Re: Lets hear a IIe

[hurry@imap2.asu.edu]

On Mon, 13 Oct 1997 19:43:39 -0500, David wrote:
> The echo sythesizer card plugged into a slot in the II, II+, and IIe, and
> with its' software, would read text files and stuff that put text to the
> screen.  It worked with a lot of software as long as the stuff it put up
> used Apple's character ROM set and didn't present it as graphics (and
> didn't have the kind of protection scheme that cleaned the machine and shut
> off all cards on boot-up).  Long ago we used it with the visually
> handicapped at the Lighthouse to set up "talking terminals."  There was at
> least one special word processor written to go with it, and the card could
> (depending on your control sequence) just read, read a word or a line at
> time, read just a character, etc.  Had it's own little speaker, etc.

Well, as a blind user of an Apple II, I can tell you that it is still used
by some people.  In fact, an update to the Textalker software for the GS
called Textalker-GS was written which lets one use a lot of popular
applications including Appleworks, ProTERM, and even GNO.  One may also
boot non-ProDOS disks and run most of them and return to ProDOS or GS/OS
with a special key sequence.  I have had my GS since late 1993.  Getting
the Echo was a bit tricky but the American Printing House for the Blind
still sold it and the software.  I started with the original Textalker
software which had last been updated in 1986.  It worked OK but when I
discovered Textalker-GS, a lot of doors opened for me.  I probably would
have dumped the GS long ago if not for TExtalker-GS.  I must confess that
I will soon be getting a PC because I am majoring in Computer Science and
most of what I will be doing from here out will require a PC.  Also,
A.S.U. uses almost exclusively PCs and Macs have little to no speech
software for them.  However, I will also keep the GS and use it for
tinkering and playing Eamon games.  It's served me for a long time and as
long as I can make it do something useful, it's going to stay!  The Echo 
may have poor speech and be over 10 years old, but it does its job for me.

--
Adam Myrow