mail slug@warbucks.ai.sri.comIvory MacInTalk

[RWK@FUJI.ILA.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM (Robert W. Kerns)]

    Date: Fri, 13 Jul 90 14:10 EDT
    From: MMcM@titania.oberon.dialnet.symbolics.com (Mike McMahon)

	Date: Fri, 13 Jul 90 18:39:46+0900
	From: kddlab!atr-la.atr.co.jp!myers@uunet.UU.NET (John K. Myers)
							    Is it
	supported?

    It is not supported by Apple, no.  They discourage its use in the
    stongest terms.  The only reason they don't just disavow it, is that
    they don't offer any substitute.

It's even more interesting than that.  The real reason they don't
support it is that they CAN'T.  They don't have the sources!  They've
done a little by-hand patching to make it work on some of the newer
hardware, but they do not believe they will be able to continue doing
so for all new hardware.

They don't have the sources because the commissioned it for a
particular demo, not as a product, and never bought the rights to
the sources.  I don't remember just why, but now the sources are
permanently unavailable.

I have my doubts that it will work in System 7; I doubt it's
32-bit clean, for one thing.

Apple says in no uncertain terms "Thou shalt not use Macintalk for
any real purpose, or in any product."  They have an entire technical
note devoted to convincing people not to use it.  Their position is
that it's a toy, not a real utility.  Yes, you can play with it.  Just
don't use it in your program.

What I suggest you do is to get a MacRecorder and actually dictate
the words you want your program to say, using real human voices.
The results will be better, and you will have compatibility with
future hardware and software.  You may even be able to port your
program to other systems with suitable hardware.

I could go on about how I think most programs should *NOT* talk to
you, but I won't.