By: Nicholas Newman 4 October 2012

Dragon NaturallySpeaking (DNS) is simply great! This ‘voice to text package’ could seriously help improve your writing and it can probably make your writing more readable. There is a danger of making work a more enjoyable, interesting and productive experience.

As a professional energy journalist and wordsmith, I spend many hours a day at my PC. So anything that helps me to cut my time at my computer, leaving me more time for getting new business and being with my family and friends, I see it as a bonus.

 Over the past couple of weeks, I have tested Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12, a voice recognition program, in a variety of work situations. These have included using DNS to:
• Transcribe press conferences recorded on my Olympus voice digital recorder http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Olympus-LS-5-digital-Voice-Recorder.html.
• Dictate notes on my laptop after a conference on a noisy train.
• Write in-depth feature articles and pitches.
• Compose e-mails or messages on Facebook or LinkedIn.
• Fill in spread sheets.
• Utilise DNS for computer-controlled functions to navigate.
• Search by speaking the URLs of a website like www.Oxfordprospect.co.uk.

I can instruct my computer to complete tasks such as "Send email to John Smith" or "Search maps for colleges or churches in Oxford".

It’s a very useful tool!

I have found Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 to be a very useful tool. Dragon Naturally Speaking turns your voice into text three times faster than most people type with up to 99% accuracy. Since most people type at less than 40 words per minute and speak at over hundred and 20 words per minute.

I find that Dragon NaturallySpeaking makes it easier for me to write in a more readable, creative and comfortable style than I normally do when typing. For recent examples of my writing using Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 see http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Black-Swans-Bring-New-Challenges-to-Energy-Leadership.html  or http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Forecasting-the-future-of-UK-gas-supplies.html  .

Dragon NaturallySpeaking is very easy to set up and load and it has the other added advantage of constantly improving as you use it. It comes with noise cancelling headphones and a CD with software.

As part of the training process for DNS to comprehend how you speak, the software will encourage you to read aloud excerpts from fiction, humour and management texts. In addition, you can further improve Dragon NaturallySpeaking productivity by letting it analyse your past library of articles and correspondence so that it can improve its performance and learn the specialist technical language that you may use in your writing.

Even so, DNS is not perfect, for instance if you fail to speak clearly, it can have problems with what you have said; also the same issues apply with similar sounding words. However, it has a comprehensive range of tools that allow you to adjust matters. Also, don’t be surprised that some words such as ‘correct’ can trigger off one of its command menus.

It makes your computer a lot more interactive!

Dragon NaturallySpeaking can be used to operate a whole variety of software programs including:
• Microsoft Word.
• Microsoft Excel.
• Internet Explorer, AOL, Safari.
• Skype.


In addition, you can use it to read out the words on the screen that you have dictated, ideal for checking your grammar and writing style. Also, DNS can be used to insert bitmaps such as signatures, addresses, titles and blocks of text that need to be included in a letter, form, brochure, e-books, White Papers or articles. One thing I've learnt from using DNS is that to fully exploit it, one must plan the structure of your writing more comprehensively. That means detailing in note form brief ideas what should be covered in each section and paragraph.

Overall, I would heartily recommend Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 for both work or pleasure, because it will make your writing task a more interesting, creative and productive experience!

Rank 4/5
 

Key Benefits

Turn talk into text

Say words and watch them appear on your computer screen in Word, WordPerfect, Excel, Outlook and more -- three times faster than typing -- with up to 99% recognition accuracy right out of the box.

Unlock your creativity

Transform ideas into text at the speed of thought; don't let typing slow you down. Play back what you've written for easy proofing.

Work comfortably

Control your PC in a relaxed, handsfree mode without constantly reaching for your keyboard or mouse. Say goodbye to repetitive strain injuries.

Use virtually any windows application

Create reports, spreadsheets or presentations; send email, create tasks or schedule meetings; surf the Web; post to Facebook or Twitter or download your favourite music -- using just your voice.

Multi-task like never before

Tell your PC what to do, like "Send email to Jon Smith and Raphael Sanchez" or "Search maps for Internet marketing companies in London" to work faster and smarter. Complete multiple steps with a single voice command.

Work your way

Personalise Dragon with custom word lists and voice commands that reflect the kind of work you do; set options and formatting preferences, too.

Be productive on the go

Use your iPhone or iPod as a wireless microphone for great recognition accuracy without being tethered to your PC by a traditional microphone. You can also dictate into a Nuance-approved digital voice recorder from anywhere, at any time, for Dragon to transcribe later.

To find out more http://www.nuance.co.uk/for-individuals/by-product/dragon-for-pc/premium-version/

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