I am confused. My Pearl can easily and fairly accurately read any name in my contact list without any training. That tells me that the software can handle text to speech (and speech to text). Yet, there doesn't seem to be any reliable and inexpensive applications on the market that will allow my Pearl to convert the text in my emails to speech. I've heard enough stories of people reading emails while driving. It makes sense that this is a safe solution that lots of people would pay for.
Can someone figure out a way to make my Pearl read my emails to me aloud???

Um....I'll get working on that

Try this: Voice on the Go - Voice access to your email, contacts and calendar, anytime, anywhere.

There is a HUGE difference between the Pearl hearing a spoken name and finding it in your 500 contacts, and asking the phone to read emails to you aloud. Huge difference. There are a few programs that propose to do it (go look on Handango) but you may be disappointed.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8700/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

This would be a very cool software development IMO! I for one am guilty of checking email while driving and to have something read them to me would be handy. Wouldn't use it in general public but in private

Speech RECOGNITION and speech RECITAL are VERY different things. It is much easier for a computer to recognize speech, because it is only sound patterns. Being able to read text legibally is much harder for a computer to do. Just becaue it can understand it ... sure as heck doesnt mean it can speak it.

You will have to purchase the software unless something free comes along.

I long for the day I can be driving and have a gentle female voice tell me that I have just won a British Lottery followed by "Let me help you with your Pen is size"

Moved to Aftermarket Software.