[bookport] Re: Enhancements to Bookport Device
- From: "TerriStimmel" <ropgirl@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2004 16:18:19 -0500
Hello all,
I certainly don't see the need for any sort of dictionary, even if it's one
to fix the pronunciation of words.
As Walt has suggested, all this would likely do, is slow the performance
down.
Personally, if I came across a word, and it didn't sound right to me, or
make sense in the context of the reading, I'd get the BP to spell it.
I think that's the best thing to do in that sort of situation.
Thank you,
Terri
----- Original Message -----
From: "Walt Smith" <walt@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2004 3:54 PM
Subject: [bookport] Re: Enhancements to Bookport Device
> The problem with any kind of dictionary on a device as relatively (when
> compared with even an old PC) slow as the Book Port is the processing time
> that would be required for the synthesizer to identify a word, decide
> whether to look it up in the dictionary, retrieve the dictionary
> pronunciation, then insert that data into the output stream that's being
> sent to the audio chip. In fact, if one of the APH guys wouldn't mind
> sharing this, I'd be interested just as a matter of information in knowing
> what the processor speed is on the BP, but I doubt it's very robust.
>
> I've always looked at (or listened to, if you prefer) synthesizers like
> being friends with a person whose native language wasn't English and who
> speaks with a strong accent. I wouldn't permit their occasional errors in
> pronunciation to stand in the way of our friendship or influence my
opinion
> of their worth, and I feel the same way about synthesized speech. If I
want
> the end result, I'm more than willing to put up with some of the
relatively
> minor hassles involved in getting from here to there.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Francis E. Khan" <fekhan@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2004 3:35 PM
> Subject: [bookport] Enhancements to Bookport Device
>
>
> Hello Bookport Users:
> These are a few thoughts I have about Bookport. For your information, I
> received my unit on November 23 this year and so far, have read about
twelve
> books, all from the CD which came with the package. For the most part,
the
> pronunciation of words is very good but there are instances where someone
> can get confused. Take the word "pitiable" which I came across in one of
> the Sherlock Holmes stories. It is pronounced "pishiable" and the word
> "mustache" is pronounced "mustake". Do any of you recall a software
program
> we used with the DOS operating system? It was a great program and we
could
> always correct the pronunciation of words by adding lines to the special
> table provided for that purpose. Additionally, those of us who could,
> purchased upgrade chips for the DoubleTalk synthesizer which corrected a
lot
> of the pronunciations and a lot more.
>
> I am not sure exactly what the firmware updates are all about as I haven't
> downloaded any since last week but on the Bookport there are two screws
> holding the back cover so some of the hardware must be accessible. Just a
> thought and I am wondering whether some chips in the case can be upgraded
in
> the future to enhance the product even more.
>
> I would appreciate hearing your comments and, who knows, we might have an
> even better Bookport in the not too distant future.
>
> Francis Khan
>
>
>
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