Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Preferred [OLD VERSION] Reviews

• Much improved...

  
  By A23C67X26AOT2P on 2006-08-05
  The original title of my review was going to be "snookered again," but I've since had a change of heart (and sound card). I originally purchased Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 4 years ago which was a total piece of junk. Upon hearing a short review on NPR, it sounded like things had improved.
  
  First off, caveat emptor. You need a good sound card. Nuance is not very helpful here. Their website/docs simply state you need a Sound Blaster 16. I don't know if it's occurred to them you can't purchase a Sound Blaster 16 card anymore (nor would you want to), and they should just bite the bullet and present a list of cards that work well (like they do for microphones). I bought a Sound Blaster X-fi XtremeMusic which seems to work. Second, you need a hefty machine. For me this is a 2.4 GHz dual processor XP workstation with a gig of RAM. The box says you can get by with 512 MB of RAM and a 1 GHz processor, I'm not sure I believe this.
  
  Once you have the right hardware in place the software seems to work fairly well. This review was dictated using the software. However, I'm not giving them five stars because they still seem to suffer from poor software engineering. As an example, take the set up and training process. I was waiting for a new sound card to arrive and thought I would try using my onboard sound card built into my Dell. The setup process did claim that the sound quality was insufficient. Unfortunately, navigating out of the process was impossible leaving me stuck at the "welcome to general training" screen. When the new sound card arrived, Dragon was still stuck looking at the on board sound system and had no UI to allow me to use the new sound card. My only solution was to disable the onboard sound system which luckily forced Dragon back into configuration mode where I could reselect my microphone parameters. A second example of amateur software development was an error message ("can't load compatibility module") that is caused by Dragon's attempt to build a link between icons on the desktop and voice commands. This message wouldn't be so bad if it were not accompanied by random crashes ("dragon is unable to respond, please close all applications using..."). A recently posted knowledge base article states that the error message only comes up if links are invalid on the desktop, and suggest removing things using RegEdit (I kid you not). After uninstalling a SonyEricsson desktop link that I wasn't using, the message went away along with the random crashes.
  
  In summary, Dragon has matured from snake-oil ware (v4) to usable. However, they need to make an investiment in the non-voice rec modules of their software.
  
  
  
  

• Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 preferred rocks

  
  By A3KN85M91VM0IY on 2006-08-02
  As an owner of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 7 professional I am here to tell you that this version is so much better and I am totally amazed. It makes very few errors and you don't have to train it as much as the other versions. In fact I spent about 20 minutes training program and it works great. One thing I did differently this time is that I bought a high-end noise canceling microphone because I don't like using a headset. Take a look at the Buddy Desktop Mic. It is totally awesome and it works very well with this program. In fact have dictated this entire review using the program and the new mic. Do make sure that you have a high-end computer with plenty of RAM. My system:
  
  Intel Pentium 3.2 GHz
  one gig of RAM and NVIDIA 6600 GT PCI express video card.
  
  It took me a lot of research to find the right microphone and program but this is definitely it. I hope this review helps you and happy dictating!
  
  

• You be the judge...

  
  By AM8W6Y3HVXLZT on 2006-10-21
  PLEASE NOTE -- I'm TYPING this paragraph, but the REST of the review was dictated (unedited for insertion here, except where noted therein) by using Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Preferred, using the minimum required training, even though the product is advertised as requiring NO training. Use your imagination to figure out what I was really saying during that dictation!
  
  The first thing I thought was important to note in this review was that there are a couple full Asia's comments that were used in the advertising for this product on Amazon.com. First, the advertisement states that, "no script reading required to get started", and "require no training," which are both statements that are utterly untrue. As soon as installation is completed, you are asked to begin training for the new user -- just as in previous versions. I'm as shocked as such blatantly false statements could be made in the product's manufacturer or not get in trouble for making them. When you began in and immediately insisted she go to the standard training, in fact I think it's the same training required in Virgin eight with the same selections. In fact, I tried starting dictation without doing any training, and I was informed that the user files were not ready to allow this user to begin dictation yet; instead, I was required to get into the same training as was required in Virgin eight before I could do any dictation. Thus, the reason for my giving this product such a low rating out of the box is because of the false advertising, backspace; if it gets better I mean in my original rating to reflect improvements in the product if they happen during further use in training. "Mean in my" in that last sentence was actually "I may emend" (had to type those three words by hand).
  
  As to whether this program's (that word originally came out as "Koran's"!) dictation is 99% correct as adverse ties in the description, you can be the judge from this dictation's accuracy or inaccuracy.
  
  Oh yes, I also had the same problem of us have had with insistence of either register and reregister and reregister the product.
  
  It is very possible, and that it will improve with use. However, I'm very frustrated that I opted to delete my previous user files from Virgin eight because I was told by the advertisement of a product that there was no dictation necessary which suggested that I did not need mild user files. The word "mild" in the previous sentence actually was "my old." So much for 99% accuracy. So far, I can't really tell any difference in original accuracy over Virgin eight, other than the fact that the Dragon bar is graphics look a little different. The tutorials are the saying with the exception of a small addition of conveying its(that was Advanced) tutorials covering a small amount of information. The training looks the same date, the N. accuracy at star looks about the same, as Virgin eight. I hope this will improve with training, but I have to say that I'm definitely not throw for false advertising regarding a lack of training needed to begin using this product.
  
  Other than the addition of an extra installation disk or a DVD, I'm really beginning to wonder if there is any difference for improvement with Virgin nine over Virgin eight, other than the fact that I just blew another [...], after the rebate a having gotten yet, to "upgrade." And, by the way, I truly do not speak ungrammatical he, which I'm guessing is the impression you getting from the gobbledygook you reading here. Point being, what comes out of my mouth does not as necessarily equal what comes out on the page. Again judge for yourself the insistence that there is no training needed you can start right away and then it is 99% accurate. That is In Oh TE what I just said, and so much for the autopunctuation functions accuracy. Good grief! Even one I try to correct a nonsensical vacation, what comes out of my correction is anime remotely what appears on the screen to be oh so incredibly accurate Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9. Oh yes brother, that's got to be in 99th percentile for sure exhalation mark.
  ---
  Addendum (this is typed, not dictated) --
  Another reviewer here, Chris B, is also absolutely right about the "uninvited guest" InstallShield Update Manager that surreptitiously gets installed with DNS9 Preferred. I didn't see it until after posting my initial review. This "Service" even becomes a permanent fixture in your CONTROL PANEL, and it apparently now "manages" my updates for Jasc and Corel products on my computer in addition to DNS9 Preferred. After finding that it does not work to fix the update error problem (see below), I've simply firewall-blocked its recurrent attempts to access the Internet for unknown/undisclosed reasons. Really annoying, and Chris B is also correct in that I also can not find ANYTHING about this unannounced, background add-on program in the Nuance DNS9 documentation.
  
  Interestingly, in their "knowledge base," there is the following disclaimer: "The InstallShield Update Manager is not included with any ScanSoft product, but is downloaded from the InstallShield website. To un-install the Update Manager utility, download the remover from Installshield's website." In other words, it doesn't come on the discs, but during installation, they download a third party's program off of the Internet and install it on your computer without your knowledge or permission. Sound comforting?
  
  Additionally, my installation of DNS9 can't recognize the fact that the program has been registered (successfully according to the online web page, but unsuccessfully according to the DNS9 on my computer!) THREE times now, so it refuses to check for updates, giving me the "Error 13003: Version Not Registered with the Update Service" message that another reviewer here has also posted about. So, the program won't check for updates. How can I fix that?
  
  The grandiosely named "InstallShield Update Manager" does not function to fix this problem (even when I allow my firewall to let it connect to the Internet), so I dunno, but I can get one "free" help call with Nuance, but any further ones cost $19.99 per "incident." Even worse, to email for support, you have to complete a "Problem Report Form," which costs $9.95 per "incident." I've rarely seen a company charge for email tech support. So, to get this program installed properly, I'm supposed to pay THEM to help me debug THEIR product? Really revolting. Again, to borrow from Chris B's review, he's absolutely right about the lack of "good ol' customer service with this mob."
  
  The dictation quality is improving slowly, though it's still nowhere near 99% accurate as advertised, and these other headaches, backdoor sneakery, and the CS money racket just to get the product functional make me want to deduct a star from my original review. I won't do that, though, in hopes that this revision isn't "inadvertently withheld in processing" for a week by this site's management as the first version of my review for this product was.
  
  My Hardware Info -- Dell Dimension XPS Gen 3, Intel Pentium 4 550 w/HyperThreading (HT) Technology (3.40GHz), 1.00GB RAM, Windows XP SP2, Creative SB Audigy 2 ZS (WDM), Telex H-531 DIGITAL USB Microphone
  
  Update -- May 07, 2008 -- Broke my Telex microphone while moving and replaced it with a Plantronics Foldable USB Stereo Headset (Optimized for Laptop Use) (Audio 470 USB). Accuracy is substantially better than the Telex, even with minimal training. I can't add any stars to my review, though, because even though this microphone works better, DNS 9 Preferred says that the sound quality of the Telex was better than the Plantronics, even when the Plantronics is functioning better. See my review on the Plantronics microphone for details.
  
  

• Much improved. I think it's past the "tipping" point.

  
  By A15VFI9E99YY63 on 2006-08-10
  I have long looked at voice dictation software and been disappointed. I am a professional writer and the possibility of dictating my work at least in draft form has always been so appealing that I tried every generation of voice dictation software going back to the early 1990s.
  
  I received NaturallySpeaking 9 last night and captured the screen cast of the out of box experience. While I did not achieve recognition in the upper 90th percentile, I did achieve recognition significantly better than any I have seen before in previous generations. Fans of voice dictation have long said that, "if only you train the application for a few weeks, you can achieve quite practical levels of recognition. " I imagine that's true, but I've never had an initial experience positive enough to make me try.with NaturallySpeaking, the out of box experience is so good that I am willing to continue working with the application.
  
  While I do own a hefty system, dual processors and a few gigabytes of RAM, unlike the other reviewer I've had a very positive experience using only the motherboard's onboard sound.
  
  I won't give it five stars, because I do think that Nuance is overstating the recognition statistics out of the box: while it's extremely good, better than anything I've seen, it is not, for me, only one or two words in 100 that I need to fix.
  
  I've dictated this review, and made around five corrections. Several paragraphs were recognized flawlessly. Given that I type 90 words per minute I think that I would've been able to type this review in approximately the same amount of time,but for slower typists, or for those of us who occasionally dictate documents into recorders for later transcription, I believe that NaturallySpeaking has reached a tipping point and is worth the money.
  
  

• Superb performance for the most part, but poor support must be considered.

  
  By A680RUE1FDO8B on 2006-08-12
  I was impressed with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8, but version 9 is vastly improved in terms of speech recognition. Version 8 was excellent; perhaps in the 95% range. Version 9 comes very close to 100% right out of the box, without any special training.
  
  Nuance is clear about the product requirements. A processor faster than 1Ghz is required along with at least 1GB of RAM (with 512MB minimum free). At least 650 MB of drive space is required. (The previous reviewer apparently did not read these requirements.)
  
  Installation on a computer running Windows XP SP 2 was entirely uneventful. Setting NaturallySpeaking v9 up with two different microphones was a snap. Recognition in a variety of applications was literally 100% without any training. It was, in fact, amazing. Setting the program up to run with a digital voice recorder, however, didn't go so smoothly - and that's why my rating is only 3 stars for what technologically is a 5 star product.
  
  Nuance's tech support is absolutely awful. They charge $ 9.95 even for an e-mail response, which they call an "incident." The manual has virtually no information on troubleshooting. Their online knowledgebase is not well indexed. Or, more accurately, they are running it on a particularly poor platform. Their user community is sparsely used and a lot of the information is useless.
  
  Nuance should learn that turning out a superior product isn't enough. It has to be supported competently as well and it is here that Nuance falls flat on its face.
  
  On the other hand, I recognize that the product is working with two microphones and hopefully I will find the answer to my problem somewhere, some day. As a long-time (and long-suffering) voice recognition software user, I will say the accuracy of NaturallySpeaking 9 Preferred is phenomenal. Only the support stinks.
  
  Jerry
  
  
• Rough Edges
  By A397XAQU5FATUT on 2006-08-31
  I read a very enthusiastic review of DNS and decided to give it a try. I am not unfamiliar with speech recognition having used products from IBM and L&H in the past. Didn't hurt that Amazon was offering a great deal: a $70 rebate off the $179 sticker price, bringing the Preferred package down to near-Standard pricing.
  
  It arrived, I installed it, and the trouble began.
  
  In the two decades I have been installing software, Dragon NaturallySpeaking takes a prize for misbehavior. I started by trying to install it on the F:\ drive because I really don't like the OS and the Apps sharing a room. No go. DNS could not find dnstk10.dll even though it was plainly visible in its Program folder. The requested reinstall produced the same result.
  
  I scrubbed the Registry of all reference to Nuance, repartitioned the C:\ drive, and let DNS go where it wanted. This time, the error message was that sapidll.dll had not registered and could I please reinstall.
  
  A search revealed a patch: spchapi.exe. It took dropping into Nuance's site via Google to find it because Nuance's own search engine had never heard of it. Seems sapidll.dll was not part of my XP Pro SP2 install. Who knew?
  
  Downloaded and applied the patch and, finally, the program began to work. And it's pretty decent. Unfortunately, the program refuses to quit asking me to register. And, when I've gone through the registration process, the EREG.EXE hangs and must be killed manually. Have renamed the EREG.EXE in hopes of putting it out of my misery.
  
  While DNS is the best speech recognition program I've ever used, the problems of getting it installed have taken a bit of the shine off it.
  
  
• an abysmal disappointment
  By A1T4M91WRZP7WN on 2007-04-22
  I bought this program hoping to dictate away. The speech recognition is markedly improved. However, it has repeatedly fed me error messages for which there is no technical support. I have received no response from Nuance to emails and their product support line was busy.Their online blog had numerous instances of similar problems. I instituted the recommended fix. It seemed to fix that problem.
  
  It seemed to be working, then froze my Word document. I exited the program and Word, then reentered them and ran repeatedly into the same problem.I am permanently deleting it now.
  
  This program has bugs on top of bugs. I am hoping it hasn't permanently corrupted my Word program.
  
  If you like pulling your hair out or are some kind of masochist, this program is for you. Otherwise don't waste your money.
  
  
• Horsepower needed; results assured
  By A3ULGZEU734CD0 on 2006-08-15
  This product needs horsepower! Don't buy it unless you have a newer processor and at least a gig of ram. Best excuse I can think of to please your gaming children while being purely rational.
  
  I go back to version 3 or 4, I forget, and unlike many firms these folks hand you new performance each time rather than easy to see features. Version 9 is definitely a step up from version 8. You may not notice these improvements but they are there. I have a noise cancelling microphone that I can now use to dictate while listening to the radio. I can vary my speaking pace from phrase to phrase. And they seem to have crammed the better part of several dictionaries into their revised vocabulary.
  
  In all the years I have owned this product I have never needed to call customer support. I can't see downchecking folks on a product feature I never use.
  
  But what you want to know is who needs it. Blind folks, obviously. And anyone with the sort of dislexia that makes writing a chore. Indeed anyone who finds getting the words out a problem. Then there are folks like me. I can type 60 words a minute but DNS lets me dictate at three times that speed. More to my comfort, I never figured out how to type while lying flat on my back in bed. I dismantled several typewriters trying.
  
  Now these folks, unlike most software vendors, offer a try-out period. Use it for a while... USE IT... and if it doesn't work out for you send it back for a full refund (save always as to shipping). But you SHOULD give it a fair shake as try-out. You will need to invest at least three hours... training, dictating, and correcting to get up to speed. Anyone who expects that it will work perfectly straight out of the box is a fool. It's supposed to learn your voice, your style, your vocabulary. And it is brighter than a three-year-old who might take some months to get to the same understanding. Give it half the patience you would give a three-year-old and you will be astonished.
  
  This is, at the moment I write, my most used and favorite software in all the world.
  
  Joe Dehais
  
  
• Some great features, some lousy ones, too
  By A1FOHR2BAWL52H on 2006-11-07
  I just purchased and installed NaturallySpeaking nine, which I started using to write this review. I gave up on it because it took so darned long with all the errors.
  
  I think the program has some merit. At $49, I would have loved it. At $199, I think it's quite poor.
  
  There are some strong positives. I would rate the accuracy fairly high, with some exceptions. It didn't take long to train the program or to learn how to use it, so I think eventually I will be very happy with it, if I can get over a few frustrations that are almost unbearable.
  
  First, the microphone is a joke... a $200 program with a $.30 microphone and now my head hurts so much that I don't notice my wrist problem. Maybe that was the idea.
  
  The em dash symbol in the program is incorrect, and there's no way to fix it. It inserts an em dash like this --- instead of the 3 dashes joined, as in Word. I've spent an hour trying to fix this and it doesn't appear to be possible. So I got on their website looking for help and discovered I have to pay for any help I want. Even to try to use their knowledge base is difficult and the forums require a lengthy sign up. Reporting a glitch takes another lengthy signup...so I decided I'd put my report on Amazon instead. I suspect it will have more chance of getting noticed here. I would say this company cares and not one iota about its users.
  
  And, finally, the program occasionally hangs up and won't budge. My system has a Pentium 4 processor and a gig of RAM, so that's not the problem. I was hoping that by version nine it would be a much better product than it is. And FYI, I could have typed this in less than five minutes. It's taken me a half an hour to dictate using the program because I have to keep going back and fixing things that the program does incorrectly. If you don't absolutely need voice activation software, I would wait until another company comes out with a better product. This product needs better software and a better company.
  
  
• CAUTION: NOT 64 BIT VISTA COMPATIBLE!
  By A282NT6X75ETCF on 2007-09-23
  Dragon Naturally Speaking is NOT fully Vista compatible. It is NOT compatible with 64 bit Vista, ONLY 32 bit Vista.
  
  (And I don't understand why anyone would want to use 32 bit Vista, considering the fact that ALL computers made today use 64 bit technology!!!)
  
  AHHHH!!!! It just doesn't make any sense, and now I can't use Dragon anymore because the official Nuance site DOES NOT mention this incompatibility ANYWHERE! Believe me, I searched the site entirely and it misleadingly claims 'Vista compatible'. This is not true. It won't even install, let alone run on a 64 bit system.
  
  Nuance needs to get with the 21st century and make DNS compatible with 64 bit systems.
  
  
• I wasted my money buying the software
  By A2P2W155ZELB7N on 2006-12-16
  I regret spending $164 on this software, because it created more work for me in the long run. The program gets confused easily and when that happens, you might as well hang it up. It's like having to proof read everything I said, because of all the typos and word creations/substitutions. I learned I could curse like a sailor and it would just make up stuff. I would be finished seeing clients by 7 pm and this software would cause me to remain for an extra two to two and a half hours to finish my progress notes. I have given up on it and gone back to a dictation service. Save your money!
  
  
• Beware you need lots of RAM and fast processor
  By A38NU1GNTI50IP on 2006-07-22
  I received and returned mine for a refund today. On my new desktop it would not install - it said more RAM needed - it has 500Mb! On my new laptop it would not install - it said a faster processor was needed! Beware also you only get one free helpline call!
  I have discarded all Dragons and am using XP speech with no problems.
  
  
• Marked Improvement Over version 8
  By AN6B3UKWPZOKB on 2006-08-22
  DNS 9 is significantly better than the previous version. Certain words that DNS 8 had trouble with and which it could never really easily understand are understood very quickly by DNS 9. For example, "thus" was interpreted as "DOS" the first time I said it in DNS 9, but after correcting it, the next time I said "thus" the program understood it. DNS 8 never was able to understand my "thus". Also, the program understood "Broyhill" the second time I said it.
  
  DNS 9 uses a somewhat different format for the user files. I think you will have better luck creating a new user file than converting your old one (if you used DNS 8).
  
  DNS 9 is resource-hungry. If you do not have enough RAM for it, it is time to upgrade--that is cheap and helps most programs. If your computer is towards the low end in terms of processor power of what DNS 9 works with, consider getting a new computer (or skipping out on DNS 9). Not using certain resource-hungry applications while using DNS 9 also helps (iTunes is a good example).
  
  Overall a very good upgrade and money well spent.
  
  
• Voice recognition still has a long way to go
  By AV53YPZTHYY1M on 2007-04-24
  I had a writer friend with tendinitis who tried using Dragon voice recognition software years ago. It was a frustrating experience as both the software and computers of the day were slow.
  
  Looking for a way to transcribe notes, and figuring that over the years, the technical improvements to both the hardware and software, ought to have made this type of software more useful I decided to give the program a try. I'm sorry to report that after spending almost $200 on Dragon and another $80 for a digital voice recorder that plugs directly into my computer's USB, it hasn't. I spend more time correcting the software than it would take me to transcribe the recordings myself.
  
  And it doesn't seem to learn anything. I corrected a phrase, reran the voice file and it missed the same words the next time. I repeated this twice more and it still made the same mistakes. Dragon charges for support. While I'm sure my problems are with the software and not the user, maybe a conversation with them would enlighten me otherwise. But why should I give them more money just to try and get their product to work as promised?
  
  It is my opinion that voice recognition software still has a long way to go -- at least at the consumer level, and Nuance's "support" policy needs to evolve along with it.
  
  I gave Dragon Naturally Speaking 9 a one-star rating because it does transcribe voice files and take dictation to some degree. It doesn't do so in a manner that saves time, rather it requires a lot of hand-holding to have it get things right.
  
  
• Great speech recognition in a not-yet-complete product
  By A24IKBLP2SRWIR on 2007-09-05
  This is my 3rd version of DNS (I started with version 7 which was okay for me at about 85% accuracy), and the voice recognition component keeps getting better. Version 8 was fine for me, v9 even better.
  
  This review is intended to warn potential purchasers and users of a couple of things:
  
  1) the microphone included with DNS and the onboard sound card (that came in my Dell Latitude D620) were insufficient to yield anything close to reliable voice recognition -- I was at about 30% accuracy (not at all useful). When I purchased an external USB sound card and high end microphone, I'm back up to 90-95% accuracy (completely acceptable). So - be warned - you will need a decent sound card + mike. I've seen reviews that talk about atrocious voice recognition, so be sure you're looking at all of the components of your system.
  
  2) Many have described, but DNS/Nuance documentation + support is grim. I strongly suggest buying the sw + any mikes/soundcards from an authorized reseller who will provide you with the support you may need. Don't look to DNS/Nuance for help.
  
  3) The polish of the product is really lacking. Dialog boxes look like hacks, the manual looks like it's from a $30 shareware product, and options are missing for fundamental tasks such as telling DNS where to search for documents. V9 has very few changes from v8, and if v8 is working well for you, I can't think of any specific reason to upgrade - Nuance claims increased accuracy over v8, but if you're in the 95%+ accuracy range, don't expect to do much better with v9.
  
  4) There's also lots of discussion on how well DNS works with commands. If you're a strong typer/ mouse user, it's going to be faster using DNS for dictation and typing/mousing to navigate within/between applications.
  
  5) Finally - you'll be happy to know that if you have a high end PC (ie. Intel Core 2 Duo with 1 GB RAM or better), you can talk at a speed as you would in a normal conversation and DNS is able to keep up. With slower/older systems, you may have to speak at an unnaturally slow pace.
  
  
  
• I am doing worse than with Dragon 7. At least for me, version 9 is a dud.
  By A1UUEPXY2R0JE0 on 2006-12-06
  I have been using Dragon since the early versions. I recently bought the full retail release of version 9. I am unhappy with version 9, my accuracy is significantly worse than it was with version 7. I have an excellent, professional quality (Sennheiser) microphone, I have upgraded to a faster computer with faster processor, I work in a very quiet environment, and I did a full training session in order to try to improve the accuracy. I have a very clear, unaccented speech pattern that I have developed over years of using voice recognition software.
  
  Even so, I still have significant accuracy issues. Dragon naturally speaking version 9 has negatively impacted my workflow and productivity. Long story short, version 9 is a dud.
  
  
• Good Product, Bad Support
  By A13VZ7K5SBXPQS on 2006-10-28
  Good:
  Amazing how much it actually understands, however, it certainly does not live up to the wildly optimistic advertising claims (no training required, etc). Although I have spent a few hours already training it via the special training exercises, it is still slower than I can type, simply because I still have to correct words here and there, but it certainly gets better as I go.
  
  I tried the previous version (v6) a few years back and it wasn't good enough for mainstream use. This version finally seems sufficiently usable that I am prepared to invest the (considerable) time in training required so that it becomes a time-saver in the end.
  
  If you are thinking of using it due to an impairment, then I would recommend it wholeheartedly.
  
  Also, the licensing is sensible. I am allowed to install it on both my desktop and laptop for my own use.
  
  Bad:
  * The plastic microphone is very uncomfortable and I think it will soon break (even after only about 4 hrs total use!). It however seemed good enough for decent recognition accuracy. The speech it records comes through quite clearly.
  
  * The Nuance support web site is rather a nuisance. They want to charge you for tech-support! Forget good ol' customer service with this mob.
  
  * The program installs an uninvited guest called InstallShield Update Service. This program (separate to DNS) runs in the background to check for product updates (not just for DNS, but for other unrelated programs as well). This program appears to scan your computer for info on installed software (yes, even stuff that has no relationship to DNS) without your permission. The final rub is that it stays on your system even after you uninstall DNS with no option to uninstall it! The only way to get rid of it, is to download a special utility program from InstallShield that removes it from your system. I can find no mention of it at all in the DNS documentation.
  
  I only tolerate this sort of thing and only tolerate Nuance because the product itself is actually good and is a niche item that I can't get anywhere else. If another company that has better customer service comes along with a similiar quality product, I would switch over to it straight away.
  
  
• Awesome software but some issues to know about before you buy
  By A1TU7BP0791H8H on 2006-11-02
  I upgraded from version 8 to version 9, and am very impressed with the improved accuracy. If you want to go hands-free occasionally or all the time, there's no substitute for Dragon. I'm a professional writer with a bad thumb joint, which is why I first started using voice recognition software, but then I found that it actually improves my writing by encouraging a loose "first draft" approach that I find difficult to accomplish when typing.
  
  Accuracy is improved a bit when I dictate into the "Dragon Pad" rather than directly into Microsoft Word, and copy and paste the text. But it does work in Word, Netscape email, Internet Explorer, Palm desktop... Just about anything you'd want to put text into.
  
  A NOTE ABOUT RAM: Dragon uses bucketloads of RAM. I started using it with just the 512 MG that my machine came with, but applications kept hanging up, and I couldn't keep multiple applications going at once, which is important to my work. So I bought and installed another gig of RAM (I probably only needed half that much), and now all is right with the world. (BTW, for those of you who, like me, aren't remotely techies, be advised that installing RAM is a snap. Just go online to your computer manufacturer to find out what kind you need. You can find instructions for installing it online or in your computer handbook.)
  
  Be advised that THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS APPALLING. I had to pay $9.95 to report a problem that was inherent in the software (for a while, phrases would come out upper-cased for no reason). The person who emailed me back made a coulple of generic-type suggestions that didn't work. Again, this was a glitch in Dragon's software, but I had to pay ten bucks to get someone to return my email. This is truly unconscionable. I'll stick with Dragon for now because they are literally the only game in town as regards this type of software, but the powers that be at Nuance should know that poor customer service is the best way to alienate your customers. If someone else comes out with comparable software, but better customer service, I'm there!
  
  HANDHELD RECORDERS: One real problem with this software: I bought the "Preferred" version hoping to be able to dictate into a handheld digital recorder and transfer the dictation to Dragon. I set it up correctly and trained Dragon to recognize my digitally recorded voice (you create a new user), but it resultant text is always a mess no matter how carefully I speak into the recorder or where I place the mike. This was a big disappointment.
  
  I'm giving this software 4 stars instead of 3 because it really does work very well, but I hope Nuance addresses the issues with customer service and the handheld recorders.
  
  
• Good product but poor customer support
  By ACVU7OORPTPVX on 2006-09-14
  this is a very good product, and I am dictating using the product right now using the microphones that came with the product. Keep in mind two important points: first, if you are in a hideaways environment than it is not going to work as well as if you dictate in the quiet office. The second, you will need a fast processor on your computer.
  
  New ones really needs to work one providing better customer support.
  As you can see, that Dick Tatian will not be 100% accurate. I have been training the software now for about two weeks.
  
  
• Timesaver...
  By A281NPSIMI1C2R on 2006-09-12
  I am currently writing this review using the Dragon NaturallySpeaking software. It has taken less than half an hour to learn the initial process. What is most fascinating is the rate at which you can type with your voice. It is truly as if you have a secretary typing for you.
  
  Dragon NaturallySpeaking was incredibly easy to install. During the installation process, you'll be asked to plug in the microphone and participate in a training session. This allows you to track your audio settings. When you are prompted to check your microphone volume and sound quality, you may want to do this twice if you do not receive a positive result. You soon learn the value of speaking more professionally.
  
  This program requires full attention and a focused intention. You not only have to think about what you're saying, you also need to format what you are saying as you are speaking. Once you learn all the formatting commands, you can insert them as you talk and format quickly and efficiently.
  
  While you are speaking a DragonPad appears and this is where you type all your text with your voice. At the top of your screen, you will see a DragonBar. This includes a small microphone that you turn on or off. The microphone will not turn on unless you click on the icon. The microphone may be turned off with your voice by saying microphone off with a pause after you speak. You can also tell the program to "go to sleep" and then to "wake up."
  
  I found the "auto format on" does not give you as much control as simply stating which punctuation marks you require. While you are talking you may decide that the last sentence you said is not what you really wanted to say. In order to erase your last sentence, all you do is say: "scratch that."
  
  The initial installation and training went very smoothly. You simply read the words on the screen and the computer learns to recognize how you speak. There is definitely a learning curve to this program and patience is needed at the start. The small training manual includes an introduction, installation and training, starting to dictate, working on your desktop, correcting and editing, formatting, dictating names, numbers, punctuation and special characters.
  
  Dragon NaturallySpeaking frees you from your keyboard and allows you to communicate effectively with your computer through your voice. This will allow you to compose memos and letters. The Professional Edition also allows you to enter data into forms or spreadsheets. Since most people can dictate faster than they can type this will give you great freedom. Simply typing your thoughts is only the beginning of a huge adventure which will lead you to even more exciting options like working on the Web searching for websites and navigating website pages (say a link and it goes to the next page, say a word and it finds all those words on the page).
  
  If you enjoy using a hand-held recorder to dictate while you are away from the computer, this program can transcribe what you said. Although you may wish to use you voice most of the time, there are still some things are easier to do with your mouse and keyboard. If you say "select all," then it selects the entire text. So, this might not work when you are trying to change the word "all" to "I'll." Also if you try to say command words within your sentences, this can present a challenge.
  
  Proofreading your text will be essential because now and then when you pause in a sentence, it will add a period automatically. You can add in quotation marks with your voice. I find it easier to do this when you visualize the sentence. If I misspell a word, I simply select the word and then choose a new word from a list or spell the word for the computer. Instead of using your mouse to move around the page there are page up and page down commands. All you say is "go to top" or "go to bottom."
  
  The true beauty of Dragon NaturallySpeaking is the speed at which you can now type with your voice. This not only allows greater freedom and imagination, you can close your eyes sit back, be in complete control of your mind, all while accessing your computer and working without back and neck strain, not to mention avoiding carpal tunnel syndrome.
  
  This program is easy as 1, 2, 3. First you learn how to enunciate your words correctly, then you will learn special commands, and finally you continue to build upon the skills learned. For the writer and poet this program could become invaluable as many times you can think up ideas quicker than you can type them. It would seem that the next step in this program's evolution would be to allow the user access to a thesaurus directly instead of having to save the document in Word first. When I loaded up the program the second time today, there was a "tip of the day" at the start. I also found a dictation box that automatically transferred extra text into a Word document. You can also type directly into the Amazon review text box, speak a search word or speak a URL to get to any website.
  
  I'm listening to my secretary (the one IN the program) read this back to me...how fun! All you do is highlight the entire text and select "sound" in the DragonBar and "read this." This program has interesting possibilities for business executives and for writers, not to mention anyone in publicity. If you want to "hear" reviews instead of just reading them...well, wait until you see what this program can do! All you do is copy/paste a review into the DragonPad and highlight the text. Then, select "sound" and "read this." You can finally listen to reviews. In the future, I imagine we will be able to record reviews and listen to recorded reviews, but until then...
  
  More than highly recommended! Dragon NaturallySpeaking is the ultimate in Speech Recognition Software.
  
  ~The Rebecca Review
  
  
• An extremely frustrating product
  By A19MBSHIW2HWFY on 2007-01-26
  I have to admit that when I first purchased this product and began using it, I was giddy. I did my whole little training session and everything seemed so easy. Modern technology. Amazing! Look it's actually typing what I'm saying. Mostly. Sure it made an error or two here and there but of course it will get more accurate with time and I'll get better at using it... I was wrong.
  
  After a month of using it, I realize that this software is quite impractical. The software makes mistake after mistake. You will spend a great deal of time correcting those mistakes. You will lose your original thought because of the number of times you have to tell the system to correct the exact same phrase. You will send emails to people and then discover afterward that you wrote something that sounded quite silly because you didn't proof every word. You will SCREAM AT YOUR COMPUTER and NaturallySpeaking will print what you just said (or will try) because you forgot that of course you're talking to a voice recognition program.
  
  The Voice Command feature is EXTREMELY BUGGY. I am running a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo processor with 2GB of RAM. I should not be having any problems with performance and still this thing makes my whole system lag. It's a memory hog.
  
  I have gone through four different headsets and gone through all the suggestions in the Accuracy Center. It hasn't made a difference.
  
  And ladies and gentleman- here's the rub: If you attempt to contact tech support they will ask for your credit card because it is not free!
  
  I'm sorry but Nuance gets an F in my book for their horrible support. I give the software two stars in this review because it's a nice concept and well sometimes it works. Other people may have had good experiences and that's great. I am speaking from my own experience though and feel it is my duty to warn others to not expect too much from this product. If you have a lot of patience and/or don't type very well already, perhaps you may actually benefit from using it. But I'm not promising!
  
  Buyer beware.
  
  
• Effective but not a miracle-worker
  By AYCTX8EWG4JDZ on 2007-02-13
  Like many of those who have posted reviews of NS9 Preferred, I had to overcome skepticism based on previous experience with speech-recognition (SR) software before finally deciding to take the plunge. I am using NS9 Preferred to dictate research and reading notes. Typing them is not a favorite task (to say the least) so I'm hoping SR software will make it go more smoothly. After a month of steady use, I am no longer a skeptic, but neither am I yet fully convinced. NS9 Preferred is unquestionably the best consumer-oriented SR program I have yet encountered, but by no means is it as accurate or as fast as Nuance claims.
  
  Anyone considering buying NS9 Preferred should be sure her/his computer system has at least 1 GB RAM, a reasonably fast chip, and a good sound card. By the nature of the software, there is always a lag between dictation and seeing the text appear on the screen. This lag could become uncomfortably long on slower systems. If you need to keep several programs open, your system should be correspondingly more powerful. (For the record, my home computer has a Pentium 4 2.8GHz chip and 1 GB RAM; I routinely have only MS Word open while using NS9 Preferred.)
  
  Installation was straight-forward, though the documentation is somewhat sparse. It's possible to begin using the program immediately after installation, but I *strongly* recommend taking the time to go through the training exercises. Do the same when making corrections during dictation. The more you train the software, and the more it trains you to enunciate clearly and use steady speech rhythms, the more accurate NS9 Preferred will be. This applies not just to correct recognition while dictating, but also to the alternatives presented when making corrections. Be prepared to proof read since NS9 Preferred doesn't make spelling mistakes, but simply inserts the word it thought you said (correctly spelled). You'll also likely find it convenient in some instances to use the keyboard to enter text and make corrections -- a few keystrokes can often do this more quickly than NS9 Preferred will respond to voice commands.
  
  One common thread running through reviews of NS9 Preferred is that the headset supplied with the program is very uncomfortable. Believe it -- after a few hours of wearing that headset, you'll be ready to fork over twenty bucks or so to buy a replacement. I doubt Nuance could find a more cheaply made headset -- would they make their own mothers' wear something like that?
  
  The headset knocked a half star off my rating; I docked NS9 Preferred 1.5 stars for having a significantly lower initial accuracy rate and slower speed (both IMHO, of course) than advertised. Over time, with steady use and training, I expect both accuracy and speed will increase, but whether the time and effort required will be worth it depends more on individual user expectations than on the inherent quality of the software.
  
  
• So far, so good.
  By A32MPJ2EH6RC82 on 2006-11-11
  I just installed Dragon Naturally Speaking, version 9. I had a little bit of a rough start; my new Plantronics microphone did not seem to be recognized by the program. For training I used the microphone that came with product. It is bad, but it worked. During the tutorial, I went back to the Plantronics microphone and it worked great. This review is the first thing I've written with program. Really, it seems pretty easy. I'd say the accuracy is good.
  
  I've also used the program with my Olympus WS-320M digital voice recorder. It doesn't work quite as well as using the headset and microphone with the computer. However, it provides a lot of mobility, which I appreciate. I think with a little more training, it will be a good solution for me.
  
  To be fair, I have had to go back and correct some things. It's because I have some bad speech habits. This program may teach me the Queen's English after all.
  
  One last thing. I too had the update manager installed. I appreciate comments from an earlier reviewer that allowed me to easily remove it.
  
  
• Not the version you need.
  By A3QZ2F7BJFT9MT on 2007-04-17
  Be careful. This version is crippled and I unfortunately didn't realize this before buying it. The application support is limited compared to the Professional version. Outlook is not supported in the Preferred version, which doesn't seem to be information that is made readily available. The lack of support for Outlook is completely unacceptable since Outlook is a standard application same as Word (which is supported).
  
  
• Voice recognition software is ready for prime time!
  By A20M6YU21DPN1L on 2007-08-14
  If your computer meets all the requirements, I highly recommend giving Dragon a try. It's by far the best voice recognition software out there and it's ready for prime time.
  
  I'm writing this without touching my computer. I'm sitting back in my chair listening to music and speaking into a microphone. And so far, the computer hasn't made a single mistake. Dragon Naturally Speaking dictation software was amazing when I used it briefly a few years ago and, as one might expect, it has improved dramatically since then. I've trained it for only 20 or 30 minutes after installing it this morning and it is already at least 95% accurate. And the accuracy will continue to improve every time I use it.
  
  Perhaps the most important addition to my setup, however, is the microphone I'm using. It's TheBoom noise canceling microphone (I call it my magic microphone). Using it, I can sit in a coffee shop full of people talking, music blaring, and conduct important conference calls without anyone on the other end of the line having any idea that I'm not sitting in my office. The microphone picks up everything I say, even if I'm whispering, but doesn't pick up any of the background noise.
  
  This lack of noise is critically important when using voice recognition software. The less noise you have, the faster Dragon can figure out what you're saying and the fewer mistakes it will make. When I used Dragon before I had to be in a fairly quiet environment for it to work. With Dragon and theBoom mic, I can sit in my office with music blaring or a noisy coffee shop and dictate documents, e-mail, IM -- whatever. I actually look for noisier coffee shops because then I can dictate without anyone overhearing what I'm saying.
  
  If you do a lot of typing every day, Dragon could save you both time and pain. I started feeling pain in my hands and lower arms a couple years ago and knew that I had to do something. I have improved my posture, increased the frequency of my breaks from the computer, and recently added a Wacom tablet to the mix. But none of these have made nearly the difference that voice recognition software makes. At this very moment I am leaning back in my chair with my hands behind my head stretching as I dictate. I can literally do hand exercises as I write!
  
  There are new technologies coming out every day and, while many of them are very neat, few of them truly amaze me anymore. It's refreshing and exciting to discover new technologies and new applications of existing technologies that have such a massive, positive impact on my every day life.
  
  
• Compare "Standard" and "Preferred" Editions Before Purchase
  By AVU1ILDDYW301 on 2007-09-18
  First, I would like to say that I think it's very important to know the difference between all Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 editions. I thought I knew. . . but after first ordering the Standard edition, and finding out what is not included, I returned it and ordered the "Preferred" edition. Now I wish I had stuck with the Standard edition, for a lot less $$.
  
  Second, I think you need to think about exactly how you are going to use this software, and that too will help you decide upon which edition you might purchase. Here are some items which are NOT included with the Standard edition but ARE included with the Preferred edition (list came from the side of the box I received)
  ~~~~
  * Microsoft Excel
  * Automatically transcribe recordings from handheld digital recorders, Pocket PC's or Palm Tungsten
  * Wireless microphone support, including Bluetooth
  * Includes Nuance RealSpeak for turning text into human-sounding speech
  * Play back your dictation for easier correction and proofing
  * Insert your signature, logo or boilerplate text with a simple voice command
  * Import/export your user files to use on any PC with Dragon Naturally Speaking.
  ~~~~~
  
  Here's my review. . . .. .
  
  I have been using this product, off and on, for a little over a month now. Here's my take on it. . . . If you are either a slow typist, or have a disability which does not allow you to type, then I think that this software is probably going to be helpful for you. The box says that most people type no more than 40 words per minute. I type over twice that. I use this software when I want to send a letter to a friend. I would not use this for business purposes. You spend a lot of time correcting and "training" the system. I find far fewer mistakes when I'm typing it myself than when I'm using this software. But again, I type relatively fast. Having spent a LOT of extra money to purchase the "Preferred" edition, I really wish I had stuck with the "Standard" edition. Using it for Excel (not available on the Standard edition) is cumbersome at best, and being that often times numbers are so important in spreadsheets, it's quite "error prone" and correcting a lot of numbers in a spreadsheet is not fun. Again, I'm not really knocking the software. I think it does a relatively good job overall, and I'm sure that if you take the time to make all of the corrections it gets better. . .. but. . . I think if you type fast to begin with, you're probably not going to be too happy with this software. Unless the above "extras" included in the Preferred edition are really worth a lot to you, I would recommend the Standard edition and save yourself some $$.
  Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Standard
  
  
  
• Marked Improvement Over version 8
  By AN6B3UKWPZOKB on 2006-07-25
  DNS 9 is significantly better than the previous version. Certain words that DNS 8 had trouble with and which it could never really easily understand are understood very quickly by DNS 9. For example, "thus" was interpreted as "DOS" the first time I said it in DNS 9, but after correcting it, the next time I said "thus" the program understood it. DNS 8 never was able to understand my "thus". Also, the program understood "Broyhill" the second time I said it.
  
  DNS 9 uses a somewhat different format for the user files. I think you will have better luck creating a new user file than converting your old one (if you used DNS 8).
  
  DNS 9 is resource-hungry. If you do not have enough RAM for it, it is time to upgrade--that is cheap and helps most programs. If your computer is towards the low end in terms of processor power of what DNS 9 works with, consider getting a new computer (or skipping out on DNS 9). Not using certain resource-hungry applications while using DNS 9 also helps (iTunes is a good example).
  
  Overall a very good upgrade and money well spent.
  
  
• Dragon Naturally Speaking Version 9
  By A1DIOY5G1HM507 on 2006-08-28
  Amazingly accurate, right out of the box, but will improve even more when trained for about 20 minutes. There are no software updates available at this time August, 2006, and it does have a few kinks, but for the most part, I would highly recommend it.
  
  
• They get 3 stars for poor tech support & registration hassles!!!
  By AYI21UXQAPT77 on 2007-04-14
  1st when I registered the product there is about 3 pages of customer profile they want you to fill out followed by a bunch of "free stuff" looks like spam to me!!! I bought the product and have not even registered and Dragon Speak is already trying to sell me something else.. CUTE!! Second my experience of tech support is a nightmare!!! Hard to find and I had to use a credit card for basic installation support. Then it limits the conversion of audio files (which I bought if for) with very poor explanation of how to get around it.
  
  My vision for the future is that companys with poor support like this are OUT OF business!!!
  
  As someone to trains in customer support with over 7 years of support at IBM I have no tollarence for this! Part is the problem is we are willing to tollarate it and say "I can't do anything about it".
  
  I think Dragon Speak's slogan should be "at Dragon Speak, WE Know how to HIDE FROM THE CUSTOMER!! AND ARE PROUD OF IT!!!
  
  About the product other than that is seems OK so far.. That is why I did not give a "2"
  
  I would not say don't buy this product just be aware of this shortcoming!
  and don't except poor service in your life!!
  
  
  
  
• Best speech recognition program I've ever used
  By A1GA0GA1PTOKIZ on 2007-02-05
  Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 is the third speech recognition program that I've bought in the last six years. I am a poor typist and I've dreamed about a computerized secretary to take my dictations.
  
  A prior version of Dragon Dictate and an old IBM speech recognition program were both quite disappointing. So, despite the great reviews I approached this latest product with great skepticism. It's true, now I have a far more powerful computer than I ever dreamed of in years past. I'm running Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 preferred edition on a home built PC running Windows XP with an AMD 64 dual core 3800+ processor, with 2 GB of RAM, and a Sound Blaster Audigy soundcard. I even bought special high quality headsets.
  
  Well, here's my experience. The program does indeed work well. Needless to say, I'm dictating this review. Periodically I find little mistakes. And correcting each mistake is a little bit of a pain. But boy does it ever beat typing!
  
  I certainly did not need the special high quality headsets that I bought. Those were a flat-out waste of money. The headset that came with the program works just fine.
  
  Nor did I need such a powerful computer. I bought a separate copy of NaturallySpeaking for my Gateway notebook running Windows XP on a Pentium M 1.73 GHz processor with 1 GB of RAM, and without a separate soundcard. Surprisingly, speech recognition seems to run almost as smoothly on my notebook, as it does on the more powerful desktop with separate soundcard.
  
  The program really did improve in accuracy because I took the time to correct my own mistakes. I wouldn't want anyone to expect too much from this program out of the box. It really does get better with time and usage.
  
  This is an endorsement. Generally, I only write reviews for products that I can recommend. Would I buy it again? Well, I already bought a second copy for my notebook. My 14-year-old son also uses it to dictate his homework.
  
  

• Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Video Guide: Complete Three-Volume Set
• PC World
• Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 QuickStart (for Naturally Speaking software)
• Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Video Guide: Volumes I & II (for Naturally Speaking software)
• ScanSoft PDF Converter 4 Professional [OLD VERSION]

• Dragon NaturallySpeaking for Dummies
• Plantronics DSP-400 Digitally-Enhanced USB Foldable Stereo Headset and Software
• Olympus ME-15 Microphone
• Sony ICD-MX20 Memory Stick Pro Duo Digital Voice Recorder
• Plantronics Foldable USB Stereo Headset (Optimized for Laptop Use) (Audio 470 USB)