Consider where this news story came from. GCN is a service for U.S. Federal IT staffers. These are people that buy in these kinds of lots. In no way was this a story focused on individual users buying one copy at a time. Is this so hard to see? I trust not. PS: IBM does intend, according to my sources, that ordinary individual users will also have the opportunity to purchase individual copies. John Heim writes: > A minimum order of 200! What the heck? > > At 01:29 PM 2/18/2004, you wrote: > > >>From: Hoffman Allen W <Allen.W.Hoffman@xxxxxxx> > >>To: "'dtb-talk@xxxxxxxxxx'" <dtb-talk@xxxxxxxxxx> > >>Subject: [Dtb-talk] Via-voice > >>Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 12:35:53 -0500 > > > > > >>Message > >>02/16/04 > >> > >>IBM brings text-to-speech to the Linux desktop > >> > >>By > >>Patricia Daukantas > >> > >>GCN Staff > >> > >>IBM Corp. researchers are bringing text-to-speech capabilities to the > >>Linux desktop. > >> > >>Previously, production versions of IBM's text-to-speech engine had been > >>available only for the Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh platforms, > >>said Rich > >> > >>Schwerdtfeger, an IBM software group accessibility strategist and > >>chairman of IBM's Accessibility Architecture Review Board. > >> > >>A few years ago, the company had made a beta Linux version of the speech > >>engine available for downloading, but took it offline when it stopped > >>working with > >> > >>later versions of the Linux kernel. > >> > >>The speech engine, together with a screen reader, converts text on a > >>computer screen to sound but does not enable users to issue voice > >>commands to the computer, > >> > >>Schwerdtfeger said. > >> > >>Wizzard Software Corp. of Pittsburgh is distributing the IBM-developed > >>ViaVoice speech engine as a standalone product and a component in its > >>Interactive > >> > >>Voice Assistant line of products. > >> > >>List pricing for the standalone ViaVoice text-to-speech engine is $5 per > >>individual user license with a minimum order of 200 licenses. Volume > >>discounts > >> > >>are available. > >> > >>(Posted Feb. 16. Corrected Feb. 17) > > > >Braille is the solution to the digital divide. > >Lloyd Rasmussen, Senior Staff Engineer > >National Library Service f/t Blind and Physically Handicapped > >Library of Congress (202) 707-0535 <http://www.loc.gov/nls/> > >HOME: <http://lras.home.sprynet.com> > >The opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent > >those of NLS. > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > > >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