As you say, the doubletalk is certainly the cheapest option for an external synth. Some people love it, and some don't. I happen to be in the some that don't, but don't let that stop you if you think it's a good option. It is cheap, so for an entry to the systems you'll be playing with, and the world of speech synthesizers in general, it's not a bad choice. If you decide later you don't like it, then you can always buy something else. I myself use an Artic Technologies Transport and sqwert to use speakup since they can be used interchangeably with speakup, and I still have all my notes if I need them. *grin* I always say use what's comfortable for you. At this point you may not know what that is, but if you check around on a few sites, you may be able to locate reviews of different speech systems with voice samples you can download and/or listen to. Give some of these a try before making a purchase if you wish, that way you can guarantee you like the speech output.
