Comments on: Why does the iPod have a screen? http://www.allartburns.org/2005/06/30/why-does-the-ipod-have-a-screen/ It does, you know. You just have to get it hot enough. Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:05:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: slacy http://www.allartburns.org/2005/06/30/why-does-the-ipod-have-a-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-28 slacy Wed, 27 Jul 2005 01:53:19 +0000 /?p=35#comment-28 First, you do realize how much you sound like a UI engineer, don't you? Second, in response to "ra", there are plenty of linux open source TTS engines. Try out festival. (If you have FC4, you can "yum install festival") and then try it out. Its got a fairly simple command line interface and a pretty nice sounding voice. I'd say it was comparable to Apple's speech engine in quality, although there aren't as many voices installed by default. Maybe there are more/better voices on the 'net somewhere. Third, about the PhatBox -- I was really disappointed when I found out that it pre-renders all the TTS and menuing system into mp3 files. This means that putting 1 or 2 more songs onto your PhatBox disk isn't a trivial copy opreation. You have to re-render the whole menuing system on your PC. Not sure if these sorts of tools are available on Linux and render using Festival. First, you do realize how much you sound like a UI engineer, don’t you?

Second, in response to “ra”, there are plenty of linux open source TTS engines. Try out festival. (If you have FC4, you can “yum install festival”) and then try it out. Its got a fairly simple command line interface and a pretty nice sounding voice. I’d say it was comparable to Apple’s speech engine in quality, although there aren’t as many voices installed by default. Maybe there are more/better voices on the ‘net somewhere.

Third, about the PhatBox — I was really disappointed when I found out that it pre-renders all the TTS and menuing system into mp3 files. This means that putting 1 or 2 more songs onto your PhatBox disk isn’t a trivial copy opreation. You have to re-render the whole menuing system on your PC. Not sure if these sorts of tools are available on Linux and render using Festival.

]]> By: rich http://www.allartburns.org/2005/06/30/why-does-the-ipod-have-a-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-27 rich Wed, 06 Jul 2005 19:50:23 +0000 /?p=35#comment-27 This would be an interesting option, but I do not think it should get rid of the screen. Most of the time I am listening to my iPod, I am at a desk or walking. I would rather have the chance to look at the screen because I can use a screen much faster then I can use a voice interface. Many people use the screen when they are using a playlist. Often I do not know the song that is playing. I would not want to stop the song so I can hear the title or artist. This would be an interesting option, but I do not think it should get rid of the screen. Most of the time I am listening to my iPod, I am at a desk or walking. I would rather have the chance to look at the screen because I can use a screen much faster then I can use a voice interface.

Many people use the screen when they are using a playlist. Often I do not know the song that is playing. I would not want to stop the song so I can hear the title or artist.

]]> By: ra http://www.allartburns.org/2005/06/30/why-does-the-ipod-have-a-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-26 ra Thu, 30 Jun 2005 19:00:01 +0000 /?p=35#comment-26 have you used tts engines much? if not try (with windows, java, and ie) ecards.veepers.com the quality of voice is lest than spectacular. Also we have many servers (windows only cause they don't support linux/unix) that run that tts generation and they require an unusually high amount of maintenance. So tts is just not that simple yet. So yes I feel that it does cost more than photo support. Even the just the voice licensing fees minus all the technical goo, costs more. have you used tts engines much? if not try (with windows, java, and ie) ecards.veepers.com the quality of voice is lest than spectacular. Also we have many servers (windows only cause they don’t support linux/unix) that run that tts generation and they require an unusually high amount of maintenance. So tts is just not that simple yet. So yes I feel that it does cost more than photo support. Even the just the voice licensing fees minus all the technical goo, costs more.

]]> By: SB http://www.allartburns.org/2005/06/30/why-does-the-ipod-have-a-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-25 SB Thu, 30 Jun 2005 17:05:52 +0000 /?p=35#comment-25 I don't even *have* an iPod, and already I want this feature. I don’t even *have* an iPod, and already I want this feature.

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