Review by C. A. Freeman

I have mixed feelings on any voice recognition software. If I knew how to type properly instead of the hunt and peck method I use I wouldn’t have any need for this product. I don’t use it all that often but when I do it comes in incredibly handy. For example I am using this now to dictate this review. I’ve had to stop twice now to correct a mistake. Some of that could be caused by the fact I have the Moody blues running in the background on my stereo.

I purchased Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 to replace version 9. That goes to show how much I like the software. One of the reasons I wanted to replace version 9 was it was quite buggy. Sometimes it would crash for no apparent reason, other times the accuracy didn’t seem that great. It also was quite a resource hog, but then again so is version 10. However I have a pretty good computer with a quad four processor, and three gigs of RAM so it doesn’t really pose a problem. Generally when I’m not using it I shut it off anyway.

I have noticed however that the accuracy and stability is a lot better than version 9. A lot of the quirkiness maybe due to the complexity of the program. It is a full-featured program albeit with a user-friendly interface. As time goes by I will try tweaking the program a little more.

I cannot comment on the included headset that comes with the software. I am still using my trusty Telex USB headset. I’ve had this thing for years and it works great so why change.

In conclusion all I can say is I’m happy with the software. It is very functional, a step up from version 9, and a lifesaver for those that are typing challenged. It does require some effort on the users part, but then again so do most things that are worthwhile. I would definitely have given it a five star rating if not due to the quirkiness. In all fairness however a lot of that can be blamed on the operator. Compared to previous versions it is definitely a five.