's, early 80's, *you* couldn't drive a synthesizer
because you didn't have a personal computer or software that
could exploit the capabilities of the synthesizer.  And, *you*
likely couldn't create such a computer (out of components) *or*
the software (out of development tools).

You might have access to a DEC minicomputer (or even a VAX).
But, not *personally*.

> Two hardware speech synthesizer examples from my own life: I used the DOS
> operating system until 2002, when circumstances required me to update to
> Windows. My Doubletalk PC ISA card from RC Systems was disposed of years ago
> because ISA card slots had already become antiquated technology at that point
> in time. Serial ports were not far behind in becoming antiques as I recall.

You can work-around the serial port issue with a USB-serial adapter.
In *some* cases (because it is not a faithful recreation of a *genuine*
serial port in that the signals supported and the interface to the port
may not be backward compatible -- for software that tried to access
specific I/O ports in the PC at which specific hardware devices were
KNOWN to reside).

I have several devices that require *real* serial ports and *real*
parallel ports.  And, that those ports must be implemented with
very specific chips -- because in the DOS days, a program could
talk directly to the hardware (that ability has been curtailed with
each new Windows release; you have to ask the OS to talk to the
hardware on your behalf -- hence the need for special drivers)

Floppy disc are obsolescent (though I still have 8", 5" and 3" capabilities).
CD's and DVDs will disappear next.  After that, USB.  Eventually,
the way into and out of a computer will be entirely via the network
interface.

> I still have a Braille Lite Millenium notetaker which has a TrippleTalk
> hardware speech synthesizer built-in. TrippleTalk was essentially DoubleTalk
> with a few extra voices. Although the Braille lite still works, the computer I
> have used for the past 11 years does not have a serial port to use with the
> Braille Lite's serial port cable. While I know that USB to serial port cables
> can be purchased online, I'm not sure the dinosaur named Braille Lite Millenium
> would connect to my computer or talk with my Windows screen reader. Why?
> Because it uses old connection technology.

See above.

> I still have a desire to get a DecTalk Express speech synthesizer someday if I
> can. But at the same time, I have concerns about how usable it would be from a
> connection standpoint.

I have one but have never tried connecting it to a machine without a
serial port *or* with an OS "intervening in those interactions".

> Curiosity question: Are you still using Vocal Eyes on a DOS computer? I can see
> from your email address that you apparently use a shell account. I have not
> used a shell account for 19 years, but I do recall shellworld was/is a shell
> account provider.

IIRC, sdh.org (?) offers "free" shell accounts.  You'd need a TELNET/SSH client
to get there, though.