linux and accessibility applications

[Whitley CTR Cecil H]

Hi ppl,
I have a problem with comments like:
"I have heard it's slow", etc, etc, etc.  If you haven't actually used
something (freetts, festival, yasr, and many many more), why express someone
elses opinion?  I'm not saying that their opinion isn't valid, but at least
it's theirs!  After all, i've heard that there is IP in Linux that belongs
to the sco group, but that doesn't mean the claim is true.  Some christians
have told me i'm gonna burn in hell, but that isn't my opinion and it
certainly doesn't add anything to this thread.

Java programs may have drawbacks, but then again they may not.  I use python
quite a bit (another interpreted language), but for some applications it
actually executes faster than a compiled "C" program.  Does this mean that
freetts is blazingly fast?  No, it just means that just because it is Java
doesn't mean that it has to be slow, a memory hog, etc, etc.  

The only thing I know for certain is that we are all different.  Some of us
have different needs than others.  What works well for one may not work at
all for someone else.  The only way we have of judging opinions is within
the context of the person holding that opinion.  Third party opinions don't
help without context.

Regards,

Cecil