The Dragon Dictate for Mac is currently the best voice recognition software on the market for Mac users. Anyone who spends a lot of time behind the computer writing or typing can benefit from Dragon Dictate. Simply speak into the microphone, and the computer writes down what is said. As the product advertises, “Think It. Speak It. Create It.”
The new Dragon Dictate for Mac hit the market in the fall of 2010. This Dragon voice recognition software is offered by the Nuance Corporation, the makers of Dragon Naturally Speaking for Windows and MacSpeech. Dragon Dictate Version 2.0 is an upgrade for MacSpeech 1.5.
Dragon Dictate for Mac Offers Reliable Speech Recognition Software
First, users should beware that Dragon Dictate only works on the Apple OS X 10.6 platform. Those with an older operating system will need to purchase the new Mac OS X Snow Leopard Version 10.6 upgrade, currently available from Apple for $29. The Snow Leopard installation process takes a couple hours, so set aside the time.
The Dragon Dictate installation, on the other hand, only takes about five minutes. Everything that is needed to get started is included in the box— Installation CDs, a Quick Start Guide, a list of common voice commands, a USB microphone headset and Dragon Dictate for Mac Quick Tips. After Dragon Dictate is installed it steps the user through a training session that takes about 5 minutes.
Essentially, it asks the user to read a story aloud so that it can learn the user's voice. If the program continues to have problems understanding a voice, then more training can easily be done later. The full Dragon Dictate Manual is available online.
Dragon Dictate Increases Productivity
According to the Nuance Dragon Dictate website, “Dragon Dictate helps you create reports, email, articles, books, research notes, online content, and more -- quickly, easily and accurately." They also promise the Dragon voice recognition software will offer increased productivity and creativity because speaking is up to three times faster than typing. Additionally, the software has a Command Mode that allows users to use their voice to control their computers. Command Mode can be used to surf the Internet, open and close applications, and edit text.
In the author's experience, Dragon Dictate is everything the company promises. The program is an excellent way to quickly get ideas down on paper. For many writers, the first draft is the hardest part. Once the first draft is down on paper; however, rewriting and editing is the easy part. Dragon Dictate can really help people who have a problem with procrastination. The software could also be very helpful for people who have trouble typing due to physical or learning disabilities.
All in all, the author was very pleased with the accuracy of Dragon Dictate. It works very well when the user can speak smoothly and fluently like they normally would speak. The program, however, is not without flaws. Sometimes it will misunderstand words or even add short words when it picks up on background noise. A fair bit of editing will be necessary and it can be difficult to edit by strictly using the voice controls alone without the keyboard.
Dragon Dictate works in almost any application in which you would normally type. The author found that the program can get sticky in some third-party applications. In some instances, it worked better just to use the Dragon Dictate Notepad to draft copy, and then just cut and paste it into the other application. Using Dragon Dictate was on the slow side when used to update my Facebook page.
Dragon Dictate Microphone
Dragon Dictate comes with a Plantronics USB microphone headset. The headset is lightweight and comfortable to wear and worked well. Those users who download Dragon Dictate, rather than purchasing it in the box, will needs to purchase a Nuance approved USB microphone. Nuance also sells a version of Dragon Dictate that comes with a bluetooth headset and a USB adapter. Unlike the latest version of Dragon Naturally Speaking for Windows, the Dragon Dictate for Mac cannot be used with an external digital voice recorder.
Overall, Dragon Dictate version 2.0 for Mac will help people who do a lot of writing, typing or transcribing. There is a learning curve for writers who are used to thinking through their fingertips. It takes some time to get used to speaking your thoughts aloud in an organized fashion. The author is less likely to use the Command Mode to operate her computer, but she has already seen the benefits of using it to write articles, emails and documents.
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