Mainly, you want to be sure it's supported by Speakup. That's were you get your lowest level of access. With that in hand, you can play around with software speech without jeopardizing your "get out of trouble" card, as it were. The Doubletalk, both the internal ISA card and the serial external, are very well supported by Speakup. My druthers are the internal, but finding a machine with an ISA slot is next to impossible these days, unless you find one in the closet or at a computer show/shop with old parts. So, the external is more handy. Speakup also supports DEC Talk Express well--but that's an expensive and fussy box, hard to get fixed. The Accent SA and PC also work well with Speakup. So does the Audaptor, but it's not easy to find either. I would avoid the Apollo, as it's performance with Speakup is a tad flaky, unless you have the right model--newer being better. Best to ask this question on the Speakup list, imho. Léonie Watson writes: > From: Léonie Watson <lw@xxxxxxxxxxx> > > Janina, > > Glad to find you here on this list! > > On your advice, I'm going to start looking into hardware synths. I > gather that the DoubleTalk is a good synth, from your post. Are there any > other recommendations or synths I should avoid? > > Thanks, > Tink > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Janina Sajka" <janina@xxxxxxxxxxx> > To: <blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Monday, August 04, 2003 5:50 PM > Subject: Re: Getting started. > > > > Hi, Tink: > > > > Welcome to the Blinux list. > > > > I strongly, strongly, strongly recommend you get a hardware speech > > synthesizer. You're not going to be satisfied with software speech in > > the Linux console, imho. A read through the last few weeks of this list > > may illustrate this point. > > > > I would make this a priority. I have seen external Doubletalk synths for > > as low as $150 U.S. They list at just below $300 U.S. For that price and > > the heavy performance boost you'll get out of it, you'll be very happy > > you picked one up once the pain of paying for it has been forgotten. > > > > Léonie Watson writes: > > > From: Léonie Watson <lw@xxxxxxxxxxx> > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > I hope I have the correct list for a posting such as this. If not, > > > please would someone point me in the right direction? Thanks. > > > > > > I'm exploring the options for installing Linux, for the first time > as a > > > VI user. Online research has thrown up several implementations of Linux, > > > including Debian, Knoppex, RedHat and Suse. I've also come across DTE's > such > > > as Gnome and KDE, along with screen readers such as Gnopernicus and > Speakup. > > > > > > I'm now hoping for any advice as to which is the most VI friendly > > > implementation and what combination of hardware and software is best. At > > > present, I don't have access to a hardware synth, so as I understand it, > > > access to Speakup isn't possible, but beyond that my options are open. > > > > > > I realise this topic must come up fairly often, so if there is a > good > > > resource other than the Speakup and Blinux FAQs which are recommended, > I'd > > > be most interested. Please reply off list if you feel that a public > reply > > > would unnescessarily clutter the list. > > > > > > Otherwise, I look forward to hearing your suggestions and making the > > > most of the obvious wisdom I've noticed whilst lurking on the list. > Smile. > > > > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Tink > > > -- > > > Léonie Watson | t. +44 (0) 117 344 5012 > > > > > > Visit our web site today: > > > http://www.nomensa.com/ > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx > > > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list > > > > -- > > > > Janina Sajka, Director > > Technology Research and Development > > Governmental Relations Group > > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) > > > > Email: janina@xxxxxxx Phone: (202) 408-8175 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx > > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list -- Janina Sajka, Director Technology Research and Development Governmental Relations Group American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Email: janina@xxxxxxx Phone: (202) 408-8175 _______________________________________________ Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list