| Version | 1.1 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | ReadPlease Corporation |
| Release date | Nov 8, 2008 |
| Date added | Aug 8, 2002 |
| Os requirements | Windows 95, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows, Windows XP, Windows NT |
| Requirements | Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP, 20MB disk space, sound card |
| Total downloads | 602,297 |
| Downloads per week | 3 |
| Price | Free |
Description
ReadPlease 2003 is a text-to-speech application designed to give your computer a human-sounding voice so it can read arbitrary text to you, from Web pages, e-mail, or the Clipboard. Through file-type association, the program can read any text file or Rich Text Format file directly from the Internet.
Review
While we applaud this text-to-speech application for being freeware, it has too many shortcomings to put it on a recommended list. ReadPlease 2003 uses Microsoft speech engines to read text you choose. Yet to do so, you must cut and paste a body of text into the program's main window, a step we found cumbersome. Customization features are very limited. You can choose only from four voices, and there is no option to adjust voice pitch, speed, or even pronunciation. Another handy feature we would like to see is the option to skip ahead in text while reading. And ReadPlease 2003 isn't able to record files for later listening, either. Overall, despite its freeware status, ReadPlease 2003 doesn't stand up to similar available reader programs.
