Dragon NaturallySpeaking's maker, Nuance, estimates that built-in speech-to-text capabilities in Windows Vista are about five years behind those of this application. You could get by with such features in Windows for occasional use, but Dragon is deeper and more accurate.
Version 10 is supposed to be 20 percent more accurate than its predecessor, both which supposedly offer greater than 99 percent accuracy. However, that won't likely translate to your personal experience. We found success with about four out of five spoken words. Should we blame our lisping, soft-spoken ways, the software, or the hardware? The updates to Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 include support for people with accented English, as well as voice-command shortcuts for supported applications and Web searches. Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 is supposed to translate spoken words to text twice as quickly as version 9. We couldn't measure that, but did notice a speed improvement.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred gives small business and advanced PC users the power to create documents, reports and e-mails three times faster than most people type -- with up to 99% accuracy. Surf the Web by voice or dictate and edit in Microsoft Word and Excel, Corel WordPerfect, and most other Windows-based applications. New Dragon Voice Shortcuts collapse common tasks into simple voice commands. Or create custom commands to insert blocks of texts or bitmaps-such as your name, title, and signature-with a single voice command. Format and delete text faster than ever with Quick Voice FormattingTM. You can even dictate into a handheld device when you're away from your PC, or use a Bluetooth microphone. A high-quality headset is included.
Key Benefits:
UP TO 99% ACCURATE AND THREE TIMES FASTER THAN TYPING
Most people speak over 120 words per minute, but type less than 40 words a minute. That means you can create documents and e-mails about three times faster with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred. Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 never makes a spelling mistake, and it actually gets smarter the more you use it!
EASY TO USE
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 installs quickly and requires no special script reading. New on-screen help and tutorials will make you an expert user in no time.
USE WITH MANY WINDOWS PROGRAMS
Use your voice to dictate, edit and control applications like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook Express, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and AOL.
SEARCH THE WEB AND YOUR COMPUTER WITH DRAGON VOICE SHORTCUTS FOR WEB SEARCH
Use Dragon Voice Shortcuts to quickly search for information on the Web or on your own computer. Need to find some information on the Web? Just say "Search the Web for global warming articles," "Search Wikipedia for George Washington Carver," or "Search eBay for Batman comic books." Search the Web or your computer has never been faster - or easier.
BLUETOOTH SUPPORT
Use Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 with Nuance-approved Bluetooth headsets.
BE PRODUCTIVE ON THE GO
Dictate into any Nuance-certified handheld device for automatic transcription when you synch with your PC.
The Editor Reviews
The good:
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 adds support for regional accents; new Voice Shortcuts for Vista and the Web, including YouTube and Wikipedia; hands-free browser commands; no new system requirements; custom-built Bluetooth headset option.
The bad:
The pricey license of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred serves only one user; rocky installation on Windows Vista; no Mac option; poor audio quality on included headset led to poor results
The bottom line:
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 isn't perfect, but it's the best dictation software available. We don't find this upgrade necessary for the most basic dictation, although new features may benefit heavily accented English speakers and those who rely heavily on voice commands.
Recommended Specifications
· CPU: Intel® Pentium® / 2.4 GHz processor (1.6 GHz dual core processor) or equivalent AMD processor
· Memory: 1 GB RAM
· L2 Cache: 1 MB
Other software download
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Standard
Talk to your computer and watch your spoken words instantly!
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred
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