Agree with Carl.
Not even considering the character / avatars, UltraHal's brain / learning / topic flow ability is far better than a simple scripted bot like Verbot.
That's not a slam against Verbot for they have produced an inexpensive, workable bot for those who might wish to experiment in areas like constructing an "expert system". UltraHal, on the other hand, can learn of new appointments, birthdays, occasions, etc., and during conversation, will often recall something that was previously mentioned that it felt was applicable. A scripted bot doesn't usually have retentive or database recall qualities like that.
There are several methods that can be employed to enable Hal to "learn" new information while the Verbot and other scripted bots can only learn (in most cases) when and if the botmaster directly inputs the information.
Yes, Hal might cost twice the price of Verbot, but they are completely different systems and Hal is capable of so much more IMHO.
Hope this helps a bit and good luck on your decision.
Check out the video on UltraHal at the top of this forum or on YouTube.