Webgazette.co.uk

This is the third post I’ve written with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 and I must say I’m impressed so far with the accuracy and ease of use. Speech recognition software has come a long, long way since the last time I used it. Sure, there are a few mistakes, but they’re far and few between.

Installation and setup

The software comes on two discs and installation is a breeze. Just insert the first disc, which should auto run and follow the on-screen prompts. It does take a while to install but before long you will be prompted to insert the second disc.

 

Once installation is complete you will be prompted to train the program to recognise your voice. Surprisingly this isn’t a long process and you only have to read a short passage of writing before you are ready to go. Even after the short initial training session the accuracy is very good.

In Use

One of the key factors while using voice recognition software to improve accuracy is to take the time out to do the training and correct any mistakes made. Time invested here can really make a big improvement. Another important factor is actually taking the time out to learn how to use the software and the various voice commands that you need for selecting words, formatting or moving around the screen. Yes it’s easier not to read the manual but it does pay big dividends if you do, and saves you from having a frustrating experience trying to work out how to control the software.

 

They claim that it is faster and more accurate than typing and while I’m not sure that it is any faster at the moment it is definitely more accurate and made far fewer spelling mistakes than if I was typing. As far as the speed is concerned it is still early days and this may improve as I become more experienced using the software.

It does seem a little strange talking to the computer and seems to cause some hilarity with the rest of the family. It seems that I pull strange and funny faces while using it!

One benefit I hadn’t expected is that the software has freed my eyes from looking at the keyboard, since I am not a touch typist and had to feel my way around the keys. Who knows this may even improve my writing.

The only drawback so far is that you need a fairly low level of background noise. Anybody talking in the same room while trying to use the software seems to cause the program great difficulty in recognising what you are saying and often picks up the words that other people have said.

Conclusion

Although it is early days I am definitely impressed with the way the software works and the accuracy. Having used other speech recognition software in the past and had very disappointing results Dragon Naturally Speaking 9 is a breath of fresh air.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 11th, 2007 at 12:43 am and is filed under Software. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.