cctalk Digest, Vol 51, Issue 36 - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

13 Nov 2007

...
  Message: 2
 Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 16:18:45 -0600
 From: "Jason T" <silent700 at gmail.com>
 Subject: Who keeps buying DECTalks?
 To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
         <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
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         <51ea77730711111418j6a375852xea3fcf22f6864744 at mail.gmail.com>
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 So I like early speech synthesis.  I like DEC stuff.  I've got a
 couple forms of the DECTalk boxes (the portable, the ISA card.)  I'd
 like the DTC-01 unit, the one that sort of looks like a VX2000
 terminal.  They come up on ebay every other week or so and end up
 selling for well over $100.

 Who's buying these things?  Are they popular with collectors?  Or are
 they still being used in the disability care industry?

Folks like me would love to get some cheap.

My wife's blind and from what I've seen the DECtalk is the best
sounding of the early Speach synthesis boxes.

It's (IIRC) got a pair of 68k chips and some nice software including
stuff like an "email mode" which knows how to skip the extraneous
header stuff when talking mail messages.

I picked up one of the ISA DECtalkPC's cheap a couple of weeks ago but
I'd like to get
one of the externals.  They're supported by just about every
accessibililty program.

bill

--
  d|i|g|i|t|a|l had it THEN.  Don't you wish you could still buy it now!
 pechter-at-gmail.com