Computers: The computer speaks: Rapid speech synthesis from printed text input could accommodate an unlimited vocabulary

As electronic developments go, speech output from a computer is still a novelty; it is being used in isolated applications to teach the blind, educate students in foreign languages and enhance some games. But proponents believe that 10 years of research and the sprinkling of commercial successes have laid the groundwork for major expansion. Computer speech, we believe, should be advancing into the world of business before too long, alongside CRT terminals, line printers, teletypewriters, and the like.