RSI-Relief

In an article at CBSNews.com (Voice Recognition Software Put To Test) PC Answer Man Larry Magid reviews Nuance Communications Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 voice recognition software, as well as the voice recognition software that will be included in the forthcoming Vista operating system (the next version of the Windows operating system, which is slated to be released in 2007).

After breaking his arm, Larry needed a way to carry on with his work, and turned to voice recognition software. He tested the free Vista voice recognition application, the $99 NaturallySpeaking “standard edition”, and the $199 NaturallySpeaking “preferred edition”, and found all three to be remarkably accurate. He found that each eventually - after a few days of training and acclimation - recognized about 99% of the words he spoke.

In addition to “typing by voice”, each product also allows the user to issue commands to control the computer and edit text.

The Nuance products offer support for multiple languages, as well as specialized vocabularies for particular audiences. The preferred edition also works with portable dictation equipment. This allows you to dictate into any Nuance-certified handheld device, then automatically transcribe into text when you synchronize the device with your computer.

Larry’s bottom line: “Having been temporarily disabled, I can easily see how this could be a wonderful tool for anyone with a permanent or long-term disability as well as those suffering from repetitive strain injuries or other hand problems.”