I'm dictating this review using the software that I am reviewing. It's called MacSpeech Dictate and it was a birthday gift I received this week. Having grown up in the 1950s and 1960s I was never taught to type in fact that was women's work when I was growing up. Maybe that's just an excuse, but for whatever reason, I'm probably the worst typist I know. I pretty much always know what I do want to say, but when I have to type it it takes me a really long time because I'm constantly correcting typos. I never learned to touch type and even when I look at the keyboard my hand eye coordination is so poor that I often hit a key next to the one I intended to press. The bottom line is I hate typing, but I love using computers.
Years ago when I was still using another operating system that I need not mention I tried a different dictation software package. The state-of-the-art has changed dramatically since then. Apart from occasionally saying the words scratch and that together to correct the word it did not understand I'm finding this dictation software is far more accurate than what I can accomplish using my fingers. It's fun as well.
Last night I was using it in an online chat session and the performance was fantastic. People used to wonder if I'd gone away in chat sessions because it took me so long to type, now they can hardly keep up with me.
If you have been considering using dictation software I honestly can recommend MacSpeech Dictate as having exceeded my expectations by far. Listed below is what Amazon has to say about MacSpeech Dictate.
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MacSpeech Dictate List Price: Sale Price: $160.85 You save: $38.15 (19%)  |
Description
Welcome to MacSpeech Dictate, the premier speech-recognition software for the Macintosh. With MacSpeech Dictate, you're free to focus on what you have to say--just think it, speak it, and create it. Instead of typing, use your voice to input text; rather than clicking your mouse, just speak commands...
Features
- Speech-recognition software built exclusively for Mac OS X
- Input text and execute commands--hands free (no keyboard or mouse required)
- Works with Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, and Apple applications such as iChat, Mail, etc.
- Almost-perfect accuracy rate of up to 99 percent; never misspells a word
- Understands 13 distinct English dialect variations; headset microphone included