Hi Ray, I've been using DragonDictate since it was released as MacSpeech, and I'm dictating this with the latest version.
You will need to invest in a good quality microphone, and there is a list of suitable microphones on the MacSpeech website. I started off with a cheaper USB "wired" microphone, and later took advantage of an upgrade special to get a "wireless" Bluetooth microphone which I currently use. The only problem with the Bluetooth microphone is remembering to plug it in periodically to recharge. Dragon Dictate really only works well if you can find a quiet place to work. If there is a lot of background noise, the error rate will be unacceptable. You will also find that your voice changes subtly over a long session of dictation or after you have been speaking for awhile, or have a cold, and this can also affect the accuracy of dictation. There is certainly a steep learning curve, but it is worth the investment of time to complete the dictation training sessions and to read the documentation regarding commands for correction and training. My work has a specialised vocabulary, and it has taken some time with the correction tools, and loading of old letters and papers that I have written, in order to teach DragonDictate the jargon. When DragonDictate makes a mistake, it can be a little frustrating to use the correction window to make the corrections, rather than just typing them out directly. The use of the correction window however, is necessary to train DragonDictate to your way of speaking. When Dragon Dictate does make an error, it will often be a word that looks very similar to the one you intended, and as a result can be difficult to pick while you are proofreading your own work. More frustratingly, Dragon Dictate sometimes gets confused about where to enter the text you are dictating, and can randomly over type your previous work. When this occurs it helps to "cache" the document. The current version is a lot more compatible with Microsoft Word, and is a lot more forgiving when you mix typing and dictation. The current version is still hangs and quits unexpectedly from time to time, and every now and then I get the urge to throw the microphone across the room. Despite this I still use the program regularly. Your mileage may vary. Regards, John On 08/11/2011, at 10:45 AM, Ray Forma wrote: > I'm thinking of buying Dragon Dictate 2.5 for Mac, which is on special for > $US130 for a few days. > > Before I go ahead, I would appreciate feedback or warnings from anyone who > uses it, or the previous version 2.0. <[email protected]> > > At this price, and being a download, I suspect that there will not be an > included microphone. Any advice about a suitable microphone would therefore > also be welcome. > > Regards, > > Ray Forma > Mob +61 (0) 428 596938 > > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> > Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> > Settings & Unsubscribe - > <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Settings & Unsubscribe - <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>
