Text Reader
I mentioned in class that I use a program that reads text and was surprised by the response. I never thought that many other people would be interested in this kind of software. There are many programs out there, but I use ReadPlease 2003. The basic program will be enough for most, and best of all, its free.
Using it is simple. Just copy text and paste it into the window of ReadPlease. Then press play.
The text being read will be followed along with highlighting. You can adjust the speed of the reader and the size of the text. This makes it perfect for the visually impaired, and those of us that stare at a screen all day.
The free version has a limited paste area and has fewer voices than the paid version. The paid version can also be “docked”. This means that you can “dock” it in Word, allowing you to use both programs in the same window.
There are other minor differences. The one biggest difference is that the paid version allows you to create an mp3 file. This means that you can create a file and load it to an mp3 player to be listened to on the go. If you want to check it out, you use the full version on a trail basis.
I use it for everything. It reads blogs, long emails, websites, PDF files (only high quality PDF files allow “Copy Text”), and anything else. I also use it for proofreading. It is easier for me to catch mistakes by listening to my work read back to me.
Using it is simple. Just copy text and paste it into the window of ReadPlease. Then press play.
The text being read will be followed along with highlighting. You can adjust the speed of the reader and the size of the text. This makes it perfect for the visually impaired, and those of us that stare at a screen all day.
The free version has a limited paste area and has fewer voices than the paid version. The paid version can also be “docked”. This means that you can “dock” it in Word, allowing you to use both programs in the same window.
There are other minor differences. The one biggest difference is that the paid version allows you to create an mp3 file. This means that you can create a file and load it to an mp3 player to be listened to on the go. If you want to check it out, you use the full version on a trail basis.
I use it for everything. It reads blogs, long emails, websites, PDF files (only high quality PDF files allow “Copy Text”), and anything else. I also use it for proofreading. It is easier for me to catch mistakes by listening to my work read back to me.
1 Comments:
Wow. This sounds like something that could be useful to almost anyone. If I understand correctly, it could allow you to make your own "recorded books" on the fly — like a mixtape — that you could listen to whenever and wherever it's convenient.
Thanks for posting this.
Post a Comment
<< Home