[bksvol-discuss] Re: OT Comments on these products?
- From: "Donna Smith" <donnafsmith@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 21:04:18 -0500
Thanks, Michael, for this very useful information. Money is not much of an
issue as it is my employer who is thinking about making the purchase. We're
looking for an easy, not-to-expensive way to produce an audio file of text
documents. I have Kurzweil, but this task belongs to our communications
group, and none of them have a need for the full scope of functions that
Kurzweil provides. The Producer looks like an easy and not-to-expensive way
to give them that capability. Does anyone know if it uses the Hal voices?
That's the other piece to this. We're trying to find a synthesized voice
that is pretty accurate and easy to listen to for people who don't typically
listen to speech synthesizers. We know that there will be times when we
need to pay to have the audio file created with a human voice, but we'd like
a good back-up option as well.;
As for the braille translation software, we currently have Duxbury, but
again our communications group is totaly unimpressed with all the work they
have to do to make a file come out readable. We're looking for something
that requires less knowledge/understanding of braille...something that is
more automatic. Again, for major translation, we just bid it out to a
vendor, but we need the capability to produce it in-house when needed. I
know that MegaDots was bought out by Duxbury, but am hoping that it is still
a separate piece of software and still easier to use.;
I'd appreciate any additional information, and I appreciate the tolerance of
the list to allow this side bar discussion. Please feel free to post to me
off list at donnafsmith@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks again.;
Donna
-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Michael Papp,
Rehabilitation Technology Spec
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 12:45 PM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: OT Comments on these products?
Producer from Dolphin allows the creation of DAISY format
materials, and includes EaseReader (easy reader) which is a text
to speech application. A Dolphin rep showed it to me at a training
session a few months ago. It is basically a paired down version of
EasePublisher (easy publisher). If you want to easily create DAISY
books, it is a way to do it. It serves a fairly narrow need, and there
are more powerful, and of course more expensive, products out
there. I don't use it, so I don't have an opinion as to whether it is
good or bad.
Easy Reader basically does the same thing as Text Aloud or
Natural Reader.
MegaDots is Braille translation software, used to turn text into
grade 2 Braille so it can be embossed. It is easy to use, and can
convert a document open in Word into Braille and print it on your
embosser. I use it very rarely, but when I do it is easy for me to
use, and it is a pretty powerful professional program. I haven't found
an embosser yet for which MegaDots doesn't have a driver. Most of
the people I know who use it for professional employment, such as
teachers and lawyers.
If money is an issue, some embossers come with their own very
basic Braille Translators.
Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, a "Braille Font"
may also suit your needs. You can download a Braille font face for
free from http://www.duxburysystems.com/freeware.asp . This is
just a font type face like Times New Roman or Arial. It won't
translate text into Braille, it just displays it on a screen or prints
out on a text printer.
Michael Papp
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donna Smith" <donnafsmith@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 5:14 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] OT Comments on these products?
Hi all. Does anyone have an opinion on either of the following
products?
Text to Audio = Dolphin's Producer $400 first copy + $380 each
additional copy
http://www.dolphinedu.com/
Text to Braille = MegaDots (bought out by Duxbury)
http://www.duxburysystems.com/prices.asp
Thanks.
Donna
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