Does anyone else use voice recognition software?

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[City Builder]

Let's see a raise of hands here.  How many other people have used or are using voice recognition software?

I've used Dragon Point and Speak in the past (maybe 5 to 6 years ago) and had an abosolutely misrable time with it, and finally gave up trying to "train" it after maybe 7 to 10 attempts.

Well, my real life job has me filling in a lot of data in forms in Internet Explorer on the Internet, so I was done at my local office supply store today and saw the Dragon Naturally speaking version 9 so I picked it up.

I'm about to start "training" this one however it says that it doesnt need to be on the box, although all reviews that I've read on the Internet have said that it's better to train it right away instead of trying it without training it as it will be more accurate.

If it works then it's a godsend because I've had CPS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) for the past 7 years or more and it's only gotten really severe the last month to the point where typing or even simple things like opening a jar of pasta sauce is extremely painfull and sometimes even impossible (the jar opening that is) so I'll be thrilled if it actually works 85%.

Have you tried one of the two that are available? I think the other one is the Via Voice which from the reviews that I read, said pretty much that it wasn't worth anything more than to use as a novelty whereas they said that Dragon is actually very good.

Hopefully the next message you see from me, will be typed in by Dragon instead of by hand.

[MHBrands]

Is the software horrendously expensive? I have been considering trying for a voice activated software as I seem to be slowly losing my sight. Eventually, I will not only need a software that will type for me, but one that will read to me as well. Of course at that point, games will be a past dream...

[City Builder]

No it's not terribly expensive, the version that I got is their standard version, which costs $89 and they have the preferred version which cost $199.  I think there's also a $50 rebate sticker on the front of the preferred version box.  So I was tempted to buy that but for me all I need is it to type form me.

The standard version will let me pretty much operate a lot of the programs that come with Windows, but it doesn't operate a lot of the programs that I've, and the differences between the standard version and the preferred version is that the preferred version I think will read from whatever document you happen to have open, where is the standard version doesn't.

Also the preferred version with will work with Excel spreadsheets and the standard version won't.  I'm sure there's quite a few other differences between the two versions, but for me just having to avoid typing is a blessing.

For the last month and a half or so my wrists of just been killing me.  And the message that you're reading now has actually been verbally typed into the program instead of being typed in.

So now my wrists can take a break and my mouth can get a workout.

The hardest thing about it, is trying to talk like I normally type.  I'm a much better typist that verbalist it seems but thankfully the software doesn't recognize the word "ummm"

Below this line Im typing by hand, and as you can see above it does get somethings wrong but for the most part it gets 90-95% correct.  For example above I have spoken  "month and a half or so my wrists have just been killing me" but the software put in the word of instead of have.  But I've only given it 10 minutes of training so I could spend an hour with it and probably get close to 99% accuracy.  I must have one of those voices that are easily recognizable to the software because I've read on some forums that other people struggle with it and only get about 70% accuracy at best. 

[MAXIMVS]

I seem to remember that Voice Software was going to be the next biggest thing a few years ago.  Nothing seemed to happen.  Maybe too expensive, too heavy demand on the processor, not sufficiently developed?

I reckoned it would transform business work - you can talk faster than you can type ...

Maybe it's the training time necessary that put people off.  Or maybe a company boss would buy 'expensive fancy software' to playwith  use himself, but not to make an easier life for his staff!  Or maybe I'm too cynical!

City Builder's example looks very good though.

Maybe it was an idea too soon ...

[City Builder]

The Voice recognition software field is now down to about 2 or 3 companies with Dragon having the "dragons" share of the market and then via voice by IBM.  But Via Voice gets really really REALLY bad reviews of it and most quote the program as being a novelty at best.

I really like using it, but only when home alone because I dont want my partner and my room mate to hear everything that I type and I feel rather stupid talking to my computer when there are others around that can hear me.  But when Im alone then I pretty much do as much typing with my voice as is possible.

I'd have to say that perhaps 10 years from now is when we will see new computers shipping with voice recognition software on the major brand labels and it will pretty much be able to replace the mouse all together.  As it is now, the mouse and keyboard still come in very handy to do certain aspects and even sometimes in the program itself in that I dont want to tell the software verbally to select xxx out of my line of text so that I can fix it, but instead I highlight what I want to change and then speak it to change it.

All in all though, It now does about a good 90% of my typing for me when Im alone and very little if there is anyone else around, but makes for a good conversation starter like the other night when we had friends over.  I have my computer set to start up on any keyboard key press, so I had my friends over and I put on my headset and said, "startup" while pressing down a key on my keyboard then ran it through it's paces opening up this or that all by voice and my friends were absolutely astonished that I could control my computer using my voice, they felt it was very futuristic.

[Unitedcat]

To  City Bulilder  and  MHBrands !!!

It hurts me to read about your different problems.
( I mean one having CPS and one is slowly losing the eyesight )

I can try to help you if you want. I'm not a doctor but I have been
very interested in Homeopathy for 37 years now...

I have no formal education , only my own interest.
(I think you can say the same about my English education and I know it shows, but
I'm still proud of beeing self taught ).


Here we go:

For City Builder order the following:  Lycopodium C30


For MHBrands order the following:    Pulsatilla C30


If you belive in homeopathy or not , it doesn't matter at all.
I've found during the years you can pretty often get very good
results with people who don't belive in homeopathy.

You probably want to know if I've cured anybody ?
Yes I have !!! , but I admit I've failed too.
My greatest achivement is with my own girlfriend, she was
diagnosed with MS(Multiple Skelerosis) in feb. 2005. she was
in a terrible state. Today she is working again. The doctors at
the hospital is talking about a miracle. And I agree it's a miracle
both for my girlfriend and me. But I'm sure I know what started
it to become a miracle ...

Here is one link for US, Canada, UK (there's plenty of sites on the net)
(Just beware if the price goes too much over $25 for one package of the
remedys I mentioned above , there's is "luck-seekers" out there and i've read
that these luck-seekers usually charge way over normal prices)

http://www.abchomeopathy.com/shop.php


Please give it a try !!! And remember my consultation is FREE

I'm just doing it cause I think you are wonderful people Both of You !!!

You can mail me if you got questions.

If you go ahead and order pls. contact me before you start using it.

[City Builder]

Thank you for the information.

I'm currently at my last stop before surgery.  And without health insurance I really can't afford the surgery let alone the downtime that I would experience because my business requires my ability to use the keyboard.  So my last stop along this trail that I've been going down is currently with a homeopathy doctor who fortunately is also a friend of mine back from the days when we were both working in an automobile dealership, so thankfully he doesn't charge me anything.

Right now he is using massage and hot wax treatement to try to help me with my problem and I will discuss with him in two weeks about the Lycopodium C30

I am one of those people that don't believe in homeopathy, Im a perfect personality for my G.P in that he is a doctor of the old school and barring surgery, the only thing to do is to try and manage the pain and or discomfort as best as possible.  But I have discussed with him my seeing the homeopathy doctor and he thought that it was a great idea and he's definately not against it seeing as I only really have two other options (surgery or be a pill popper for the rest of my life) so Im going through these treatments with the Homeopathy doctor every two weeks when i go into los angeles.

Anyway, I shall certainly ask him about the Lycopodium C30 to see what he has to say about it.

I'm trying my best to avoid surgery and as well from having to pop  pain pills every 3 to 4 hours.  Im sure that there are other people that can deal much better with pain than I can, but to me when I get a paper cut, you would think that someone just cut my finger off with the pain that I feel.  So this CPS is murderous to me at the moment.

Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[Unitedcat]

Interesting to hear what your friend has to say about Lycopodium C30 !!!

Or more correct if you are a "Lycopodium"   

I've done my best to figure out your constitution from here

I have seen your picture it helps a bit.

Please don't missunderstand, I'm getting into Homeopatic words here...  lol

[MHBrands]

Thanks Unitedcat! I will talk to my doctor about Pulsatilla and see if it will mix well with the meds I have to take. If so, I will try it. I am not especially a believer in homeopathy, but I am not a total cynic either. Also, as there is nothing surgery or meducune can do for my sight, it can't hurt to try other options. The worst that can happen is, it doesn't work, and if that's so I am no worse of than I was before.

Did you say in one of your posts that you are Swedish? Both of my grandparents came from Sweden and I still have a lot of relatives in Sundbyberg and Stockholm. My grandfather used to say "You can always tell a Swede, but you can't tell him much!"

I have found that to be true of me at times.... nothing like being stubborn!

[Unitedcat]

"You can always tell a Swede, but you can't tell him much!"

LOL, I admit your grandfather was right, at least if you go to the nothern
parts of Sweden   

As for myself I'm born in Gothenburg ..... ummmm I guess we're kind of
the opposite of that what your grandfather told you

And I do know Sundbyberg very well, had a girlfriend there once 

In Stockholm I have had at least four girlfriends. Not at the same time though  lol

I'm only 2 - 2,5  hours from Stockholm where I live today in G?vle 


by the way I read in one of my books that Pulsatilla was used by:
The Roman Doctor  Dioskurides (40-90 BC) to treat alot of eye desises.
He didn't use the homeopatic method of course, it wasen't invented back then...