Path: news1.icaen!news.uiowa.edu!news.physics.uiowa.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.erols.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!Sprint!newsfeed.internetmci.com!152.163.199.19!portc03.blue.aol.com!audrey02.news.aol.com!not-for-mail From: mikew50@aol.com (MikeW50) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Apple IIGS and speech generation for handicaped Date: 29 Jan 1998 00:59:27 GMT Lines: 34 Message-ID: <19980129005900.TAA22003@ladder02.news.aol.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: ladder02.news.aol.com X-Admin: news@aol.com Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com References: <34c94793.159899660@news.pernet.net> Xref: news1.icaen comp.sys.apple2:129597 In message <34c94793.159899660@news.pernet.net>, baxter@pernet.net (Sam Baxter) said: >I have some friends who's daughter has ALS (Lou Gerigs Disease). It >has left her without the ability to speak. I have a Apple IIGS I >would like to outfit with speech for her. I think the IIGS has the >ability to do so. Was any software ever developed that was >specifically for the handicaped. If not, what would I need to create >speech with IIGS that would be recognizable and easily operated by >someone who may not be knowledgable about computers? The Apple IIGS can do a fairly good job at this. We sell a product called Talking Tools ($35) which works with a stock Apple IIGS. While you will never mistake the results for a person, this program can read text in a very understandable way, and even offers male and female voices. For what you're looking for, I'd highly recommend it. I'd also recommend HyperStudio, still available from Roger Wagner Publishing. That will require 1.75M of RAM to be useful in this case, and 4M would be better. It can run from a 3.5" floppy, but I would recommend a hard drive. You can buy either for around $100 from Alltech if yo don't have these. If you explain your situation, you might get RWP to send you a free copy of HyperStudio; if not, they generally charge around $150. You may also be able to find a used copy cheap. Finally, I'd recommend getting ahold of a fellow named Bill Lynn. You can reach him at hsjournal@hsj.com. He did some stacks for HyperStudio. His profession is working with behaviourally and mentally disabled children, but because of this association, he did a great deal of software for children with disabilities. He may also be able to point you to other sources for software and hardware, and perhaps even give you a few tips on where to find money--some does exist for this sort of thing. Mike Westerfield Path: news1.icaen!news.uiowa.edu!news.physics.uiowa.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.erols.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news-peer-east.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!Sprint!sunqbc.risq.qc.ca!newsflash.concordia.ca!not-for-mail From: spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Apple IIGS and speech generation for handicaped Date: 28 Jan 1998 23:20 -0500 Organization: Concordia University Lines: 38 Distribution: world Message-ID: <28JAN199823204439@vax2.concordia.ca> References: <34c94793.159899660@news.pernet.net> <6adlbh$pdj$1@news.vanderbilt.edu> <6aoo44$a4o$1@nnrp1.crl.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: vax2.concordia.ca News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.50AXP Xref: news1.icaen comp.sys.apple2:129600 In article Louis Cornelio writes... >Gina Saikin wrote: >: > >: > : I have some friends who's daughter has ALS (Lou Gerigs Disease). It >: > : has left her without the ability to speak. I have a Apple IIGS I >: > : would like to outfit with speech for her. I think the IIGS has the > > > >: > Byteworks currently has the Talking Tools. Contact them for more info >: > on purchasing that software. > >: Also, and I don't know where you could get this, the Echo card and text >: tools do or did exist for the benefit of visually handicapped people. If >: someone knows if they are still available, and where they could be >: gotten... > >I am curious, perhaps Mike or someone could clear this up -- is the Echo >Card required for Talking Tools, or can TT generate the speech w/out the >card? Any comparison in the output or ease of getting decent output? >thanks Talking Tools (Tool051 and Tool052 actually) generates speech through the Ensoniq chip in the Apple IIgs. If I recall correctly, the toolset first appeared in a program called Smoothtalker back sometime in 1987. The Echo plug-in card, which is mainly intended for 8-bit Apple II's anyway, is not needed or used by Talking Tools. I always thought Talking Tools had a more natural and human- like male and female voice than the Echo card (Texas Instruments 5220), Phasor card (SSI 263) or the Amiga with its built-in speech. It has a much softer and quiet sounding voice, not nearly as sharp and piercing as the others -- although that is only my opinion of course. Mitchell Spector spec@vax2.concordia.ca