[bookport] Re: new book port
- From: "Kramlinger, Keith G., M.D." <kramk@xxxxxxxx>
- To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 12:53:33 -0600
I agree completely, and couldn't state it better.
-----Original Message-----
From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rik James
Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 12:51 PM
To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bookport] Re: new book port
Hello, fellow Book Port teleporters.
I have to chime in briefly.
Just to say I also was disappointed to learn of the new Book Port's
voices.
It is not just that I do not like the sound of Sam and Tom.
It is litterally that I cannot understand them. Several of the
characters
and words spoken are just not intelligible to my old ears.
I have stated on this list before my Book Port has changed my life and
been
one of the finest devices among so very many that I have purchased over
the
years.
I did purchase and like my Victor Stream, but I use it for much of the
mp3
audio and Daisy formatted mp3 audio stuff I read. And while I can and do
use
it a little using the voices, I just do not enjoy the reading using of
the
text to speech voices, for reasons I cited earlier.
I don't yet know if I will purchase the new Book Port.
But it is not in its favor to learn that the device will have those
mealy
mouth type of voices.
I am not trying to be insulting or critical. But it is just true, I
just
plain can't understand them enough to suit my own needs.
Meanwhile I am using My Book Port, and trying to treat it with kid
gloves,
so very fearful for when I again wear out the buttons and it is rendered
no
longer so useful, knowing that I cannot be any longer repaired by APH.
I hope to hear in the future the option to have the Double Talk voice in
the
new Book Port.
I know you developers have many things to consider about it. I just am
chiming in as one of the consumers who wants the good stuff. I will
purchase
a new Book Port, if I feel I can get my value from it as I have from my
original unit.
Thanks.
Rik James
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Curtis Delzer" <curtis@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 11:34 AM
To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [bookport] Re: new book port
> Well, I am not truly convinced that DoubleTalk chip would double the
> price. "human" like, as you say, depends on the OS in the machine, and
if
> it were a DoubleTalk chip, it could be used for all text and the
interface
> too it wouldn't be memory specific. With the particular OS, as I think
it
> is in the particular BP plus, the there is limited speech facilities
> available for it, and this one is the Samantha and Tom voices, and
> probably the UK Daniel as well. As I say, why oh why not spend the
extra
> fifty bux and use a double talk chip for text reading and file name
> reading, etc.
> Double Talk speech is a hall mark of Book Port so it should be
> incorporated into the plus unit, because it truly is less memory
intensive
> than any "human" speech, and is just better than those smoky voices,
both
> will get cancer in a few months, the way they sound. :) <grin>
>
>
> Curtis Delzer.
> HS.
>
> on Tuesday 2/9/2010 12:06 PM, Martin Courcelles said:
>>Because they sound human?
>>Don't get me wrong, I like the old DoubleTalk, but why not use
financially
>>viable text-to-speech, instead of using the DoubleTalk hardware speech
>>which would double the price.
>>I do wish that they could crank up the audio bitrate however. It
would
>>make them sound a bit clearer. I have the same pet peeve with the
other
>>players on the market. Right now, the voices sound like they have a
smoke
>>in their mouth.
>>
>>On 2/9/2010 12:11 PM, Curtis Delzer wrote:
>>>Oh please, why the Samantha, Tom, etc. voices? PLEASE! Why not just
>>>remain with DoubleTalk voice instead, it's better than that!
DoubleTalk
>>>is designed with Text in mind, has been for many years and you could
then
>>>also make the device an external USB supported synthesizer with just
some
>>>additional configuration. Even then a dictionary for words could be
added
>>>with double-tap keystrokes for changing pronunciation of
mispronounced
>>>words, etc. Is memory considerations why those voices were chosen?
There
>>>are just so many better choices than these voices!
>>>
>>>
>>>Curtis Delzer.
>>>HS.
>>>
>>>
>
>
>
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