How much would you pay?

[oppie]

Hello,

 

I have written a Windows (Vista) program to help to teach parrots to talk. It has two modes, one plays the word/sound/phrase immediately, and the other plays the word/sound/phrase starting at a given time and stopping at a given time. In both modes, you set the time (in minutes or seconds) between "playings". The mode that starts and stops at given times is good if you want it to play while you are not home. It will come with some cute phrases, but plays any WAV file.

 

Would you buy such a program, and if so, how much would you pay for it?

 

 

Thanks

[Titch]

if it came with a decent soundbank, probably about 9.99 GBP..

 

You can get Feathered Phoenics cd's with lots of samples on and they're around that price so that would be your target range i would think.

[lovethatgrey]

Personally I would NOT pay for such a program. I believe that parrots will talk if they so choose to. If they don't then that is ok with me.

[Dave007]

There's a few other similar items on the market that do the same basic thing. All are failures.

First of all, it's a loop. The loop contains the word/sound/phrase set at a given time to go off and on.

There's a certain amount of time in which a bird will actually listen to any word/sound/phrase and that can only be judged by the person doing the talking because different birds will listen and then tune out even if the person continues the lesson. . Now if a bird was to actually listen and imitate what the word/sound/phrase is, it wouldn't be in the owner's voice nor would it be at irregular times which only the owner can provide. No CD or other teaching device can possibly say all of the words, highs, lows and special inflections that only the owner can provide. Women's voices, men's voices have been tried on CDs and all have failed.

Now for the actual word/sound/phrase ---the empty space between a word/sound/phrase is actually a sound to a bird so that if a bird were to hear a certain word/sound/phrase from a CD and then 20 seconds passed before hearing it again, eventually the bird may repeat what he/she has learned and will not repeat it again for 20 seconds. The amount of different times that are between word/sound/phrases can only be provided by the owner as well as the actual length of the talking lesson and if it was the type of bird that liked to repeat things over and over, what the bird will say will sound like a broken record. All types of parrots that have the ability to talk will do it in their own time. Sounds from a CD won't stimulate them or teach them how to talk. Only an owner can provide the natural stimulation and that occurs only when the bird to listening to loads of everyday conversations between people who surround them and what they say will only come from someone or something that appeals to them. Just about every bird that talks or makes sounds will only do so if it's surrounded by familar things where it lives.

Now if you're talking about greys, that type of bird needs nothing to start them talking or making sounds. It's only a matter of time when that happens and the grey provides itself with constant practice before finally saying something that's been said to it and if it's an older grey that hasn't ever talked, no CD or person is gonna stimulate that bird to talk if it's part of it's history not to talk.

What a bird will do when it's alone with no one around is to start saying all sorts of sounds in their parrotese language or they'll rest or go to sleep. A bird who actually learned a word or phrase from a CD won't change the way it heard it unless the owner decides to say the exacxt say thing but the bird will never forget what it learned from that CD. As I said, different ways of making talking programs have failed. The closest CD that has success is a CD that contains a jungle atmosphere that has multiple species of parrots in it all sounding off in their own parrotese language. That will cause a bird in a home to join in because of it's natural appeal but when that CD is shut off, the bird eventually reverts back to the way it was before that CD was put on.

Remember that in my answer I say the word IF and most birds won't do these things where a CD is concerned.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/07/24 23:34

[dhorje]

What a comprehensive explanation, Dave. Koko is almost 14 months of age but she doesn't seem to be interested in talking. She is good in mimicking sound. Her vocabs are limited to Hello, Good, Good Good and sometimes Good Girl ( I have never used this word, don't know where she learned this). Do you think she will talk more in future? Or just prefer to do sound. Any method to encourage her to talk?

 

Sorry for hijacking your thread, Oppie.

[danmcq]

Hi Ralph,

 

The only way you will be able to find out what someone may pay for your program, is to put it up on the Internet for sale, close to the price other such items sell for.

 

Yours is unique, due to being an actual program with wave files and the ability to set preferences, if I am reading your description correctly.

 

This sets your program apart from a CD or DVD that just plays and you have no control over it.

 

I personally would not buy any "Teach you Parrot to talk" item, since I want my birds to learn from me and have it associated with something meaningful. Well, other than whistling Andy Griffith

 

Please do not let us discourage you though from putting it up on line for sale and selling it. People buy all those other products, why not yours?

 

The nice thing about using an actual program, is you can update it and also add features as people that purchase it send in suggestions to you which will give you good ideas for version 2, 3 etc. :-)

 

You go guy, I hope your product you developed is successful and helps you out in providing a luxurious lifestyle for your Parrots. :-)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/07/25 00:49

[Dave007]

If you want your bird to talk ( and yours already does)just pick a quiet time that has no interruptions around and start to talk to your bird saying the same thing with lots of highs and lows and basically slow

HI sweeTIE pIe or IM juST preTTY

 

You notice that your bird will listen intently. Your bird will tip it's head to the side and stare at you while you're doing this. Eventually, he will straighten his head and slightly turn his face from you--that means he's tuning you out. Lets say that it takes 9 minutes until he tunes you out. The secret to the lesson is to stop the lesson at 8 minutes. He's still interested but hears no more. That means that he hasn't tuned you out butis still hearing what you did. Do this 4 times a day--3 to 4 hrs apart. Make sure you stop before he tires of listening to you. Do this for about 4 or 5 days. He eventually will start grumbling all the time and you won't have the slightestidea what'sgoing on until one day,he'll say thewhole phrase or part of the phrase working himself up to the whole phrase. Repeat the phrase to him once in a while ( once a week so he doesn't forget). Then it becomes part of his vocabulary. With greys it's much better to use phrases than single words. Eventually he'll start associating things you're doing or saying and repeat them

 

Example--your dog is being a pain in the ass. You turn around and say to the dog *go lie down* Soon enough when the dog is a pain in the ass he'll say go lie down before you do. It all has to do with association. Practice the whol;e procedure and it'll work.

[danmcq]

Well done Dave! I believe you put it all into one paragraph, that I would have rambled on for 3 pages about. :-)

 

Karma to you!!!

[judygram]

I personally wouldn't buy the CD as I have never thought I wanted to do that for Josey, she picks up words and phrases she hears from my hubby and I and that is just fine with me.

[Char]

dhorje wrote:

What a comprehensive explanation, Dave. Koko is almost 14 months of age but she doesn't seem to be interested in talking. She is good in mimicking sound. Her vocabs are limited to Hello, Good, Good Good and sometimes Good Girl ( I have never used this word, don't know where she learned this). Do you think she will talk more in future? Or just prefer to do sound. Any method to encourage her to talk?

 

Sorry for hijacking your thread, Oppie.

 

When I am teaching Whisper something new I will just start saying at random times. This week is was "Who's the boss?". Whenever I walk into the room I will just say it. I know I have her attention then. I just said it every now and then In a clear distinct voice. Sometimes I would use her name sometimes I would not. It took 3 days but today she said it. So far she will say EVERY thing that I decide I want to teach her. Say it with inflection in your voice the way the old fart oops :blush: I mean Dave was explaining.<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/07/25 02:58

[judygram]

Char wrote:

Say it with inflection in your voice the way the old fart oops :blush: I mean Dave was explaining.

 

Uh oo, them are fighting words!!!

[Luvparrots]

Ralph, I am truly computer illiterate so I can't comment on your program. I do want to wish you great success with your endeavor and hope your program is a great success.

[Char]

judygram wrote:

Char wrote:

Say it with inflection in your voice the way the old fart oops :blush: I mean Dave was explaining.

 

Uh oo, them are fighting words!!!

 

Just a little slip of the tongue Judy

<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/07/25 03:51

[she]

Hi Ralph.I just want to wish you good luck with your program. Being hopeles with computers I admire anyone who has the ability to do these things, Not seen you round for a while?Best wishes Sheila

[yoyo1106]

I'm looking for a computer program that has speech-to-text function and will translate what my bird says into words and sends me a Twitter status update so I know what he's saying when I'm not around him. Or vice versa, an iPhone app that allows me to talk or type into it and generate a voice/sound and "plays" it to my bird from a home computer so I can talk to him from anywhere when I'm not home :woohoo:

[Char]

yoyo1106 wrote:

I'm looking for a computer program that has speech-to-text function and will translate what my bird says into words and sends me a Twitter status update so I know what he's saying when I'm not around him. Or vice versa, an iPhone app that allows me to talk or type into it and generate a voice/sound and "plays" it to my bird from a home computer so I can talk to him from anywhere when I'm not home :woohoo:

 

 

How about a speaker phone? Years ago when I first had birds I would call home and talk to them on the speaker phone. They could hear me and I could hear them.