[orca-list] Orca silences and incomplete starts

[Dave Hunt <dave hunt2 verizon net>]

Hi, List!

I'm running Ubuntu 8.10 with Gnome exactly as it is shipped on the  
installation cd.  The machine is a Del Insporon laptop.  When the  
machine is run on battery, I need to attempt to start Orca several  
times before it is usable.  Sometimes, Orca will start with "Welcome  
to Orca", then go completely silent.  In such cases, I restart Orca,  
sometimes getting a usable session, other times, a false start as  
described.  When I have a usable session, It will go silent at  
seemingly random times.  Pressing the power switch on the machine will  
force Orca to display the "shut-down" dialogue.  I hit "cancel", and  
all is well until the next time Orca goes quiet.  When my machine is  
plugged into the mains, Orca starts, without fail, the first time, and  
rarely goes silent.

I assume my CPU is throttled back when the machine is on battery?  I  
see nothing in Power Management panel for adjusting this, however.   
Would, perhaps, a synthesizer other than the stock Espeak work better?


Many Thanks,


Dave