NWA-PCUG 2/99 NewsLetter Article 18861 N. Hwy 112, Springdale, AR 72762-9303 Dragon, Naturally Speaking 3.01 A Software Review by Robert Plutchik, Ph.D., Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group,Inc. From 11/98 SPCUG Newsletter In the September issue of the Monitor, I reviewed the voice recognition program by Dragon Systems called NaturallySpeaking. The version that I reviewed was that which was included with Corel WordPerfect Suite 8. I pointed out that for those of you who don't type well, it is a very useful addition to your software programs, and that it does a very credible job of translating speech into typewritten material at normal speech rates. Dragon has now come out with an updated version of NaturallySpeaking. This is the preferred version 3.01, which I am now using. I am happy to report that I'm even more impressed with this version than with the early one. Because we had gotten a new computer, we installed it as a new program so that none of my earlier training was saved. After about 30 minutes of training, the program took my normal speech dictation almost flawlessly. Although the program will correctly read a single word, it typically waits for a whole sentence or clause before typing on the screen. This is to use the correct word since, for the most part, it differentiates beautifully between homonyms. That is, it decides from the context of the sentence if the word is weather or whether; there or their, etc. Dragon claims the newer technology reduces errors by 25% to achieve higher accuracy. The new, larger vocabulary includes more than 42,000 active words and allows for 230,000 words with your trained additions. There is true continuous speech so that you can speak to your computer naturally and at a normal pace up to 160 words per minute without pausing between words. There are commands for all aspects of punctuation as well as verbal commands that enable you to move around words, lines, and paragraphs around within your document. You can also copy, cut and paste verbally. A special dialog box enables you train new words to the extensive existing vocabulary. The package contains several cards with reminders of the instructions that you need to use for these special commands. There are many first names, and some common last names. of people already in the memory. With the earlier version, the program I got about 68 to 70 percent of new material correct on first reading. With version 3.01 I got over 90 percent correct . As with the earlier version, the most difficulty lies with small words and pronouns, such as and, the, of, etc. It is sometimes necessary to retrain the program with the dialog box to catch the nuances of exactly how you say these words. With regard to this particular problem, I found that by speaking a little more quickly, I actually have less problems with the small words. Apparently there is some recognition that takes place when you speak normally, and the sentence somehow comes out correctly. With time the accuracy improved. Another feature that has been added to the upgraded version, is the ability for more than one person to use the same program. Each user can train it for his or her particular voice. When you open it, it will ask who the user is. This is clearly a very large advantage when the program is going to be used by more than one person or within a family. A great addition to the later version is the ability to dictate directly into any word processing program. You do not have to dictate first and go through the Dragon document and then cut and paste. Along with this feature is the ability to do any kind of correction within your document. You simply put your cursor anywhere and begin dictating and making your corrections. You can dictate charts, letters, or email all very comfortably and quickly. A last feature which is new and very helpful is called Text-To-Speech and Dictation Playback which greatly assists with editing. You can listen to your own documents or other files such as e-mail read aloud to you and then make changes. Included in this 3.0 version is a program called NaurallyMobile. This feature provides support for approved hand-held recording devices to let you create text even when you are away from your PC. However, when I inquired about the device necessary for using this feature, I was told that is not yet available. It will be out sometime in the next month or so, but will cost about $300. Overall then, I am extremely pleased with this updated version of NaturallySpeaking and can strongly recommend it to anyone who prefers talking to typing. I might mention that Dragon NaturallySpeaking, was named Best of the Year by Time Magazine, Business week, PC/Computing, BYTE Magazine, and Popular Science. System Requirements: Minimum: 133MHz (Recommended: 200MHz) Pentium Processor, IBM compatible PC Windows 98, Windows 95, or Windows NT 4.0 Memory Requirements: Minimum: 32MB (Recommended 64MB) for Windows 95 or Windows 98, 48MB for Windows NT 4.0, additional 16MB when running Corel WordPerfect or Microsoft Word simultaneously with Dragon NaturallySpeaking. BestMatch technology requires a 200MHz Pentium Processor and a minimum of 48MB of RAM Hard Disk Requirements: Minimum: 180MB (Recommended 240MB), a Dragon Systems' certified or equivalent 16-bit sound card or built-in audio system with input quality equal to or greater than the Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16. CD-ROM required for installation. The package includes a high-quality microphone. Street price is $200. There are various upgrade offered by Dragon Systems for anyone already owning this program and for these the prices vary. www.dragonsys.com; (800) TALK-TYP. : Copyright 1998. This article is from the November 1998 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277- 1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For further information about our group, email: admin@spcug.org/ Web: http://www.spcug.org/ The Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. has 1,000+ members and was established in 1982. We are members of the Assoc. of PC User Groups (APCUG), the Florida Assoc. of PC Users Groups, Inc., and we are members of the America Online Ambassador Program. See http://www.spcug.org for all reviews from the Sarasota PC Monitor, go to the Newsletter Section.