W7 Voice Activation vs Nuance Dragon?

[Virgorising]

Hi.

As per title, how do you guys who may have tried both, think Dragon Naturally Speaking compares with the onboard voice activation in Windows 7?

Thanks!

 

[monkeydelmagico]

For free and casual use Windows speech recognition is good. It's fun to navigate by speech.

If you need to dicatate for a living go with dragon.

 

[flexy]

It's not even a remote comparison.

Nothing at the market beats DNS when you work professionally as a writer, doctor etc. I don't think that W7 voice activation can compare with DNS.

 

[Virgorising]

For free and casual use Windows speech recognition is good. It's fun to navigate by speech.

If you need to dicatate for a living go with dragon.

Thank you. I do own Dragon and use it, tho not as often as I assumed I would when I bought it. I never tried the onboard voice activation in W7....and now, I will not!!!!

 

[Virgorising]

It's not even a remote comparison.

Nothing at the market beats DNS when you work professionally as a writer, doctor etc. I don't think that W7 voice activation can compare with DNS.

THANK YOU. Yours is the second such post in this thread, and I am absolutely convinced.

 

[Mushkins]

Yeah, Dragon is pretty much the industry standard in voice recognition software. It is extremely complex, and works fairly well. Some free Windows bundled voice software doesn't hold a candle to it.

 

[Virgorising]

Yeah, Dragon is pretty much the industry standard in voice recognition software. It is extremely complex, and works fairly well. Some free Windows bundled voice software doesn't hold a candle to it.

Thank U. I am now clear on this cause of this thread. I like Dragon, but always in a hurry doing training, and never do enough, then I get annoyed when it isn't perfect. :\

Now, I will never waste time testing the on board app in W7!!!

 

[EagleKeeper]

Can Dragon provide API for developers to interface with external code/apps

What about Win7?

 

[Virgorising]

Can Dragon provide API for developers to interface with external code/apps

What about Win7?

Someone who knows things I never will.....must answer this. And even if and when someone does, I will not understand it.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Someone who knows things I never will.....must answer this. And even if and when someone does, I will not understand it.

And to answer my own questions
SDK FAQ

Dragon NaturallySpeaking (DNS) is an end-user, UI-based continuous speech recognition program that lets users dictate into any Windows application. DSC makes it possible to integrate the speech-recognition capabilities of Dragon NaturallySpeaking into any Windows application without using the Dragon NaturallySpeaking user interface. Using the Active-X components supplied with DSC, developers can create speech-aware applications out of the box or add speech recognition to existing applications.

And for Windows 7
Wiki

The Speech Application Programming Interface or SAPI is an API developed by Microsoft to allow the use of speech recognition and speech synthesis within Windows applications. To date, a number of versions of the API have been released, which have shipped either as part of a Speech SDK, or as part of the Windows OS itself. Applications that use SAPI include Microsoft Office, Microsoft Agent and Microsoft Speech Server.

In general all versions of the API have been designed such that a software developer can write an application to perform speech recognition and synthesis by using a standard set of interfaces, accessible from a variety of programming languages. In addition, it is possible for a 3rd-party company to produce their own Speech Recognition and Text-To-Speech engines or adapt existing engines to work with SAPI. In principle, as long as these engines conform to the defined interfaces they can be used instead of the Microsoft-supplied engines.

In general the Speech API is a freely redistributable component which can be shipped with any Windows application that wishes to use speech technology. Many versions (although not all) of the speech recognition and synthesis engines are also freely redistributable.

 

[Virgorising]

And to answer my own questions
SDK FAQ





And for Windows 7
Wiki

Thanks. I've using Dragon from build 10. The current build, as one would expect, truly is far better than previous ones. I use it, tho not often, in the ways average users do.

What has always made me crazy, and why I was first moved to buy it when I WAS, was knowing the typewriter was invented in 1840. YES! Here we are, with cutting edge technology.....still, too often, accepting the premise we need to type each individual character.

 

[forever567]

I have tried Nuance Dragon. It is not so good that I was thinking.

Also cost of software is so high.

 

[Virgorising]

I have tried Nuance Dragon. It is not so good that I was thinking.

Also cost of software is so high.

I regret to say, I often agree with you. But, as I posted, in my case, I think my disappointment---and U bet, their stuff is expensive--- owes to my never making proper time to train the DRAGON sufficiently. I am also somewhat intolerant of, that for that for all it promises to be increasingly, it seems to fall short re getting cadence, "music" and (no pun intended) NUANCE (read: anything visceral) in anything but linear, conventional dictation. Forget, for me, even the current built is too slow.

ee cumings would have hated it. Forget Faulker, forget Virginia Wolf.()

Just saw their new TV spot. Boy, is it seductive!!! If I didn't already own it, I would have bought it immediately.

I think this very esoteric kind of software is much harder to write than most other kinds, so I try not to be a total be-atch about its shortcomings. But I gave up trying to use it in my work long ago.
()

I learned via the PBS American Masters two part edition with him as its subject, Woody Allen continutes to write everything he writes on the same manual, portable typewriter bought in his youth. Believe it or not, many writers of note have no interest in current technology, or, even see what they do as an impediment.

Soooo good none of them post here in this community, right?()

Once in a while, autopilot investments are suddenly revealed by learning such as the above, and perspective is enhanced.

I want to add, I sometimes think video games are as over the top and as hyper real as they continue to get, because, depicting the infinite richness of human subtlety eludes their potential.

I should prolly duck for having posted that one, but ducking is not my default mode.:sneaky:

 

[Mark R]

Can Dragon provide API for developers to interface with external code/apps

Yes. But the more useful API features tend to be locked out except in the enterprise versions. In addition the dragon API SDK has an enterprise price tag. Fine for enterprise use, but as a hobbyist or independent software developer, the price is going to be way out of your reach.

 

[Virgorising]

Yes. But the more useful API features tend to be locked out except in the enterprise versions. In addition the dragon API SDK has an enterprise price tag. Fine for enterprise use, but as a hobbyist or independent software developer, the price is going to be way out of your reach.

I had no clue a high end version existed. I write for a living and was hoping I could use Dragon with no downsides and save uber time. (Nevah happen.)

I now think, maybe Nuance's long term goal is to buy The Patriots.:sneaky:

Ballpark, what is the cost of the enterprise version???
____________________________________________________

Edit: O M G
http://www.nuance.com/for-business/by-solution/dragon-enterprise/index.htm

http://www.nuance.com/for-developers/dragon/index.htm

And they're too ashamed to just post even volume license prices.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Yes. But the more useful API features tend to be locked out except in the enterprise versions. In addition the dragon API SDK has an enterprise price tag. Fine for enterprise use, but as a hobbyist or independent software developer, the price is going to be way out of your reach.

I noticed that 10 years ago.

Could not usr it for simple database entry screens built for non Profit groups in Indy.They were limited to Word and Xcel derivatives

 

[Virgorising]

I noticed that 10 years ago.

Could not usr it for simple database entry screens built for non Profit groups in Indy.They were limited to Word and Xcel derivatives

NON PROFITS TOO???? Not much uglier.....than greed.

One more once: how much is this fully featured enterprise version????? And exactly who buys it?

 

[Mark R]

NON PROFITS TOO???? Not much uglier.....than greed.

One more once: how much is this fully featured enterprise version????? And exactly who buys it?

I don't know the price of the regular enterprise version. I've just deployed the medical version (which is basically the enterprise version, but with medical dictionaries) and it was around $2000 per user. I think the regular enterprise version is a bit cheaper.

However, it does have all the enterprise features - ability to tune dictionaries and language models, can import 3rd party specialist language packs, can be installed with profile files on a network drive, allows full API access for full integration into custom software.

The enterprise versions will be bought by companies that have a lot of staff that need to write lots of reports, especially where those reports get archived in custom business software. Typical example is medical work, where a doctors sees a patient in clinic, and then dictates the consultation notes straight into the medical records software.

The enterprise versions don't have anything useful for home use. It's all about integrating with a business environment (e.g. files stored on a file server, not on local hard drives; custom business software, not just word)

 

[Virgorising]

I don't know the price of the regular enterprise version. I've just deployed the medical version (which is basically the enterprise version, but with medical dictionaries) and it was around $2000 per user. I think the regular enterprise version is a bit cheaper.

However, it does have all the enterprise features - ability to tune dictionaries and language models, can import 3rd party specialist language packs, can be installed with profile files on a network drive, allows full API access for full integration into custom software.

The enterprise versions will be bought by companies that have a lot of staff that need to write lots of reports, especially where those reports get archived in custom business software. Typical example is medical work, where a doctors sees a patient in clinic, and then dictates the consultation notes straight into the medical records software.

TWO K FOR THE MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY DENSE VERSION PER USER?

Sorry, that is obscene. This whole thing I am learning about is an infected wound. Cause GREED is akin to the ebola virus. Or, some flesh eating bacteria. This wound must be cleaned out fully, the edges approximated and sutured and it must granulate up from the deepest tissues.

I do appreciate all these data, no matter how sickening they are.
_________________________________________
Edit: I now suddenly resent the money I have given them over time for each new build of their software. I mean it.

 

[flexy]

DNS is indeed not an "install it and play" software, working with it effectively requires some of things.

* You need decent h/w, preferrably an i5/i7 and preferably 8GB of memory. DNS is really a hog and it gets worse if you really work professionally with it like those lawyers and docs who add 1000s of custom phrases, commands etc.

I have an old PC with 4GB..it's "tolerable" to work with but clearly shows the age of my PC

* Microphone is EXTREMELY important. I did a lot of research on "the best" microphone and settled on an (non manufactured anymore) Audio Technica COM2 since it has an excellent noise cancelling microphone, the same microphone as the substantially more expensive dictation microphone Audio Technica sells.

The "best" microphone to date seems to be the Airline 77, but this also costs a fortune. But I see that most of the professionals use that.

Forget all the included Plantronics microphones and all "gamer-type" headsets etc...they are all crap and won't get you too far especially if you're in a noisy environment. (Office, air condition, wife watching TV etc..)

* MOST "pfoessionals" use any of the good microphones together with an external USB "sound pod" from Andrea or Buddy. The reason is that those sound pods have internal DSP with added noise-reduction and they are OFTEN better than laptop onboard sound cards. (The on-board chips have often very bad mic preamps, introduding lots of noise to the mic etc..etc..)

That being said, an old Audigy type soundcard for desktops etc. works actually well. (MOST professionals use DNS on notebooks tho).

* The MOST important factor to work efficiently is learning the right way to dictate

DNS is not "perfect" by a long-shot...heck I just spent two hours or so with a simple task trying it to train certain phrases I want capitalized, such as "Housing Act". To my utter amazement I cannot get it done right, even with help from Knowbrainer forum.

I have "sort of" a weird accent which is somewhere between American Midwest, UK and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I can make a UK profile and get some phrases right and others very often not....and then the same problem with an US profile instead where I get other phrases right but then some others not.

It's definitely software which needs some time to get used to and learning and patience, IMO.

 

[Virgorising]

DNS is indeed not an "install it and play" software, working with it effectively requires some of things.

* You need decent h/w, preferrably an i5/i7 and preferably 8GB of memory. DNS is really a hog and it gets worse if you really work professionally with it like those lawyers and docs who add 1000s of custom phrases, commands etc.

I have an old PC with 4GB..it's "tolerable" to work with but clearly shows the age of my PC

* Microphone is EXTREMELY important. I did a lot of research on "the best" microphone and settled on an (non manufactured anymore) Audio Technica COM2 since it has an excellent noise cancelling microphone, the same microphone as the substantially more expensive dictation microphone Audio Technica sells.

The "best" microphone to date seems to be the Airline 77, but this also costs a fortune. But I see that most of the professionals use that.

Forget all the included Plantronics microphones and all "gamer-type" headsets etc...they are all crap and won't get you too far especially if you're in a noisy environment. (Office, air condition, wife watching TV etc..)

* MOST "pfoessionals" use any of the good microphones together with an external USB "sound pod" from Andrea or Buddy. The reason is that those sound pods have internal DSP with added noise-reduction and they are OFTEN better than laptop onboard sound cards. (The on-board chips have often very bad mic preamps, introduding lots of noise to the mic etc..etc..)

That being said, an old Audigy type soundcard for desktops etc. works actually well. (MOST professionals use DNS on notebooks tho).

* The MOST important factor to work efficiently is learning the right way to dictate

DNS is not "perfect" by a long-shot...heck I just spent two hours or so with a simple task trying it to train certain phrases I want capitalized, such as "Housing Act". To my utter amazement I cannot get it done right, even with help from Knowbrainer forum.

I have "sort of" a weird accent which is somewhere between American Midwest, UK and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I can make a UK profile and get some phrases right and others very often not....and then the same problem with an US profile instead where I get other phrases right but then some others not.

It's definitely software which needs some time to get used to and learning and patience, IMO.

The infection is proliferating!D:

Mics which cost a fortune (I use the same basic headset I use to consult with my clients via Skype)....and, AGAIN, THE FOUNDATIONAL ISSUE, STILL..the TRAINING!!! Their last build was touted as requiring less than ever! WRONG.

TWO HOURS? AND the thing failed to rise to the occasion? In their new hugely seductive TV spot....they cover every base imaginable...including saying individual speech patterns and accents are NON ISSUES more than ever before.

And my take, esp now....is the potential of that, the training, no matter how devoted someone less in a hurry than I is in doing that ongoing.....remains LIMITED. And, given what you shared re the requirements, this new/used system I am on....meets them. And, so far, Dragon is still lame. Good to know it's not just my impatience!!!!