Customer Reviews

Dragon NaturallySpeaking Home 12.0, English

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2 star:		(39)
1 star:		(71)

 

 

I began using Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 11, then upgraded to 11.5, and bought version 12. Version 11 was good and accurate, but version 12 is much faster and seems to me to be much more accurate.

The OS is Microsoft XP Professional. I generally use Dragon to answer and create emails, and in MS Word 2010. Also use it with miscellaneous other programs from time to time. It seems to work just fine for me. Takes a little while to train (less than an hour).

I would recommend this program to family and friends without hesitation. It has several different modes, and a huge array of commands. Can't tell you about technical support or how good it is, as I've never had an occasion to use it.

The new version 12, is definitely more dependable and more accurate. As confirmation of the value and ease-of-use of the product, this entire review was dictated using Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 12. I have not had to do any corrections at all. The only thing I had to do, is capitalize two the words that I used, and change a to to a two. And that I did with Dragon commands.

And as a further bonus, the version 12 that I bought at this price, you have licenses for five computers.

***UPDATE*** I find that Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 is spot on in terms of getting my words right. I've only used it for a few days but as far as voice recognition goes it's great. I followed all the advice below (because it's the best way to get good dictation) I feel that this product only gets better ever iteration. And I only use it for dictation and not mouse commands etc.

The following is a guide to helping new users to voice dictation to understand how to get the most out of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Now these principles apply to all voice dictation software. I will update this review with more of the new features and how Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 runs when I've had time to use the software more.

(This whole review is done with Dragon I will not edit it at all)

As a quadriplegic standup comedian (okay I'm the cant stand up comic) I spent a lot of time doing voice dictation. I have been using Dragon naturally speaking since 1995 and I must say it is truly an amazing product and Dragon Dictate for Mac/Dragon NaturallySpeaking are only getting better. I want to give a basic overview on voice dictation and being successful.

To see my comedy set just google: AskACapper or I'm The Can't Stand Up Comic

One other thing to note I do not use Dragon for mouse movements and commands as I had the ability to use a touchpad mouse so I will not delve into those features in my review. This will merely focus on how you can use voice dictation effectively to receive near 100% accuracy. And how Dragon does it almost perfectly every time.

One thing you need to think about when you get into voice dictation is speaking in word clumps. You have to think about what you want to have Dragon type for you then you have to say those sentences in chunks (I hope that makes sense) most people who complain about voice dictation don't take the time to realize this.

In the following example I did edit the text when errors were made for continuity of thought.

[Example]
if I wanted to say "Is that the wheelchair that goes upstairs?" "No it is not but it goes downstairs one time really fast!"
The way I attacked this sentence was "Is that the wheelchair -pause- that goes upstairs question mark -pause- no it is not -pause- but it goes downstairs -pause- one time really fast exclamation point

Here is another one "what is the worst thing that a handicapped person can hear? Is it a doctor telling you you'll never walk again? Or someone saying you can't go with us because you are disabled? No the worst thing we can hear is someone in a crowd yell "run for your lives" at that point I know I am boned.

Here is how I approached saying that joke out loud I will put in a - where I pause
what is the worst thing-that a handicapped person-can hear question mark - is it a doctor-telling you-you'll never walk again question mark - or someone saying-you can't go with us-because you are disabled-question mark - no-the worst thing that we can hear-is someone in a crowd-yell-open quote- run for your lives-end quote- at that point-I know I'm boned period
[End example]

I hope that helps you again understanding how to speak in clumps of words remember to keep your word count between pauses at about 7 to 10. If you do this you will be successful in using voice dictation. If you put a microphone near your mouth and learned to speak in word clumps I say you will have 99% accuracy every time.

Without speaking a word clumps and thinking about what you want to say is when voice dictation has problems, here is an example of a long sentence I will speak this without stopping and pausing at certain points.

What I said: I am not disabled I am just very lazy and really I'm only in this thing for the parking.
What Dictate heard: I am not disabled I am just very lazy and really I'm only in this thing for the parking.

There you go it got a perfect 19 word sentence correct but most of the time keeping your clumps lower helps the program not make mistakes that is just what I have found.

How to train your Dragon: DO ALL THE TRAINING Is all I have to say! Sorry for yelling out better now. But really one thing I found super helpful in doing voice dictation is doing all of the training that you can. While you might not feel like reading a bunch of chapters from random books it really helps and should be done. I make a rule to do all the training the program provides so that it gets used my voice.

Now the microphone that comes with Dragon is decent and will get you almost 99% accuracy. Right now I'm using a tabletop microphone I'm sitting about 6-8 inches away from the microphone and still getting perfect accuracy! Truly amazing how far it's come in 15 years.

What I appreciate also about Dragon is its low resource usage. I mean as I use Dragon through the years it would talk a lot of resources i.e. CPU power and RAM space but now on even a low-cost computer will be fully capable of running this powerful program. I would happily recommend at least 2 GB of RAM though.

Till I Collapse by Eminem lyrics, this is unedited straight dictation. First line is dictation - (Second is the true verse to compare.)
--------------------
As soon as the verse starts I eat it at MC's heart - (Soon as a verse starts I eat it at MC's heart) * ERROR
what's he thinking? How not to go against me? Smart. - (what is he thinking? How not to go against me? Smart.) * PERFECT
And it's absurd how people hang on every word - (And its absurd how people hang on every word.) * PERFECT
I'll probably never get the props I feel I ever deserve - (I'll probably never get the props I feel I ever deserve) * PERFECT
but I'll never be served my spot is forever reserved - (But I'll never be served my spot is forever reserved) * PERFECT
if I ever leave Earth that would be the death of me first. - (If I ever leave earth that would be the death of me first.) * PERFECT
Visit my heart of hearts I know nothing could ever be worse. - (Cause in my heart of hearts I know nothing could ever be worse.) * ERROR
That's why I'm clever when I put together every verse - (That's why I'm clever when I put together every verse) * PERFECT
my thoughts are sporadic, I act like I'm inadequate - (My thoughts are sporadic, I act like I'm an addict) * ERROR
I rap like I'm addicted to smack like I'm Kim Mathers. - (I rap like I'm addicted to smack like I'm Kim Mathers.) * ERROR
the fact is I would rather sit back and bomb some rappers. - (The fact is I would rather sit back and bomb some rappers.) * PERFECT
So this is like a full-blown attack I'm launching Them - (So this is like a full blown attack I'm launching at them) * ERROR
the track is on some battling raps who wants some static - (The track is on some battling raps who want some static) * PERFECT
because I don't really think that the fact that I'm slim matters - (Cause I don't really think that the fact that I'm Slim matters) * ERROR
a plaque of platinum status is wack if I'm not the baddest. - (A plaque of platinum status is whack if I'm not the baddest.) * ERROR
--------------------

I would say that there were a few errors in that resuscitation of that rap but not bad, and good enough that it would save me about 30 minutes to type that okay maybe 15 but I do type one key at a time.

ONE BONUS OF VOICE DICTATION TO NOTE:
Is that voice dictation sometimes makes mistakes but those mistakes can really be great. So sometimes voice dictation will misunderstand what you say what the end result is better than or uses different words then you are going to ever use. For example the other day I went to use "definitely demonstrates" and Dragon burped out "deftly demonstrates" and in the context it's error was a better fit is so bonus when that happens! Keep that in mind voice dictation for the win!

So all in all I recommend Dragon to anyone with a disability for sure, and if you are dyslexic Dragon can really help you also. I think you'll find that this program will free you from the keyboard when it comes to entering tax into e-mails or documents web forums and the like.

I am Chuck Bittner and I approve this message LOL!

Dragon Naturally Speaking Home 12 is a speech recognition program. This software allows you to use your voice to control many programs on your computer, as well as dictate in such programs as Microsoft office and Gmail. Using the software, for such things as writing research papers, has drastically increased my productivity. All I have to do is say what I'm thinking, and it appears on the screen. If you are a person who has difficulty typing or even spelling, you will find this product to be an essential tool.

Before purchasing Dragon Naturally Speaking Home 12, I attempted to use the speech recognition program included in Windows 7. I found myself repeating commands over and over, until I eventually gave up and began typing. Another problem that I had was remembering the commands. With Dragon NaturallySpeaking, there is a convenient sidebar with various commands that you can use to navigate around your computer. When dictating, it also gives you a list of different commands that you can use to operate the system. In Microsoft Word 2010, you can do almost any operation with the sound of your voice: you can move the mouse, access tabs, and perform any editing functions from your top toolbars.

Upon first bringing the software home, and installing it on my computer, it seemed that I was going to have the same problem that I had with Windows 7 speech recognition program. Every time I attempted to dictate the only thing that Dragon would print across my screen were the words "him him him him him him him..." Also, I was getting a terrible feedback from the microphone. This frustrated me to no end. Before giving up on the software, and simply throwing it in the garbage, I decided it would be best to call technical support.

One valuable tool that is included with your Dragon software is the technical support team. This is a service you can take advantage of, at no additional cost, for the first 90 days after you register your product. The service far exceeded my expectations. The person on the other end of the phone was polite, patient, and took the time to walk me through a number of commands to attempt to fix the problem. After we had exhausted all efforts to adjust the settings, with no solution being found, the technician advised me to try a USB headset instead of a line in microphone. Evidentially, my sound card was not compatible with the headset provided with the Dragon software. The technician informed me that the USB headset would bypass my soundcard altogether. His advice was accurate, and Dragon has worked flawlessly for me ever since.

I think it's important to mention, for any of you considering buying Dragon Naturally Speaking Home 12, that I've used this software to write this review. I have made almost no corrections with the exception of when I got hung up and couldn't speak properly. It did take me a while to learn how to dictate to the computer as opposed to type, but now that I've got the hang of it, I'm more than happy with this product. In fact I find that I wonder how I got along before I had it.
Once everything is configured properly, and you've trained Dragon to your voice (which takes about 4 min.), the software is very accurate. On the box Dragon Naturally Speaking Home 12 claims to have a 99% accuracy rate. After getting a few hiccups worked out, I would have to agree with that percentage rate. I would highly recommend this software to anyone who has difficulty typing, spelling, or wants to increase their productivity.
 

A chain saw injury to my left forearm, prevented use of my keyboard. I am a fast touch typist and became extremely worried about loss of productivity and communication with clients by email. This program saved the day. The key to successful use is to take the time to train the program by hearing your voice and being willing to train it through more than one reading session. Once that is done, it types as fast as I can speak and with just a few glitches. It crashed on me a couple of times, but by reloading it, the program came back to life. There are enough reviews out there on Dragon that I won't bore with what has already been said, however, the only thing that is frustrating about the program is its "living in too many worlds at once". First and foremost it should be a dictation/typing machine. But it wants to go on steroids and try to do all sorts of computer functions for you. The only problem is that there is not a functional wall built between the two worlds. For instance, it will open programs for you (such as Word, IE, Google Chrome, Excel, etc) by saying "open" , followed by "Word". And it will keyword search in the same manner. What I found happening is if I am dictating something that has the word "open" within the body of copy and if I hesitate at all after the word "open" then the program pops up a dialogue box asking what I want to open. Frustrating and time consuming to correct it. I found this happening on several occasions where it went to action command instead of typing.

It sometimes gets confused in the correction mode, where you ask it to correct and it does not respond appropriately to the "correct that" command. So its helpful bells and whistles can sometimes be a source of irritation. But at the end of the day, I would highly recommend this program to anyone who would like to free themselves from carpal tunnel tendencies. It works extremely well and in some instances it has made me laugh. In my frustration on occasion, I would spout off and say "you freakin piece of ****" And it would try to type that, which brought a chuckle and then I would say "quit mocking me" and of course it would, by typing that.

I also had problems with the Dragon headset microphone rig and got messages "microphone undetected", when plugged into my computer since the sound card and the headset were not seeing each other. Tech support suggested I switch to a USB microphone, which I did and problem was solved. I did not like wearing the headphone set anyway, and bought an inexpensive Logitech desktop microphone and it works wonderfully. The Logitech also has an on and off button at its base so you can control it without putting Dragon to sleep. Important to control the mic, if you answer the phone when it is on...it will keep typing anything you say.

For those of you out there who might become frustrated with the program and wish that it performed up to expectations, and might not get the satisfaction from their technical phone support.....be aware of an extremely helpful web resource which is a forum for users, which may provide solutions to problems that tech support does not provide. Go to speechcomputing dot com (speechcomputing.com) and explore topics (problems encountered). One of the experts on that site was a former Dragon employee and wrote earlier versions of the software for Naturally Speaking. I found some very good tidbits of advice on the site. And they have experts who are moderators on the site, who will respond to your questions. Don't give up. Because there is reward for persistence.

I have been using DNS for almost 20 years, really! I depend on it to type for me. The last two versions (12 and 11)cause a hanging problem that Dragon has been incapable of fixing. It is very frustrating. It works fine for a while then hangs/stalls.

The dufuses also put a part of the program in the temp directory. I don't know if it happens on installation or training. But if you ever clean your disks like you should of cookies, temps, etc, it looses something it needs. Who in their right mind stores important program files in a temp directory?!

It is also incompatible with certain Flash versions, and can screw up Firefox as well if you use one of those versions. This is most likely Flash's fault.

I am computer proficient and have a powerful computer. I reinstalled a few times,made a new user profile and tried solutions others suggested in their forums.

I can't believe they have the nerve to try and charge such a high price for the upgrade to version 12. People on their forums say version 12 has the same problem. There is no excuse for such poor support for a program.

Do Not get it until you hear of a patch to fix the problems.

I must confess that I was a bit concerned when first receiving this product due to the amount of one-star reviews that it had received. However, I must say that after installing this software and teaching it my own personal speech pattern it works really quite well. I have yet to start using it to compose my next series of books, but every time I have used it in any form it has really worked well.

Now you must remember that you really do need to follow the directions concerning setting this software up correctly to YOUR speech pattern. I found that the majority of the time that mistakes were made (and there weren't very many) it mainly fell upon my ability or should I say inability to speak clearly and enunciate my words rather than any problems with the software. Another cause for concern can also be the microphone set-up that you use with this software. Yes, it does come with its own microphone and it does work okay, but I would much rather spend a few more dollars and purchase a higher quality microphone to ensure a minimum of potential mistakes.

This bit of text comes directly from the directions and will solve the vast majority of any potential problems if you follow it.

"IF YOU ARE NEW TO DRAGON... A series of screens will guide you to create the best possible profile for you. Don't rush through it, it will determine your initial accuracy!"

And...

"Personalizing your profile will prevent many errors."

And finally...

"Although personalizing the vocabulary will prevent many errors, some errors are inevitable. By correcting Dragon's errors, you can help it learn from them."

So I not only highly recommend this software, but I also highly recommend that you follow the directions concerning the installation and more importantly the initial set-up instructions for personalizing the software to you and you will see that it will end up being pretty much trouble free.

Shawn Kovacich
Author and Creator of numerous books and DVD's.

Beware of this program. It installs a "software update manager" that can not be installed. The "software manager" is really a way for "keeping in touch with your customers" (quote is their own) or, simply put, spyware on your machine that can not be removed.
The Nuance customer service could be the worst of any software producer today. They are a poster child for why companies should not go off-shore. While the program works in essence as advertised, it is not error free and you will spend a lot of time correcting if your vocabulary is above third grade level.
Nuance also rarely offers updates (guess that is why they put an uninstallable piece of update software in the program, LOL) and has a very short warranty as I assume many that purchased the product were not satisfied.
Be careful if you purchase this software ... know what you are getting into.

I think that I am not alone in being unable to install. Despite 4 attempts at installation (taking an entire afternoon), this software would not work. For anyone interested, it seemed that the software was installed, but each time I attempted to run it, following error message appeared - "Cannot find the file 'C:\Windows\speech\vcmshl.dll'" Moreover, it was impossible to contact the customer support service for this software as I received an error message each time that I attempted to enter the serial number - I attempted this five times. All in all an incredibly frustrating experience. I am sure that this software works well if one manages to successfully install it. Consequently, my one star is not based an actual experience of the software as I never got to actually use it...

I am writing this entire review utilizing the Dragon NaturallySpeaking program. I will not be making any corrections so any mistake that you happen to see will come from the program not understanding what I'm saying.

I have used Dragon NaturallySpeaking before so I was familiar with how to start the program and how to make it work well with your voice. I tend to speak pretty fast, so I do find that I have to slow down in order to get the program to understand me. It is a bit of a learning curve to use the program the way it is supposed to be used, and one big tips that you will need to learn is that the program understands you better if you speak in sentences rather than just in words.

The program is very easy to set up, and there are many features that are kind of fun to play around with. I tend to do a lot of writing so I tend to use the program merely through Microsoft Word, but I have used it to compose long emails before.

One thing to know is that the headset that comes with the program is not exactly the most comfortable headset you will ever wear. Right now I have the ear part of the headset around my neck because it is too tight to put on my ears. However the headset works much better with the program than using an external microphone, at least that is what I have found. I do believe that this version of the Dragon NaturallySpeaking program is much higher quality than the previous version that I used as I've had much fewer mistakes. I am definitely very happy with this program and feel as though it is saved my fingers a lot of pain!!

I upgraded from version 11 and used Dragon for several years. I've had no problem with it's accuracy and each version is an improvement. Works great with Word and GMail. Get's better with practice. No problem with install. Highly Recommend.