Dragon NaturallySpeaking, who uses?

Bushman

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 8, 2002
Messages
1,851
Does anybody out there use Dragon NaturallySpeaking? I am using the right now to do this message. I can't really call at typing because I am not touching the keyboard. The amount of time that it would take me to type out this message would be about four times the amount that it takes to dictate it. The more you use the software, the better it gets at recognizing your voice and speech patterns. So far throughout this message I have only had one error. The software mistook "there" for "their".

The software was a gift to me, so I do not know how much it costs. However I am sure it is worth whatever it costs, as it has saved me tons of time.

If every body on candle power forums used voice dictation software, we would have very serious bandwidth problems!
 

The_LED_Museum

*Retired*
Joined
Aug 12, 2000
Messages
19,414
Location
Federal Way WA. USA
I've heard radio commercials for this program, but I've never tried it. I probably should though, since my typing sucks now since having my (crash course in) brain surgery. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

According to the commercial, "you talk, it types".
Is this really the case? How many mistakes does it make, and can you EASILY delete the error and have it type the right thing?
 

Bushman

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 8, 2002
Messages
1,851
Craig,
high and by no means a computer expert. However, a friend of mine is our network analyst. He has a CD burning program that will actually allow us to make you a copy of Dragon. Let me talk with him and see if I cannot send you a disk. You will need a microphone. Preferably one that is a boom microphone that you can wear on your head. You should be able to find one of these at RadioShack or something like that. It may be that one of us on the forums has an extra one. This would be real good for you. Can you send me an e-mail to [email protected] and we can work out the details.
 

Lurker

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 6, 2002
Messages
1,457
Location
The South
Neat stuff. I can see that it is not completely error proof, judging by some of your posts above such as "high and by no means..." rather than "I am by no means..." and some other minor errors (not that my typing is perfect). But it is a neat concept, especially for those of us with repetitive strain injuries from keyboarding. I'd hate to work in an open office environment with a lot of Dragon users talking away at their computers, but it definitely has its place. I really need to look into it myself some day.
 

DieselDave

Super Moderator,
Joined
Sep 3, 2002
Messages
2,703
Location
FL panhandle
Bushman,
Does it work well? I could sure use it for a project I just started. I though about getting it 2 years ago but didn't hear it was all that great. It sounds like it really works now. Would you recommend it for someone that types 90-100 words a minute? Or how about for someone like me at 30 words a minute? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

e=mc²

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 2, 2000
Messages
537
Location
NJ - Land of malodorous \"earl\" refineries!
I use this program as well, and would like you to note that when you first install it, you have to train it by reading to it an exerpt from one of several novels. It takes about 40 minutes to complete this training session. I especially like it when using AOL instant messenger, as my typing is very slow and people often use to think that I had signed off when in fact, I was still typing in my response. The results were interesting, but I still have to complete the training as I have only completed 50 percent of it at the moment. When in chat, I'll say something like "Hi, how are you doing?" and it will type "Hi Howard Hughes doing?" Pretty comical, but like I said, I have yet to complete its training. (Yes you can interrupt the training session and continue on at a later time, but you sacrifice accuracy until training is complete)

Ed.
 

Bushman

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 8, 2002
Messages
1,851
http://www.speculations.com/rumormill/index.php?t=256&show_all_topics=1

http://www.scansoft.com/naturallyspeaking/

These links are to a forum about voice dictating and also a link to to scan soft, the makers of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. These two sides should give you some very good information.
When you first use the software it will require you to train. When you train, speak as if you are speaking like a newscaster. You can also go back into additional training to help improve accuracy. As you read, or dictate, your words appear on the screen. Now that I have been using it for five days, I have already installed it on my laptop. I almost do not know what to do without it.

To edit something, you just highlight the area that needs to be edited with the mouse, and you read dictate right over the words.
You do not want a microphone correctly in front of your lips. You want it at the corner of your mouth. That way the way and that is created from your voice, will not be mistaken for a word that you did not say.
 

Lurker

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 6, 2002
Messages
1,457
Location
The South
e=mc2, was your post a joke or serious? The dictation errors in this thread are turning into an advertisement for NOT using the software.
 

e=mc²

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 2, 2000
Messages
537
Location
NJ - Land of malodorous \"earl\" refineries!
Sorry about that, Lurker. I've edited my post above to show what it really does. That was my twisted sense of humor. The Howard Hughes part was not a joke, but like I noted, I didn't fully train my software at that point. It really does learn your speech patterns as you use it. What I especially like about the software is that if you are unsure about the spelling of a word, no problem as it uses a built-in dictionary. And say goodbye to "transposed characters" like when your fingers trip all over themselves as mine do while typing at a frenzied pace. Like Bushman noted above, positioning of the microphone is crucial to achieve accuracy. Boom type mikes are highly reccommended as it will generally be located in the same spot each time you use it. I've tried it on pedestal and handheld mikes, but the results were not that impressive as was with the boom mike.
Also worth mentioning, it uses a contextual lookup algorithm, so when you say the word "red" as in the color, it will know the difference between "red" and "read". I'm impressed by it so far. Very rarely does it reach an abiguous homonym like "by some" and "buy some". If your sentence is long enough, it will fit it into the proper context, but if you are chatting in an IM window and just say "Buy some" it may or may not type it in correctly. But then again "buy some" is NOT a complete sentence either, so I cannot fault the software for that.


Ed.
 

Bushman

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 8, 2002
Messages
1,851
Lurker,
I intentionally left the errors in my post to demonstrate how the software can sometimes misinterpret you if you do not enunciate properly. Each time you make a correction it actually trains the software so that it will be much less likely to miss that word again.
 

Flashlightboy

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 28, 2001
Messages
856
Had it at work and it was horrible. Yes there was a learning curve but soon it becomes a situation of diminishing returns. I think it peaked at about 90-92% accuracy but the time to learn the correction language (it never flowed effortlessly or without error) or to make physical changes turned the promise into poor execution.

It simply wasn't worth the hassle. If you speak the same way every time, using the same enunciation, holding the unit the same distance from your mouth (if you don't have a head mike) and don't mind the frustration, I'd say give it a try. A few months after the purchase it was thrown in a drawer. No regrets.
 

Bushman

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 8, 2002
Messages
1,851
Each person who tries the software will have a different experience. My boss I think will have a very hard time with it. He slurs his words very badly. You do have to speak clearly. It is obviously not for every body. But for most, I feel it will work like a dream.
 

e=mc²

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 2, 2000
Messages
537
Location
NJ - Land of malodorous \"earl\" refineries!
Hey Bushman, we should get paid an advertisers fee from Dragon. My experiences were positive with this as well. Just to note, I have had it since version 5 and the people who have had bad luck with it in the past should really look into this new version as I have noticed substantial gains in this package throuhout the version updates. I now have ver. 7 which to me, is drastically improved over six. It's not just added bells and whistles, it's like a completely different package (for the better, of course!).

Just my 2¢ worth.


Ed
 

FalconFX

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 1, 2002
Messages
3,297
Location
Davis, CA
I've used both this and ViaVoice Gold. And all I can say is, I can type faster than it can display my words correctly. Plus, correction is a pain, and context corrections can be annoying. I gave up after figuring it's quicker for me to type...
 

Bushman

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 8, 2002
Messages
1,851
Falcon, you must be a very accurate, fast typer. I find that voice dictation software allows me to put many more words on paper than typing ever did. Yes, I do still have to make corrections, however it for me is still much faster.
 

tkl

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 24, 2002
Messages
2,332
Location
Tx
i'm glad i learned to type in high school. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

Saaby

Flashaholic
Joined
Jun 17, 2002
Messages
7,447
Location
Utah
I have played with the stuff lots. I've tried it time and time again and never stuck with it. Maybe I slur my words or something but it never works that great for me. Technology gets better, however, so I try it every couple of years. Sounds like it's time to try it again...
 

Lurker

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 6, 2002
Messages
1,457
Location
The South
Just for reference, for the people who are saying it is better than typing, are you good typists or hunt-and-peck typists? If you think the software can blow away an excellent typist who types 50+ WPM, that is a lot different than saying it can blow away a hunt-and-peck typist. I personally type about 30 WPM, so I consider myslef very average at best for a trained 10-finger touch typist, not great, but a lot better than a hunt-and-peck typist.

Also, can you speak naturally, or do you have to halt between each word? And does the software insert capitals, commas and periods automatically or do you have to dictate those elements? What about paragraph breaks?

Thanks for the info.
 

webley445

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 16, 2001
Messages
1,353
Location
St. Pete, Fl.
I would think also that taking a moment to think about how/what you are saying would make a difference? For example instead of saying [including possible errors]
" before I red your memo I herd about...." you could say
" before reviewing your memo, I was made aware that..."
Perhaps it makes it neccessary to have a better command of the english language and avoid the "short cut" or slang aspects.
 
Top