[LA31]

sorry i have been mia just really trying to avoid the computer. really really could use voice activation software suggestions. typing is killing me and dragon 9.0 just doesn't work well enough despite months of training it.

so, ANY suggestion for types of voice activation software (other than dragon 9.0) would be so appreciated!!!

xoxoxo,annie

[DiMarie]

Originally Posted by LA31

sorry i have been mia just really trying to avoid the computer. really really could use voice activation software suggestions. typing is killing me and dragon 9.0 just doesn't work well enough despite months of training it.

so, ANY suggestion for types of voice activation software (other than dragon 9.0) would be so appreciated!!!

xoxoxo,annie

I am nt sure that there is that much difference in the software, the big thing is the microphone, although i ahve done well with the one they give me.
A huge part is as your said the training, read all the stories, not one- word- at- a - time....read as a flow. dictate as a flow, as if conversing not dictating.

Another thing, learn the short cuts like correct "xxxx" THE INCORRECT WORD GIVEN, IT WILL GIVE YOU CHOICES, or correct it by typing in like a medical term or doctors name....It will remember next time.

Also, it is not 100%, accept it limits and if you have a few mis interpurted words, over time it improves.

i did a 15 page term paper and ended up with only a few mis prints. the flow of speech was the important thing. I still never seem to hook it up for Internet forum use and I should but I am sharing a room, with someone on the desktop and TV viewers in my recliner.

Try reading a different story, Alice is fun and the space one...keep going even after it says you have trained enough. actually yuou learning to speek in speech voice and not choopy is so helpful for it to learn your speech patterns.

hope others have some thoughts too,
di
Oh, place the microphone to cheek area next to the mouth, not in front of the mouth...it will pick up everybreat, and read speech wrong.

[Jomar]

I found out also that the sound card in your computer can make a difference.

I had a good one for voice recognition but it made a weird feedback noises when playing movies, videos. So I tried a different one {cheaper brand} and my Via Voice {IBM speech recog software} didn't work very well at all with that card.

Since I got the new motherboard with built in sound I haven't installed the Via Voice yet to test it.

1- High quality microphone {plantronics brand is good}
2- A good quality sound card
3- look thru the settings, preferences or options of your speech recog program and look for sensitivity settings and do the training in a normal speaking voice
4- have a good amount of RAM -512 or more - so system doesn't bog down when other programs are open.

[Sea Pines 50]

annie, hi!

you are way ahead of me if it makes you feel any better. i haven't even gotten around to ordering dragon yet b/c i don't really have anyone to help me set it up and i am a procrastinator from hell.

just got so excited seeing a post from you that i had to butt in here and honk at ya. but also my thought is, since you already have the dragon software, maybe it would be worth a shot to get a young (hot) computer geek over there to sit with you for an hour or so... could make all the difference.

you could call over to georgetown U or something and find somebody that way, i'll bet. at least to check like jo said and make sure your PC has the right cards and stuff, or whatever.

also, i remember reading on the sorehand list (www.ucsf.edu) towards the beginning of the summer i think it was, there was an article published in newsweek about the dragon 9 program which is probably still available on-line and might be helpful to you...

withmore is about to have surgery with the good dr. sanders - did you see her thread from yesterday, annie? she would really like to hear from you and could use your guidance right about now (she is travelling to denver from out of state, too, just as you did... if you catch my drift, kid ).

how else are you doin'? (call me or betty gets it!)

alison