Review by Dave Millman

I am a first-time Dragon Dictate user, having recently installed it on a MacBookPro Retina running OSX 10.8. I wanted to try it because speech recognition on iPad and iPhone works pretty well and saves lots of typing in text messages and emails.

The voice recognition results have been good so far. My very first test was a long, detailed email where I had to describe the history of a particular project, over 800 words total. I needed to correct fifteen words, and I was totally delighted. Speaking is so much faster than typing that even after fixing the incorrect words I had saved a lot of time. When I write something, I have to go back and edit it anyway for clarity and grammar, so changing words doesn’t bother me.

Dragon includes lots of features for speaking commands, entering forms, etc. I haven’t learned any of these. I have been using a mouse since 1985, so it is a natural extension of my hand. Same thing now with a trackpad: after 10 years I don’t think about it anymore. So I just move my cursor by hand and speak the text I want to type. Dragon works fine this way.

Here are my tips for getting the most out of voice recognition:nn archetypes config.toml content data layouts public resources static themes Do the voice training. I did two full sessions, the both rated for medium difficulty. This gives Dragon the most chance to learn your voice.n archetypes config.toml content data layouts public resources static themes Pause every sentence or two. The accuracy seems higher, and you can gather your thoughts. I only pause long enough to breathe, maybe a half second, but that seems to be enough.n archetypes config.toml content data layouts public resources static themes I wish I could always follow this tip myself: don’t fix every error as you see it. Keep talking, and fix the errors later. I find that fixing each error disrupts my train of thought and slows me down. Unfortunately this is alsothe way I write without voice recognition: I go back and fix each typo as I see them. Old habits are hard to break!n archetypes config.toml content data layouts public resources static themes Don’t expect perfection!nnI’m perfectly happy that Dragon allows me to create text in about half the time. I have not experienced the technical issues other reviewers describe, even after several weeks of use. I routinely switch between internal and external microphones for other work, so I have no problem switching to the Dragon mic for dictation.

Four stars for adequate accuracy, but not perfect. Not recommended for computer novices without local help, but if you know how to copy and paste between apps, and have no trouble learning new apps with new user interfaces, you will be fine.

UPDATE AFTER ONE WEEK: To get the most out of Dragon, you need to focus on what you are trying to say, and DO NOT INTERACTIVELY EDIT MISTAKES. Dragon’s big advantage is in speech recognition, so you want to spend your time dictating, not correcting. It’s pretty exciting to dictate a whole page of text, then just go back and batch fix errors or make changes. Again, the errors don’t bother me, because I have to edit what I wrote anyway. Also, make sure to use the included microphone or a headset of some kind. The results with the built-in microphone on a laptop are awful.