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| Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 (Standard Edition) (PC) | 
 enlarge | From: Nuance Communications, Inc.
Category: Software
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 1316
Platforms: Windows Xp, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Vista
Media: CD-ROM
Shipping Weight (lbs): 11
Dimensions (in): 9.8 x 7.9 x 2.8
MPN: A309X-W00-9.0
EAN: 5031199018229
ASIN: B000GTGQTY
Release Date: July 21, 2006
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| Customer Reviews:
 Excellent Piece of Software. April 16, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I purchased NaturallySpeaking 9 to use on Windows Vista (no problems at all installing it). I found its accuracy to be around 85% but am sure it will improve with continued use. However, I now find that I need to be away from my computer quite often so I have purchased the Preferred edition to use with my voice recorder.
I would unreservedly recommend this product, and the Nuance website, as they are excellent
 excellent product February 5, 2008
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
I bought Dragon naturally speaking standard version 9 because I discovered that IBM ViaVoice millennium could not be made to work with Microsoft windows Vista.
Perhaps I should first say what my expectations are from a voice recognition package.
I do not expect the software to compensate for my disabilities, much as I sympathise with people who have disabilities. I do not expect the programme to cope with a pronounced regional accent.
Further unlike a lot of people I do not expect to be able to operate the controls of the computer, that is to say menu boxes and cursor movements by using voice commands.
Whilst that sort of thing may look good on Star Trek I have no use for it personally.
What I want is for the computer to write down what I've said in a simple text window.
If it can do that with a very small error rate then I am extremely happy. I am willing to input a mixture of keystrokes mouse movements and voice dictation provided the end result is accurate transcription of my dictation. ( I am running a Core 2 Duo E6320 with 2Gb memory and a very quiet machine - no fan on the PSU or CPU cooler.)
I have found that Dragon naturally speaking is very good at writing down what I have said with a very low error rate using the microphone provided. (Some people have complained that this piece of equipment is unduly cheap, but I have found it quite adequate.)
I particularly like the use of the plus key on the numeric keyboard to turn the microphone on and off, and the ability to choose between four modes of data entry.
These are normal mode, dictation mode (in which everything one says is interpreted as dictation and any words which happened to coincide with commands are simply written down), numeric mode (in which the computer is listening purely for the numerals zero to nine and the symbols point and comma ) and spelling mode in which the computer simply listens for letters of the alphabet.
The use of the appropriate mode results in a much higher accuracy of transcription in return for a small input of keystrokes. I have always considered that voice-activated software when it works with a reasonable degree of accuracy is something close to magic and this product lived up to my expectations. All in all I am very pleased with Dragon naturally speaking nine Standard Edition -- 1 of my better decisions.
PostScript
I should perhaps add that you need to do some further training after the script that Nuance prescribe. I suggest another 5000 words from some
source you are familiar with, before you need to do anything important. The program gradually acclimatises to your voice. Also outside noise like a motorbike passing can upset it. A shortcoming is that you cannot tell Nuance where it should put the backup. Backup needs to go somewhere safe on external medium, and there should be an option to restore from externally stored backup - there isn't. I personally don't use any formatting commands during dictation,preferring to do this manually afterwards. I try to reduce the number of things the program has to to the one essential and hope that it will do this well. Finally, it will misunderstand you just as easily if you talk too slowly as it does if you talk too quickly - this can be frustrating - use the plus key and think out what you want to say then switch back in an dictate calmly.
 Nightmare January 19, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This product is advertised as being ready to go in the box - let me assure you it is not. Just how much training is required to get this program to work correctly is beyond me, as i got fed up with it after no improvement from two hours of it. 2 miserable hours of dictating to this thing, and nothing.
Let me just clarify, I do not speak with a strong accent, or slur my words - I speak slowly and concisely. I talk in a similar manner to newsreaders (which is how the program asks you to read).
I do a lot of essays on medical topics, and any of the less common words were fine, such as hypothalamus, arteriole, glomerular, etc. The problem is that it does not recognise the smaller words, and after dictating for two minutes, you will be left with a huge paragraph of total nonsense. It will take you ten times as long to correct it, than it would be to just bin it and start again.
This program is extremely frustrating, and I would advise anyone to spend their money elsewhere
I would however like to say, that AMAZON.CO.uk were totally problem free when it came to returning the item. We didn't pay for return postage, and they issued a voucher refund. So we are happy in the end.
surprisingly good inside a week January 14, 2008
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
As is the tradition with reviews of this software, I have dictated all of this review without making any changes myself stop so far I have been using the software for about a week, and have completed only two sets of user training stop I am very impressed with the software as after one week it already recognizes the vast majority of what I say very accurately, the headset supplied on the other hand is a different matter. The headset provided with this standard version is like the type used in call centres, which have only one earpiece and a fold down microphone stop. The first time I tried to put the headset on my head, I snapped the plastic band across the top stop I can still use it to dictate, but for comfort I have bought a Logitech USB desktop microphone. Both have worked very well so far.
I'm currently using Dragon naturally speaking through VMWare on Windows XP from a Siouxsie Linux host stop. I have turned the microphone up to maximum and speech recognition is now pretty accurate stop I had no problems installing the software (580 MB for UK English, plus 50 to 100 MB per user profile), and so far the memory and CPU usage has been acceptable stop. I have mainly been using the DragonPad, but I think accuracy is also a good win dictating into other editors and text boxes.
Of course, I haven't yet reached 99% accuracy, but already dictating is faster than typing for me and certainly more comfortable for my hands and wrists. I think that accuracy will reach be stated 99% after two or three weeks more evening usage. There are two tips that I can give to other prospective users: the first is to carefully set up the microphone so that the quality reading it at least 18 out of 20 (if lower, you may find the software very frustrating!). The second is to increase the accuracy slider in the user preferences as this seems to improve accuracy considerably from the default value (towards fastest).
The last thing to say is simply if you find the software is not very accurate to begin with, do persist for a few days because the software and will learn quickly.
slows down everything else dramatically December 10, 2007
9 out of 13 found this review helpful
I'm a writer with RSI so I had high hopes. Installed ok, voice recognition not bad at all, BUT one very big problem - immediately following installation virtually every other application on my computer slowed down considerably, and also started to 'hang' every 20 seconds or so. This occurred even when the Dragon software was closed, not just when it was running. Eventually I gave up. So great idea, but technology not there yet. Be warned.
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