Jonathan, it's number 6, really, that being the abbility to install linux without eyes. The current technical limitations have it that way that the linux distributions need to be installed with a hardware synth because I don't believe Alsa loads on most isolinux instalation media, though correct me if I'm wrong. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jonathan Duddington" <jsd@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2006 7:41 PM Subject: What's the advantage of a hardware synth? > In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0611081636470.1525 at darkstar.example.net>, > randy turner <rturner222 at sbcglobal.net> wrote: > >> do they still build any computers with the older isa slots? >> also has any company built any pci synths that will work in linux? >> what are the choices that are left for linux?? > > I'm not visually impaired and I've not used a hardware synth myself, > but I'm curious. What is the advantage of a hardware synth over a > software synth? > > I can think of a few possibilities, but I'm curious which are true and > are important for those who use or prefer hardware synths: > > 1. It doesn't affect the computer's sound system, which can therefore > play other sounds unaffected by the TTS. This could probably be > achieved for a software synth by using two sound cards. > > 2. System startup messages can be spoken before the point when the > sound system and synth software is initialized and working. This would > be overcome by the proposed "Spoken Boot" feature. > > 3. Problems with installing and setting up a software synth. > > 4. Prefer the sound of the hardware synth voice to those currently > available with software synths. > > 5. Limitations of computer processor power or memory, although I doubt > this is an issue now. > > 6. The hardware synth offers some feature not available in the > software synths. > > > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >
