All the latest UK technology news, reviews and analysis
|
|
|
25 Aug 2010
Overall this is a great tool that is highly addictive. We recommend it to users who are considering making the move to dictation, and also to those who may have had bad experiences with previous versions. There are some issues with the software, but they're relatively minor.
Pros:
Quick and accurate voice recognition; compatible with multiple programs; good quality headset included.
Cons:
Resource-hungry; although some are amusing, correcting mistakes can get annoying.
Price: £149.99
Manufacturer: Nuance
Voice-recognition software has come a long way in recent years, and in order to put Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 to the ultimate test we decided to use the software to dictate this review.
The initial setup process takes 30 minutes, but it’s time well spent. Users are required to go through a set of steps including creating a user profile, which asks you to input your name, age range and whether you have an accent or not. Microphone sound quality is then checked and the final stage of the setup involves training NaturallySpeaking 11 to understand your voice.
Nuance’s claim that it can be trained in under four minutes has merit, but users are advised to spend as much time as possible training the software as this will save frustration further down the line.
However, for those who simply can’t wait to get cracking, it is possible to continue training after the initial installation; accuracy can then be improved at a later date.
Training is carried out by the user reading passages of text out loud. There are many passages to chose from, including John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech and lines from Alice in Wonderland.
A headset is included in the box and comes with an adjustable microphone. It has a snug fit, which is important considering it will be heavily used.
When dictating this review, the accuracy of the Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 programme was quite astounding. Nuance claims a 99 per cent accuracy rate, and while we wouldn't go quite this far, it’s very impressive.
Minimum 1 GHz Intel Pentium or equivalent AMD processor or 1.66 GHz Intel Atom processor.1.8 GHz Intel Dual Core or equivalent AMD processor recommended. Minimum 1 GB RAM for Windows XP and Windows Vista, and 2 GB for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2003/2008. 2 GB RAM recommended for Windows XP and Windows Vista, and 4 GB for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2003/2008 64-bit
Review categories
Laptops (108) | Tablets (58) | Mobile Phones (155) |
Asus Zenbook UX21E ultrabook review | Apple iPad 2 vs Asus Transformer Prime head-to-head review | Nokia Lumia 710 video review |
Other product categories
Hands on with the highly anticipated Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich hybrid tablet
Connect with V3.co.uk
This paper focuses on a series of best practices and techniques for development teams looking to improve their software development processes
Why good data management at all levels is essential in the modern business (video, 6mins)
Compliance Business Analyst (AML / Equity / Market Abuse...
VB6 & Oracle PL/SQL Developer / Software Engineer...
URGENT .Net Developer/ EPI Server - London based - £300...
Java Web Developer - London - up to £43k An exciting...
Keep up to date with the latest products, services and technologies from the world's leading IT companies. IThound.com brings you over 2,000 white papers, case studies and analyst reports.
Do you agree?
Can it really be that good?
I was one of the people who purchased the forerunner of this system, IBM ViaVoice. With every upgrade they promised 99% accuracy, as this software does, and as keen as I was to give it every chance to prove their claim, so I proved it would never do it. Admittedly the computer power has changed since those days, but I cannot forget the frustration of the odd word in 20 that was wrong and the amount of wasted time to change it using the software. I have yet to be convinced that any speech recognition software can be effective.
Posted by: Trevor Clarke 28 Sep 2010