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Conference noted::ibmpc-95

Title:IBM PCs, clones, DOS, etc.
Notice:Intro in 1-11, Windows stuff in NOTED::MSWINDOWS please
Moderator:TARKIN::LINND
Created:Mon Jan 02 1995
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3023
Total number of notes:28404

3017.0. "speach-to-text software" by PCBUOA::DESHARNAIS () Tue May 27 1997 14:26

    Hi,
    
    Anyone have any experience with voice-to-text software?
    A friend of mine has a severe case of Carpal Tunel and is
    interested in such a product. She mentioned two that she's
    seen advertised:  VoiceType and VoicePad.  Anyone familar?
    She wants something mainly for typing mail and online
    chat...mostly through America Online.
    
    Years ago I tried a hardware/software solution (Dragon Systems)
    that worked marginally well, but now there are these software
    solutions that are MUCH cheaper. Just don't know how good they
    are.
    
    Comments/experiences appreciated.
    
    Thanks!
    
    Ron
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3017.1SKYLAB::FISHERGravity: Not just a good idea. It's the law!Wed May 28 1997 13:136
Lot's of people seem to use Dragon Dictate these days.

I don't think it has special hardware.  Of course, computers are
so much more powerful, h/w is probably less important now.

Burns
3017.2WRKSYS::CHALTASWho asked me, anyway?Wed May 28 1997 13:447
    Dragon Dictate does not use any special hardware.
    It's fussy about what type of microphone you use,  However,
    it comes *with* a microphone, so that's not a problem.
    
    What costs the most seems to be vocabulary.  Also, you'll want
    a lot of memory (16 MB min?) so that all that vocabulary can
    reside in memory.  Looking it up on disk takes too long.
3017.3SMURF::PBECKPaul BeckWed May 28 1997 13:563
>Lot's of people seem to use Dragon Dictate these days.
    \
     ------ and it probably wouldn't do this ...
3017.4PCBUOA::DESHARNAISWed May 28 1997 14:038
    Thanks for the inputs!! Also just saw something called VoicePilot,
    which is in the $70 range.  I suspect, however, there's a vast
    difference between these $70 packages and the $300 ones. Just don't 
    think she's in a position to spring $300.
    
    Thanks again for the inputs!
    
    Ron
3017.5Navigation vs. Dictation.JULIET::HARRIS_MANetworks Sales ExecWed May 28 1997 16:0313
    VoicePilot tends to be very useful to PC/Keyboard navigation. Thinks
    you'd normally CLICK on.
    
    Dragon DIctate and many of the current others are for spoken text
    dictation. They are suffer from the requirement for a pause between
    each word. Do      you       see       what     I     mean?
    
    IBM has been showing in limited fashion their first version of their
    soon-to-be-available version of speech-flow recognition. No pauses
    required. I saw a limited demo several months ago and it was vastly
    superior to the pause method. It will be more $$$ however.
    
    Mark
3017.6WRKSYS::INGRAHAMAndyWed May 28 1997 18:177
I heard that one of the products, forgot whether it's Dragon's or
Kurzweil's, offers a greatly reduced price version, that is made for any
one particular Windows application program of your choice (i.e., WFW,
Lotus, etc.).

The implication seems to be that it's somehow crippled to not work well
with other programs.
3017.7Continuous Speech!RICKS::PHIPPSDTN 225.4959Wed May 28 1997 22:129
  Look at http://pbol.com/voice_recognition/index.com .

  Select Continuous Speech! and look at Dragon NaturallySpeaking.  You can
  download a demo of it.  If you want to spend the $600+ for DragonDictate
  Classic or Power editions you get NaturallySpeaking free.

  If it works like the demo, it is worth the money.  JMHO.

  	mikeP
3017.8STAR::BALLISONThu May 29 1997 10:236
    	The (well at least an), IBM speech recognition package is in the
    current PC Mall catalog for $79.  There are also Dragon and Kurzweil
    packages on the same page.
    
    Brian
    
3017.9Dragon Dictate works for me!!!PAMSRC::ARENDTHarry Arendt PAMSRC::Thu May 29 1997 14:0412
    
    There is a Dragon dictate conference in digital somewhere.  I can
    personally recommend DragonDictate for direct keyboard replacement
    for most applications.  I am a DragonDictate user.  This note was
    dictated using DragonDictate.  I can dictate at over 40 words per
    minute.  The error rate is very low and correction is very easy.
    
    I had a repetitive stress injury and I believe that the use of
    DragonDictate was very helpful in my rehabilitation.  I would never
    have a computer without it.
    
    
3017.10www.kurzweil.comDANGER::ARRIGHIand miles to go before I sleepThu May 29 1997 17:453
    You can download an evaluation copy of Kurzweil Voicepad from the above
    URL.  It learns your voice characteristics while you use it and seemed
    to work pretty well with a generic microphone.
3017.11PCBUOA::BAYJJim, PortablesFri May 30 1997 13:326
    Just to save someone else some trouble when they go looking, cound you
    change the name of this thread to "speech-to-text software"?
                                          ^
    
    jeb
    
3017.12re: .11 - doneTARKIN::LINBill LinFri May 30 1997 22:400