Newsgroups: comp.speech
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From: mspundsa@coulomb.uwaterloo.ca (Mark Stephen Pundsack)
Subject: Re: Text-to-speech as basic OS Service
Message-ID: <D4nz3C.1DI@watserv3.uwaterloo.ca>
Keywords: text-to-speech, GUI
Sender: news@watserv3.uwaterloo.ca
Nntp-Posting-Host: bode.uwaterloo.ca
Organization: University of Waterloo
References: <3inmk5$kc@hahn.informatik.hu-berlin.de>
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 15:01:59 GMT
Lines: 38

In article <3inmk5$kc@hahn.informatik.hu-berlin.de>,
Erik Pischel <pischel@informatik.hu-berlin.de> wrote:
>Well, I think, it would be good if there would be an GUI like Mac, X-Windows
>or WINDOWS that includes speech output. 
>If you use GUI's you often have running a lot of program and there are a lot
>of information on the screen and you are going lost to it!
>If some programs would support speech output insteed of always displaying
>an dialog box (this interupts your work!) this would be nice for you, wouldn't
>it?

Wouldn't many programs simultaniously trying to talk be distracting?  They'd 
each have to have a different voice and make sure they don't speak out of
turn.  Also, if the speech output just says something and then goes away,
wouldn't if have a high chance of being missed?  A dialog box stays there
until you acknowledge it was read.  

Personally, I'd like to see an OS that supports speech output and input 
in a seemless way.  If the speech output could be acknowledged by speech
input, then it makes sense.  You have to set some thresholds for how much
speech you want disrupting you.  I would find spontaneous speech to be 
disruptive in my work.  I think you might have to go all the way to a
co-worker metaphor.  Have a small icon of a person appear as if they are
waiting to speak with you.  Or they can interrupt by knocking or saying,
"Excuse me...".  When you acknowledge that you are ready to listen, they
will continue.  Then you must acknowledge that you understand the message.
This gets much more involved then simply replacing dialogs with speech.

I think its worthwhile to pursue though.  

Just some thoughts,
Mark


-- 
=====Mark Pundsack===4th year Computer Engineer==============================.
| Looking for a job (speech recognition, | See my resume online at            |
| pen computers, user interfaces, OS).   | http://sunee.uwaterloo.ca/~mspundsa|
\_______________________________Oh! I bent my wookie: Martin (The Simpsons)___;
