I think Outspoken showed up around 1990. I say that because I started using IBM's Screen Reader/2 on OS/2, which could access both OS/2 and Windows 3.1 applications, in January 1991. Screen Reader/2 became generally available later that year. I know Outspoken was around before then because Screen Reader/2 used an off screen model, and Berkley Systems was credited with the first use of an off screen model in their Outspoken product. In fact, I might have seen a demo of Outspoken at the NFB convention in 1990.
Dane Trethowan wrote: > Ok, well tha'ts not quite either and 20 years ago I was indeed using an > Apple 2/E computer. The Echo 2/+ which you're refering to was known then as > "an expansion" card which fitted into an "expansion slot", much like today's > PC cards fit into slots inside the computer. This card had nothing whatever > to do with the sounds generated by the Apple, that was done through the > Apple's CPU through the Apple's internal speaker. > The Echo did however have some sound chips onboard which allowed for various > extra sounds to be added, you could program the thing to play music, I have > some compositions somewhere both as demo stuff and some I tried to write > using Applesoft basic. Yes, you could I suppose call the Echo a sound card > but it wasn't, it was supposed to be a voice synthesizer if you can see what > I'm getting at. > Now if you want to use another example of what I believe you're talking > about, my Doubletalk Lt, it also has some sound chips on it and you can > programme the thing to make some basic sounds, sound DTMF tones and the like > so in that way, my Doubletalk LT and the Echo are similar. > As a final tribute to the Echo, have a listen to one if you can, boy! We've > sure come a hell of a long way in regard to voice synthesis. > Now in April this year, the Operating System for the Mac was indeed Tiger > and the Screen Reader was indeed built-into or part of that, speech has > actually been part of every Apple OS for Mac since version 4 I think so the > logical extension was a built-in Screen Reader. Outspoken for example, > didn't have its own speech rather it used the speech provided by the OS. > You talk of Screen Readers 20 years ago for the Apple. Well as far as I know > (and someone could correct me on this) but there wasn't a screen reader for > the Apple at that time, rahter software such as Wordtalk was designed "from > the ground-up" as an accessible word processor with a variety of voice > synthesizers. > Now to be absolutely clear on this, I don't know exactly when Outspoken for > the Mac arrived on the scene but I'm absolutely sure that it wasn't around > 20 years ago, Mac computers back then were around but very few and very > rare, the main Apple computers in use at the time were the Apple 2/E and the > amazing (for the time) Apple 2/GS (GS standing for Graphics Sound). > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On Behalf Of DJ DOCTOR P > Sent: Thursday, 22 November 2007 12:26 AM > To: PC Audio Discussion List > Subject: Re: Winamp, my thoughts and VLC > > High Dane, > 20 years ago, the screen reader for the MACKS were built in to the sound > cards. > But back then, they were called echo speech synthesizers. > It was a good while back I thank in April or May of this year, someone on > this list said that tiger was a screen reader for the MACKS. > OXX systems I've heard of, but I've never heard of that one,so please > forgive me. > I only said I'd like to see them in action because I wonder how much has > changed in MACKS cense the last 20 years. > How are those sound cards sat up these days? > And thanks for the corrections. > John. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dane Trethowan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "'PC Audio Discussion List'" <pc-audio@pc-audio.org> > Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 1:10 AM > Subject: RE: Winamp, my thoughts and VLC > > > >> Ok, just to correct you on a couple of points here. Tiger was an operating >> system for the Mac (like say Windows for the PC) but it has now become >> superseeded. >> The Mac Screen Reader is indeed VoiceOver but it is not built-in to the >> Sound Card rather its part of the Mac Operating System, it has been sine >> 2005. >> Hope this helps. >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> On Behalf Of DJ DOCTOR P >> Sent: Wednesday, 21 November 2007 4:56 PM >> To: PC Audio Discussion List >> Subject: Re: Winamp, my thoughts and VLC >> >> Hello Tyler, >> There is a screen reader for the Mack systems. >> It's called Tiger, and it's built in to the sound card. >> I haven't played with a Mack in more then 20 years, but I here that it's >> more assessable then Windows. >> I don't know this for sure, like you I would like to see it in action too. >> John. >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Timberwolf" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "PC Audio Discussion List" <pc-audio@pc-audio.org> >> Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 5:43 PM >> Subject: Re: Winamp, my thoughts and VLC >> >> >> >>> Ok. >>> >>> Lets make a few things clear. >>> >>> >>> 1. What in the world is your problem with windows. If you don't like it, >>> don't use it, not to mention don't call it a trashbox, you don't see me >>> sittin here calling your mack a trashbox. I haven't used a mack because I >>> don't know if there are any screenreaders available and certainly I >>> haven't >>> heard of any. >>> >>> 2. Secondly because, imho anyway, apple's products are a bit overpriced >>> and >>> not to mention I wish other companies would support mack (if mack is so >>> great, etc). I've got an acer aspire 3000+ here, hp pavillion dv5220, and >>> just recently got an alienware, 2.3 ghz intel duel core processor, 2 gb >>> ram, >>> top of the line etc. >>> >>> Now, the reason I'm saying this is because some people, like you, prefer >>> mack. That's perfectly fine. Some people such as myself like windows and >>> are >>> used to it, therefore use it. Now, I'm not saying anything bad about a >>> mack- >>> so why're you jabbing fingers at windows? for that matter, if mack does >>> everything you say it does, why are you using windows in the first place >>> if >>> you don't like it? >>> >>> >>> I hope I don't look like I'm flaming you but, that's just my oppinion, >>> and >>> also I kind of feel insulted when people call windows a trashbox, while >>> not >>> giving supporting evidence of such. While microsoft may have its >>> drawbacks, >>> I see nothing wrong with vista, just some things to get used to, and >>> besides, people are complaining about it all the time, but I personally >>> don't mind it. Now I know this is a pc audio list and will add that it >>> could >>> be your computer that's causing the crash. winamps never crashed on my >>> system, although I once loaded a .ogg file which free download manager >>> was >>> downloading and it lagged my pc baaaaad! (of course, this was on the acer >>> with like 1.6 ghz, 256 mb ram) so I upgraded the thing with another 512 >>> mb. >>> So hey, Dane, if you don't mind e-mailing me off list, I'd like to see a >>> mack in action and get the specs on the thing. Also would like to know if >>> any screenreaders are available and how good they work. >>> >>> >>> >>> - Tyler >>> visit my website! >>> http://www.valiant.789mb.com >>> >>> note: Make sure you have your speakers turned on to get a cool-sounding >>> intro! >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Dane Trethowan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> To: "'PC Audio Discussion List'" <pc-audio@pc-audio.org> >>> Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 9:45 AM >>> Subject: Winamp, my thoughts and VLC >>> >>> >>> >>>> Ok folks, I tried out the latest (and greatest?) version of Winamp and I >>>> had >>>> a few problems running it on the trashbox (otherwise known as the >>>> Windows >>>> PC) <smile> For some reason (I don't know why) Winamp it seems, was >>>> responsible for the Trashbox crashing every few minutes. >>>> >>>> Naturally this behavior to anyone (particularly to a Mac user where >>>> crashes >>>> are few and far between) <lol> is totally unacceptable so back onto the >>>> machine went VLC media Player, it was listening to both that I make the >>>> following observations. >>>> >>>> Firstly, VLC does a far better job ad decoding media such as MP3 etc, >>>> you >>>> can hear the differences quite distinctly. >>>> >>>> Controls are similar to those presented in Winamp and in a lot of ways, >>>> VLC >>>> is easier to use with a screen reader, not as cluttered as Winamp seems >>>> to >>>> be. >>>> >>>> I've been using VLC on the Mac for ages but haven't had too much >>>> experience >>>> with it on the PC, the command set is slightly different but that's >>>> probably >>>> due mainly to differences in the keyboard layout between Mac and >>>> Trashbox >>>> Windows PC. For example, you go to previous and next tracks in VLC under >>>> the >>>> Mac using command-left and command-right arrow respectively, on the PC >>>> version you use P and N on the keyboard >>>> >>>> If anyone would like to give this excellent little media player a try >>>> then >>>> use your friend Google and look for "vlc", you'll have no trouble >>>> finding >>>> it. Takes up a lot less space than Winamp does plus it will play just >>>> about >>>> everything you can throw at it, including Cue and Wave/FLAC pairs. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... >>>> http://www.pc-audio.org >>>> >>>> To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>>> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>>> Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.2/1142 - Release Date: >>>> 20/11/2007 5:44 PM >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... >>> http://www.pc-audio.org >>> >>> To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> >>> >>> -- >>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>> Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.1/1141 - Release Date: >>> 11/20/2007 11:34 AM >>> >>> >>> >> >> Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... >> http://www.pc-audio.org >> >> To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> >> >> Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... >> http://www.pc-audio.org >> >> To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.1/1141 - Release Date: >> 11/20/2007 11:34 AM >> >> >> > > > > Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... > http://www.pc-audio.org > > To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... > http://www.pc-audio.org > > To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > -- Christopher [EMAIL PROTECTED] Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... http://www.pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
