[bookport] Re: Upgrades: Hardware and Firmware
- From: "albert griffith" <albertgriffith@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 02:40:32 -0400
This is why I rather like the survey method. The number of book port owners
is large enough to arrive at a consensus of opinion.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Arrigo" <n0oxy@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "LARRY SKUTCHAN" <lskutchan@xxxxxxx>; <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2005 10:06 PM
Subject: [bookport] Re: Upgrades: Hardware and Firmware
:I do know several people that like the doubletalk speech, and several that
: don't. Of course, that's the case with any synthesizer, there will
probably
: never be a speech engine that everyone likes.
: ----- Original Message -----
: From: "LARRY SKUTCHAN" <lskutchan@xxxxxxx>
: To: <n0oxy@xxxxxxxxxxx>; <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
: Sent: Friday, April 15, 2005 8:02 AM
: Subject: [bookport] Re: Upgrades: Hardware and Firmware
:
:
: > Actually, I am fine with DoubleTalk. I hear people that are put off by
: > the speech though which is why we are considering alternatives.
: >
: >
: > >>> n0oxy@xxxxxxxxxxx Thursday, April 14, 2005 10:40:58 PM >>>
: > Hi all. Larry, I was looking for a message to reply too where I could
: > post
: > my opinion on new hardware, and this one is perfect, smile. Today I
: > actually
: > tried listening to eloquence with headphones, and honestly, I prefer
: > the
: > doubletalk speech when listening this way. I mainly use eloquence on
: > the pc,
: > although I used to use a doubletalk pc when I had a computer that would
: > work
: > with that card. After thinking about it a bit, the doubletalk has my
: > final
: > vote for the unit.
: > Regarding a new hardware design, I think we should first ask, what are
: > we
: > wanting to accomplish with it? Personally, I think the current
: > hardware
: > works well for what the book port was designed to do, read text books,
: > and
: > play audio files. The product is known for being extremely small and
: > portable, and a long battery life. Chances are, changing synthesizers
: > would
: > cause at least one of the following three things to happen. It could
: > make
: > the product more expensive, especially considering that the other
: > speech
: > engines are software, requiring more memory, more processing power, and
: > an
: > operating system that the software synthesizer would run on. Also, the
: > book
: > port software would also need to be developed for that operating
: > system.
: > Second, it's possible that this would require the unit to be a larger
: > size,
: > reducing it's portability. Last but not least, the power supply would
: > probably require modification, either more batteries, or not as long of
: > a
: > battery life. If any of these 3 things are true, and I would say stick
: > with
: > what we have. Actually, I'm curious Larry, back when you were
: > developing
: > ASAP, I know you were a big doubletalk fan, is that still the case?
: > ----- Original Message -----
: > From: "LARRY SKUTCHAN" <lskutchan@xxxxxxx>
: > To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
: > Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 7:15 AM
: > Subject: [bookport] Re: Upgrades: Hardware and Firmware
: >
: >
: > > I doubt we can offer Eloquence for $50, since it looks like we will
: > be
: > > paying around that on a per unit license, even before doing any
: > hardware
: > > and software modifications.
: > >
: > > At this time, it does not look feasible to be able to offer an unit
: > > with more than one synthesizer in it. Of course, this could change
: > as
: > > we learn more.
: > >
: > > I just do not have enough information to be able to answer the
: > question
: > > of upgrading current units to a different synthisizer. After all, we
: > do
: > > not even know yet if we will be offering a different synthesizer.
: > >
: > >
: > >
: > > >>> wd8ldy@xxxxxxxxxx Thursday, April 14, 2005 6:28:12 AM >>>
: > > Hi Larry and list!
: > >
: > > Sarah has given the best description of the Keynote's voice that I
: > ever
: > >
: > > heard. A little plastic guy is exactly what it sounds like to me. I
: > am
: > >
: > > pleased I managed to get my bookport while you were using a
: > reasonably
: > >
: > > understandable synthesiser. That is strictly my opinion. Below is
: > the
: > > sum of
: > > my experience with others' use of different synthesisers.
: > >
: > > DEC-talk is OK, but I have found a fair number of people who have
: > found
: > > it
: > > difficult to understand. These same people also dislike Doubletalk
: > for
: > > the
: > > same reason. But all have found Eloquence to be the kind of
: > improvement
: > > they
: > > required. This is my experience in a country that used to use a lot
: > of
: > >
: > > Keynotes.
: > >
: > > I realise it may be early for you to have any definitive figures, but
: > I
: > >
: > > would like to ask a couple questions. If you should decide that you
: > > want to
: > > offer another synthesiser in Bookport, and I do not believe this is
: > > needed
: > > nor waranted, could it be retrofitted into the case of current
: > units?
: > > If so,
: > > what would the cost be expected to be? Would it be possible to
: > > accommodate
: > > two synthesisers that could be switched in the settings menu or
: > would
: > > we
: > > have to forfeit what we have in order to gain the other?
: > >
: > > I would be willing to pay a small amount, say $50, if you could add
: > > Eloquence to my unit. But I would hope that it could be added
: > without
: > > having
: > > to physically send the Bookport in. There have been a number of
: > > problems
: > > here when people have sent equipment overseas for repairs. When the
: > > equipment is returned, Customs have been known to charge duties as
: > if
: > > it was
: > > a new product. I would not want to chance experiencing this, nor
: > would
: > > I
: > > want to see others unnecessarily charged. For that reason, I think
: > you
: > >
: > > should try to make whatever you do decide to use deliverable on
: > line.
: > >
: > > Cheers,
: > > Dave
: > >
: > >
: > >
: >
: >
:
:
:
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