EmailBest Reviewed
Voice Recognition Software
- Best voice recognition software Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred *Est. $85
- Basic voice recognition software Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Standard *Est. $45
- Voice recognition included with Windows Windows Speech Recognition *Est. $0
- Best speech recognition software for Mac MacSpeech Dictate *Est. $150
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- About 95 percent accuracy
- Works well with Word
- Needs a lot of computer space
- Won't work with Excel or portable voice recorders
Although most reviews recommend the Preferred version (*Est. $145), reviewers say that Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Standard is a lot cheaper and is fine for most personal use, as long as you don't need it to interface with Microsoft Excel or with portable voice recorders. Reviews indicate you can expect about 95 percent accuracy, if you invest significant time to train the program to recognize your speech. A major complaint in user reviews is a charge (*Est. $10) for email technical support or a charge (*Est. $20) for phone help. Reviews say that if you have Windows Vista (*Est. starting at $95) you should try the voice recognition that's already included in that package before buying NaturallySpeaking. NaturallySpeaking works with Windows only.
The best evaluation of Dragon NaturallySpeaking comes from The New York Times, by technology writer David Pogue, who has been using voice recognition software for years. In a review posted on CBSNews.com, Larry Magid compares Dragon NaturallySpeaking with Windows Vista's speech recognition function. About 160 owner reviews on Amazon.com flesh out the professional reviews.
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Our Sources
Technology writer David Pogue favorably compares Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 with iListen for the Macintosh, although he says there's little reason to buy version 9 if you already have version 8.
Review: Like Having a Secretary in Your PC, David Pogue, July 20, 2006
2. CBSNews.com
Larry Magid compares Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 and the voice recognition feature in the beta version of Windows Vista. He ends up getting nearly 99 percent accuracy with both programs. In the end, Magid says Dragon is more sophisticated and versatile but that Vista is also effective.
Review: Voice Recognition Software Put to Test, Larry Magid, Sept. 30, 2006
Nate Anderson tests Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Professional over the course of two weeks, noting that the cheaper versions of the software utilize the same basic voice recognition engine, so accuracy should be similar no matter which version you use.
Review: Computing by Mouth, Nate Anderson, Sept. 25, 2006
4. Amazon.com
About 175 owner reviews give the Standard version slightly above average ratings, with some complaints about compatibility and ease of use.
Review: Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Standard, Contributors to Amazon.com
