I hate Microsoft Anna! SOLVED! Add new voices to Microsoft Streets and Trips!

Add voices to Streets and Trips

Microsoft Streets and Trips comes with "Microsoft Anna" as the voice that gives directions.

I don't know about what you guys think, but to me, Anna sounds like an fat old hag who hasn't had a boyfriend in 80 years.

Fortunately, there is a solution to this conundrum!

All you have to do is download and/or purchase a new voice.

I prefer the voices from nextup.com: Text to Speech Software with AT&T Natural Voices™, Acapela™, Nuance™ Voices

You can preview all AT&T voices at this website: AT&T Labs Text-to-Speech: Demo

For $35.00 at nextup.com I got myself AT&T "Crystal" who definately sounds much younger and prettier. Crystal also comes with "Mike" who is a male voice (just for you ladies)! The voice package comes with "ablereader" a program that you type in words that you want the computer to say.

After you install the voice, go into the control panel and click on the "speech" icon and choose which voice you want to use. You can preview the voice there also.

You then load up your copy of Microsoft Streets and Trips and now you've got a custom copy with a new voice!

Cool, huh?

On nextup.com you can also download free voices here: NextUp.com - Additional Voices for our Text to Speech Software

I wonder who Microsoft used to make Anna anyway. She's probably dead by now.

insanitor, thanks for taking the time to write it . I added it to Tips & Tricks for Microsoft Streets & Trips

My Win XP came with 3 voice options - free! One French female (Canadian, I think), dear Anna, and a male in American English. I get enough female instruction and second-guessing in the car as it is, so I selected the male voice option, which I find tolerable.

If you install AR after S&T you also have access to a female voice with a British accent - more pleasant to my ear than Anna (I think her name is Edith, or Edna... Elspeth, perhaps? Yoiks! Something with "E"... I think.) - so I use it with S&T as well.
Installation is as easy as saying Yes when asked during the AR install. I'm pretty sure even installing the trial version will give you the option of replacing the default voice. And the price is right.

I downloaded some of those free one, ran the executables (which didn't really do anything) then checked in the SPEECH setting, but only get Anna and Sam. Am I doing something wrong?

Perhaps that voice is not compatible with your OS.