The state of speech recognition

[patteo]

I first started looking at speech recognition some years ago and then stopped using it somehow because it never quite caught on with me because of issues like processor power, training required and accuracy issue even after that.

I wonder if anyone here has successfully implemented the likes of IBM Viavoice, or Dragon Naturally Speaking and now I noticed, there's another contender for much less CoolsoftLLC's Speak To Text (and currently with a discount to boot for only about $20) http://www.coolsoftllc.com/main.asp?productsummary=9#9

Are there any people here who are regularly using any of these to type notes, letters etc on a day to day basis ?

Would you care to share your experience ?

[cranioscopical]

Speech recognition has become very usable for me with Dragon Naturally Speaking (I'm using 9.x).  I can successfully dictate (and correct) a 70-page report faster than I can type it myself.  (I still prefer to give a dictation tape to my secretary who types at 140 highly accurate wpm.)  Dragon can get me out of a jam if I need to create some material in the middle of the night, or some other inconvenient time.

I like to use Dragon for personal, written correspondence as I find myself adopting an informal, conversational style that I never seem to match when writing or typing.

Training is far, far less onerous these days than it used to be.

I can only give you my experience with Dragon in (British) English.  I have no idea if it's as good in other languages -- I don't speak any well enough to try.

Dragon is the only current speech software about which I can speak from experience.  Although Nuance also offers ViaVoice, I really don't think it's kept up.  IBM started the whole thing going commercially, what, a decade ago?  15 years?  Then they seemed to let it slip through their fingers.

FWIW, once, I thought the idea of controlling the computer by voice was brilliant.  In practice I find it tiresome and not worth the trouble.

[patteo]

Thanks for you insight cranioscopical.

Does Dragon Naturally Speaking allow you to deactivate your installation on your current computer and allow you to move it to another computer, for example if you need to upgrade your computer or if the computer crashes and you need to change a mother board for example.

I mean for example, I'm thinking, I hate to purchase a copy now and find that 5 months later, because I changed my computer, I have to shell out another US$199.

[nite_monkey]

I've use Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 for a while and it's not too bad I've had better experience with it than I have with others. I haven't had to correct as many words with this program than with others.

[Laughing Man]

As another user of Dragon Naturally Speaking I can say it works pretty well (especially after you take the time to train it). If you really wanted to. You could dictate with it. Though I personally prefer to type (I type fast). But I think I uses it a registration key (haven't used it in a while since I kinda dropped the whole speech recognition thing). Though it was nice to be able to order my computer to open programs while I was typing something up.

Vista's Speech recognition is also good. It comes with the OS but it also requires training. Though command wise I feel dragon natural is better.

[cranioscopical]

Does Dragon Naturally Speaking allow you to deactivate your installation on your current computer and allow you to move it to another computer, for example if you need to upgrade your computer or if the computer crashes and you need to change a mother board for example.

I mean for example, I'm thinking, I hate to purchase a copy now and find that 5 months later, because I changed my computer, I have to shell out another US$199.

I can't answer that off the top of my head. I know I've moved earlier versions of Dragon from machine to machine when upgrading hardware. No trouble migrating user files or anything like that, but I don't recall what (if any) licensing issues arose.  I'm not sure what the current rules are.  I'll try to remember to dig out the printed material that came with the package and have a look. If I remember right, I think I just installed Dragon again, from scratch, on the new machine, having moved the user files etc. from the old box. Meanwhile, perhaps someone else here has the definitive answer available right now?

[TomColvin]

There's also the other side of the coin:  Text-to-Speech.  As my eyesight gently fades away over the years, I'm finding this facility increasingly important.  In this arena, I use TextAloud, with a variety of "voices" on call.  It's amazing how much progress the readings have made -- they are no longer so irritating to listen to.

As it happens, I just last night fired up the Opera "Voice" facility, which impressed me at first hearing.

I'll be following this thread with considerable interest.

Tom