Sarasota PC Monitor
Dragon, Naturally Speaking: Professional Solutions V6
A Software Review
byAnita Plutchik, Ph.D.
Member of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.This is the fifth review that I've written for SPCUG about the program Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I began years ago by reviewing Version 1 and this is Professional Solutions Version 6. With each upgrade there have been improvements in recognition accuracy as well as general spelling, grammar and various other aspects of speech recognition.
The training time for version 6 has been reduced considerably. The manufacturer claims after completing about 5 minutes of training, you can start talking to your computer and your words will immediately appear on the screen.
The training consists of reading selections into the microphone. I tried this and in fact did get reasonable recognition in this brief training period. However, it was inadequate and I spent time reading additional training selections and found this greatly improved its recognition. Version 6 has retained the capacity for more than one person to use the same program. Each user can train it for his or her particular voice This is clearly a very large advantage when the program is going to be used by more than one person, whether in an office or within a family. Furthermore, you can now dictate in a second language by installing multiple languages.
Once you open the NaturallySpeaking, you can simply leave it open and it will be available as you use your various other programs; you will not have to recall it. Anyone who uses voice recognition, knows that it does not open in a flash; rather it has to load your specific voice training each time you want to use it. If you choose to leave it open, you have a choice of having the new Dragon Bar on your screen at all times or simply sending it to the task bar.
There is the same Quick Correct Box which enables easier proofreading and correction of text. The Add Words from Document feature scans your documents for particular words you use and adds them to the NaturallySpeaking vocabulary. The Text-To-Speech and Dictation Playback greatly assists with editing; you can listen to your own documents or other files such as email being read aloud to you and then make changes if you wish. Finally, the Add Words from Document feature improves accuracy by quickly adding new words to the vocabulary from existing documents.
Although previous versions have supported WordPerfect and Microsoft Word, this version can be used within virtually all Windows based applications including word processors, spreadsheets, and Web browsers, Also important is an extensive set of voice commands to browse the Web and manage email navigation by voice. Most popular email programs can be controlled with your voice and you can use commands such as Check for New Mail, Send Email, and Reply to Message for your email.
The voice commands are readily available with helpful on-screen reminders, extensive online help references, a detachable command reference card, and a top 10 commands sticker for your keyboard or monitor. The package contains several cards with reminders of the instructions that you need to use for these special commands. Lastly you can simplify things by creating dictation shortcuts to insert multiple lines of text, such as a letter closing, with only a few words.
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 in order to use the correct word since, for the most part, it correctly differentiates between homonyms; that is, it decides from the context of the sentence if the word is whether or weather; there or their, etc. There are many first names, and some common last names, already in the memory.
There is true continuous speech recognition 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 words, lines, and paragraphs around within your document. You can also copy, cut and paste verbally. A special dialog box enables you to add 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.
As with all of the earlier versions, most of the 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 had less problems with the small words. With time and use, the accuracy improves.
Although there is a 30,000 word-active vocabulary which can be expanded up to 250,000, there will always be many words, especially names and places, that are not on the list. Some of the many features allow you to verbally edit, format or correct words and phrases; to insert frequently used phrases and sentences by saying a single word or phrase; to find words in text files and enter the words, their pronunciations and the word usage information into your personal vocabulary; to detect accents and dialects; and to add your own unique words, terms and names automatically. For regular usage, the spelling is excellent.
You can dictate into the computer or into a ScanSoft-certified handheld recorder for personal or third-party transcription. This is great since you can use it in a car or sitting anywhere away from the computer. Although most people may not use some of the new features they are worth mentioning here. Nothing But Speech (NBS), is a tool that filters out fillers and sounds between dictation-such as "uhms" and "ahs"-to avoid insertion of unwanted words. The Accuracy Center, contains an Accuracy Assistant to help users select the right tool to increase accuracy and an Acoustic Optimizer that lets Dragon NaturallySpeaking process and learn from all the data it has collected over time.
Although the software learns every time you correct errors, running the Acoustic Optimizer will enable it to compile and analyze your data in one sweep, a much more effective process than gradual adaptation from each correction. Just set the Acoustic Optimizer to run while you are away at a meeting and you will return to improved recognition. You can control the mouse by voice in a variety of ways using one of many new mouse commands, and also edit and make corrections by voice.
You can now also create text blocks, including bitmaps, and insert them into documents or emails with a single voice command. For example, you can design a standard letter closing-including your signature-and add it to all your correspondence. There is even a Macro Recorder to use if you repeat the same action frequently.
Overall, NaturallySpeaking is a wonderfully efficient way to dictate material. Anyone who decides to use this program must realize that it takes some training before you can depend on it.
There are many other new features that are too numerous to mention here. Suffice it to say that the program is just wonderful. ScanSoft now owns Dragon NaturallySpeaking. You can reach them at 1-800-443-7077 or http://www.scansoft.com/. They list this version for $695.99. However, the Preferred Version would be more than adequate for most people. They sell this for $199. :
Copyright 2002. This article is from the June 2002 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/
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