On 20-Mar-97, classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu wrote:
>There were many "Speech Synthesizer" modules released. Most of them had to
>do with entertainment packages, but there also many for education as well.
> Education packages included the Scott, Foresman series were the computer
>would say the numbers and letters to children, and for entertainment, there
>was Alpiner, Parsec, M*A*S*H, Star Trek, Microsurgeon, and many, many others.
Actually, I was referring to the modules that were to plug into the Speech
Synthesizer itself, beneath the flip-top. Numerous references mention them,
and though on my Synthesizer, there isn't a connector in it for the module, I
was wondering if maybe some early examples were shipped with one. Even the
Speech Synthesizer manual mentions the cartridges.
>There are more than 373 words to choose from. In fact, with the Terminal
>Emulator II cartridge, you have unlimited "text-to-speech" capability.
> Literally anything you type in can be spoken. Sometimes you would have to
>make the the pronunciation spellings different in order for this to work, but
>mostly, it was fine. Extended BASIC was the only cartridge that limited
>"text-to-speech", but even then TI later released a "text-to-speech" diskette
>which would allow the user to type in anything (much like the Terminal
>Emulator II, and Speech Editor).
I got the 373 word limit from the Synthesizer manual, though I've not
counted up the words in the list it shows. I plan on playing with TE-II once
I recieive the RS232 board for my PEBox. It'd be interesting having it speak
the ascii data as it came across!
>I just picked up a Speech Editor cartridge for $20 from someone who was
>selling it along with other old TI stuff. Expect to pay this, or more for it
>- as it is rare. I just got it, and I can't even use it because I don't have
>the manual.
That's fine with me...BTW, here's another question regarding the GROM
cartridges. When did Atari begin making the arcade game cartridges for the
TI-99/4A? Most people admit that TI didn't allow much 3rd party software to
be produced initially, yet here is one of their competitors writing programs
for it. I have the Donkey Kong and Pac Man cartridges, and they are both
dated 1983.
Jeff jeffh_at_eleventh.com
--
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// Amiga: The computer for the creative mind...since 1985!
// -------------------------------------------------------
\// True 32bit pre-emptive multitasking GUI, plug&play hardware,
\/ stereo sound, and 4096 color video modes since day #1
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Collector of classic home computers:
Amiga 1000, Atari 800, Atari 800XL, Atari Mega-ST/2, Commodore
C-128, Commodore Plus/4, Commodore VIC-20, Kaypro 2X, Mattel
Aquarius, Osbourne Executive, Sinclair ZX-81, TI-99/4A, Timex-
Sinclair 1000, TRS-80 Color Computer-3, and a TRS-80 Model 4.
Plus Atari SuperPong and Atari 2600VCS game consoles.
Received on Tue Mar 18 1997 - 14:01:18 GMT