Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ames!zodiac!meridian!pkahn
From: pkahn@meridian.ads.com (Phil Kahn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: MacinTalk, speech generation, & Apple R&D system software
Message-ID: <6169@zodiac.UUCP>
Date: 23 Nov 88 00:19:52 GMT
Sender: news@zodiac.UUCP
Reply-To: pkahn@ads.com (Phil Kahn)
Organization: Advanced Decision Systems, Mt. View, CA (415) 960-7300
Lines: 21

Last week, I posted a flame about why Apple won't support MacinTalk.
This is a follow-up.  

The bottom line is that Apple doesn't own MacinTalk, and they've only
supported it to the extent that they hacked on it a bit to run on a
Mac.  Everyone agrees that it doesn't generate very good speech anyway.

Here's the rub. Apparently, it has not yet been firmly decided at
Apple whether speech generation constitutes "system software" (since
Apple is not a software house).  If R&D decides it is in fact an
important part of the Mac and its evolving interface, and it WILL SELL
MACHINES, they will likely rework this problem.  No time line has been
mentioned to me.  Seems like this strategy differs from the past
"visionary" marketing approach taken at Apple.  I guess that's what
happens when you sell Macs like they're a Pepsi.

Jeez, I'm starting to feel like Denise Caruso.  Give me a button to
push, and I'll press it.  I just want a good, supported speech
generator.

phil...