Monologue. (text to natural language software) (evaluation)
by Scott Daniels
I had just mailed a column to my editor when the delivery man brought Monologue 2.0, a program that reads aloud any DOS text files including files created with word processors, databases, spreadsheets, as well as electronic mail. Even though I had run the column through WordPerfect's spelling checker, I was surprised to discover two missing words I hadn't noticed on paper. The voice sounded realistic and pleasant. You can change its volume, pitch, speed, and gender. The program uses your computer's internal speaker and supports hardware sound accessories for better tones. People with limited eyesight can obviously benefit from a product like this, but Monologue will help any writer identify writing that reads" poorly, though it looks perfectly acceptable on the page. SCOTT DANIELS
IBM PC and oompatibles; 512K free
RAM; supports EMS and XMS memory, Sound Blaster sound card, and the Hearsay 1000, Covox Speed Thing, arid Echo PC+ text-to-speech adapters; mouse and hard disk recommended-$149
FIRST BYTE
P.O. Box 2961
Torrance, CA 90509
800)556.-6141