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 To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.