Text-To-Speech Porduct: Help wanted

[Simon Inwood]

Currently I am looking for a good quality TTS (Text-To-Speech) product to
update the speech output capabilities of our Sun Sparc stations. I am a
member of the PROMISE project team (Multi-Media operator interfaces for
process control systems) at Loughborough University. We require a good
quality system that can generate spoken statements, commands, questions
and narratation. I would prefer a stand-alone product but I am also
considering using a PC,PS/2 or Mac as a dedicated speech server (connected
to the Sun via a serial line).

I have been looking at DECTalk by DEC, Apollo by Dolphin Systems, BeST
Speech by Berkeley Speech Technologies, E. Lewis's software based on the
JRSU system (I think?) and Infovox when I find Voice Systems
International.  Have I got the best of the bunch?

Do you have any information on DECTalk. It is an obselete product and as a
result I am having difficulties getting information, prices and
availability of it.

What is your opinion of these products? Are there any other products or
research projects that I should be aware of?

        Thank you for your time and effort.

Sincerely,
Simon Inwood