Version 10 of speech recognition software Dragon Naturally Speaking may well be the best voice recognition software ever. This voice recognition software program has come a long way. Made by Nuance, Dragon Naturally Speaking Standard allows you to create and edit documents and spreadsheets, send email and instant messages and browse the web, all without touching a keyboard.
Installing Dragon Naturally Speaking
The latest edition of Dragon dictation software takes only a few minutes to install and only a few more to train. For most users, reading the built in basic training program will be enough to get them started with basic - and more complex - dictation tasks. Like all software for speech recognition, accuracy is dependent on how well the software recognises your voice, as well as background noise. However, version 10 of Nuance's Dragon Naturally Speaking makes few errors even a few minutes after installation. After 10 minutes, the reviewer was able to dictate 2,000 words in about an hour, with only 15 minutes needed for correction. This makes Dragon speech recognition software a great productivity tool for writers, bloggers and others.
Getting The Best From Speech Recognition Software
One tip for getting the best from this voice dictation software is to import text from some of your documents (this reviewer used Microsoft Word documents) into the program. This helps Dragon to recognise commonly used phrases and speech patterns, helping with recognition accuracy. Another useful tip is to learn the commands that allow users to format text and perform common program functions, such as opening and saving new documents.
Program Versions
There are five versions of Dragon Naturally Speaking. The Standard version is the cheapest, but other versions provide additional features. For example, the Preferred version adds the ability to use a handheld dictation device and additional command shortcuts, while the Professional version of the speech recognition software adds more complex commands and the ability to use the software on a network. There are also special versions geared to the legal and medical professions.
This program is available for Windows only, but Mac users shouldn't despair. The MacSpeech voice recognition software for Macs uses the Dragon speech engine and is said to be just as accurate as this excellent Windows speech recognition software.
The Best Voice Recognition Software?
The Standard version provides more than enough functionality for most users and is sure to boost productivity. Since the Dragon speech recognition software is very accurate, most users will spend very little time on corrections or additional training. Dragon software is also useful for those suffering from tendinitis or other ailments which restrict people's ability to use the computer, making it one of the best speech recognition software programs around.
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