At $100, Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 is looking to get a lot of talkers onboard. But, is it worth the tech support time in setting up the program?
Yes, if you are a heavy talker. If you are in the appropriate field, such as law, psychology, medical, or research, the Dragon software will be a great aid in daily operations. You’ll be able to dictate your notes, findings, and cut out the assistant middle man. This software is also worth it for those with visual impairments or other challenges when working with computers.
The Standard ($100) and Preferred ($199) versions work well, but for an office will appreciate the Professional ($900) version most as it bundles in lots of features and has more of an intelligent algorithm of your voice as well as tracking e-mails for commonly used phrases. The Professional version also bundles in a microphone and easy computer setup kit. There are also the Legal ($1,200) and Medical ($1,600) specialty versions, paying more attention to industry phrases and operational flow.
If you are a light talker, or just type much faster than speaking, this Dragon software is not worth it to start. You can use Mac’s Speech Recognition or Windows 7, Vista, or XP first. Huh? That’s right – The Windows operating system bundles in a speech recognition program by going to Start->Control Panel->Speech. Just get yourself a microphone and speak away! As a light talker or one who doesn’t need to dictate a lot, it is recommended to try the Windows speech recognition first. You just might like it. If you don’t, then you can always go the next level to the NaturallySpeaking software.
