 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group DragonDictate for Windows v2.1 Jean D'Andrea jda@melbpc.org.au |
DragonDictate for Windows is a speech to text program. It would be extremely useful for those who do not type, those who have some form of disability, such as Occupational Overuse Syndrome, or even for those who just dislike typing! For professional people who do not employ a secretary, it could be a valuable aid.
It can be used totally hands free if required, although a keyboard and mouse are recommended.
DragonDictate comes in three different editions: the Personal Edition, which has an active vocabulary of 10,000 words; the Classic Edition, 30,000 words; and the Power Edition, 60,000 active words. Each of these have a backup dictionary of 120,000 words.
What you get
- Lightweight headset microphone
- Installation Guide
- User's Guide
- Quick Reference Card
- CD-ROM or disks
General information
In addition to the system requirements detailed in the Info Box, approximately 4 MB of hard disk space is needed for each user and an extra 3-6 MB of RAM is recommended. There are varying memory requirements, depending on which edition of DragonDictate is in use. Also note, DragonDictate automatically creates a backup file for each user, but this option can be changed.
It is best to use one of the sound cards recommended by DragonDictate. I tried three different sound card and microphone combinations before finding the one best suited to my system: a 486DX2/66 with 16 MB RAM. Some cards may need an attenuator or an amplifier. In my opinion, the sound card compatibility difficulties are a drawback to the program.
Installation
Before you install DragonDictate, it is advisable to read the Installation Guide, the information it contains can be critical. It is also best to turn off virus detection programs, because DragonDictate modifies some files.
Installation is straightforward, but it does take up to 20 minutes, depending on your computer's speed and whether you are installing from CD-ROM or disks.
Quick reference card
This card lists many of the commands used with DragonDictate, set out in sections such as "Basic Tasks", "Alpha-Bravo Words", and "Mouse Movement Commands". I found this to be an extremely helpful accessory, and used it frequently, especially for the first few days using the program.
User's guide
This is a well-written, 230-page manual, in loose-leaf format. Chapters are short, well set out, and have plenty of white space. Chapter One covers the basics with pointers to chapters containing further information on each topic.
Troubleshooting is almost a pleasure, because of the variety of potential problems covered in this section. They are presented in a question and answer format. The section is comprehensive, giving information on every problem that I encountered. In fact, I recommend you read this section, in conjunction with the Installation Guide, before you install the program. It contains information that can save time and trouble later. This particularly applies to the subject of sound card compatibility.
Using DragonDictate for Windows
When you run DragonDictate for the first time, the microphone volume is set up (see Figure 1 for the opening screen.) If the volume is too loud or too soft, DragonDictate automatically adjusts the setting to suit your voice and environment. It is possible to train DragonDictate to recognise sounds in the work area, and ignore them. I found this to be a necessity as my work area can be quite noisy at times.
After you finished setting up the microphone, you have the option of running the tutorial. If you accept this offer, you are greeted by Alex the Dragon, a friendly being who demonstrates a few of the fundamentals involved in working with DragonDictate (Figure 3). He uses a fireball to point to the relevant details on screen (Figure 4). The tutorial is simply written and spoken, so that children as well as adults can understand it. Getting started with your first document is touched upon, and there is also some interactive training, with hints on how to speak to the program.
The Voice Bar is an important tool, and I have it on screen at all times (Figure 5). Many of the more frequently used program components are accessed through this bar, including the Tutorial and the Vocabulary Manager. An item I use quite often is Status, which displays dictation speed and accuracy, including the number of new words and the percentage of correct recognitions and errors. Many other tools are available, including "Options". You can also change the microphone volume using Voice Bar.
Training the program can take several weeks, although you will start to see an improvement in speed and voice recognition in a few days. The more you use DragonDictate, the faster it learns your individual voice characteristics.
DragonDictate is compatible with most Windows and some DOS applications. Programs supported are listed in the User's Guide, and include MS Excel, Lotus 1-2-3 and Ami-Pro.
After trying two different wordprocessing applications, I found that with the less sophisticated program letters were sometimes omitted or extra letters inserted. This problem was covered in the troubleshooting section of the manual. Some applications are unable to cope with the speed of DragonDictate. The solution is to adjust the computation speed of the program through "Options" on the Voice Menu (Figure 2).
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Correcting errors with DragonDictate
You will want to correct any errors that the program makes in word recognition. Otherwise the same errors will keep occurring. If errors are not corrected, you shouldn't save the user files. While you are dictating, a dropdown menu displays the last word spoken, and gives up to ten alternatives if DragonDictate has not recognised one. If there is an error a few words back, it can be corrected using the "Oops" command. Another dropdown menu is added to the choice menu - by default this menu displays the last 12 words spoken, although the number can be increased to a maximum of 32 words. If the correct word is not displayed, "Spell Mode" is requested, then the "Alpha-Bravo" alphabet is used until the correct word is available on the "Choice" menu.
Sometimes you may wish to delete a word, rather than correct it. In this case, number ten on the Choice List, "???", is selected.
Editing is also possible; DragonDictate has a command list for moving around documents and spreadsheets, as well as a mouse movement command list. These are on the Quick Reference Card.
In conclusion
There are many features in this program that I have not covered in this review. Some of them I have not yet used, as they are a little advanced for my present ability with DragonDictate.
It is easier to think about what you are saying whilst dictating instead of typing. With a Pentium, it is possible to dictate at a speed of approximately 70 words a minute, although this would be optimal. For many who are not touch typists, productivity would be improved once the program became familiar.
I like DragonDictate, and enjoy working with it. This article was written with it, and I will now be spending more time working at, but not on, the keyboard!
Reprinted from the July 1996 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
