Dragon NaturallySpeaking Premium 11 [Old Version]

Used 10.0 and have been using v11 for over a year. Use it mostly with Outlook and Word for short communications, not long novels. Use it some with Excel. I dont use it much for commands. It saves keystrokes and mouse clicks which could be very important for people with reptitive stress issues. It doesnt perform as well as Id like. For example, if I use a particular word multiple times the same way, Id like Dragon to learn that but to my surprise I still have to correct the word day after day and multiple times in the same document. Other times, maybe it does learn. As of the time Im writing this review, I havent upgraded to v12 for $100.

I have been using Dragon NaturallySpeaking for over a decade. Each update touts its new features and improved accuracy. I have never achieved anything like the level of accuracy described in the brochures. Even at 99% accuracy, a 5000 word story or paper would have at least 50 errors or more. The power of my Dell Inspiron with a Pentium I5 and eight gigs provides the power needed to run the software. An underpowered computer will not give you a satisfactory performance. the accuracy does improve when I use a version for hundreds and hundreds of hours.

First, the good news. This purchase qualified for the upgrade to version 11.5 and then 12. Now the bad news. Version 12 seems faster but more buggy. The dictation is fine, but it goes a little crazy when doing corrections. Sometimes, it will pick a phrase and keep overwriting it, not allowing me to continue the dictation from the end. At other times, choosing a selection from the correction window inserts choose 1, rather than the the chosen word. Most aggravating, though, is Nuances limitation on how you can use this product. DNS Premium and Professional will not work with electronic health record (EHR) systems, and Dragon will turn off the microphone if you try. It seems that they want this category of users to buy the Dragon Medical edition, at more that 5 times the price. I am not a medical practitioner, but I assist practitioner clients. I am unable to interface with their EHR systems. Further, when I go to EHR related websites, Dragon switches off. This is websurfing, not utilizing EHR. I am offended by this marketing ploy forcing a certain class of customers into a higher priced product. Given this limitation, I would buy a different solution, if it were available. Problem is that Nuance has a corner on this market.

This is the best money I have ever spent for a program. I had read all the reviews and researched prices and this was such a deal I could not pass it up. I review and type medical records, so this was a huge time saver for me. Now instead of me typing, the dragon does all the work. You do have to train your dragon, but that has been half the fun of this program. To give an example, I was using a medical word parenthesis (numbness) and the dragon translated it to a pair of thieves in Paris!! Actually cracked me up trying to figure out what I said!! But then you just click on the word (or words in this case) and spell the word you wanted, and then train the dragon by saying that word. The next time, no matter how badly I said the word, the dragon got it right. You find yourself learning to enunciate words better. Another example was, syncope and the dragon typed, sticky feet. It is well worth letting the dragon search your files of word documents and emails to find words which it saves. Each time you add new words, he remembers it! I find myself asking, what took me so long to buy a program like this. Seriously, I do not know of other programs like this but when I searched voice activated programs on Google this one jumped off the page. I am thrilled with the results. Since purchasing it, I found a lot of my friends and family had either used it in college, or are using it today. Go for it, you will be glad you did. Watch for the sale though, because this program was $99.99 one night and $199.99 another. I got it for the $99.99 and it included the microphone and headset.

Version 11 of Dragon NaturallySpeaking is working well for me. There are some new window control techniques which are nice and the premium version has more options for macros, etc. They appear to have changed the phonetic spelling somewhat so that it doesnt work quite as well. I.e., spelling the word very using the phonetic alphabet, I get something like Victor ERY more often, though its a subtle change. Overall Im pretty pleased.

I took the advice of the folks who advised picking up version 11.5, and not only did I save a pocket full of cash but I got a good product to boot. After installation on my Windows 7 laptop (shut off your antivirus/spyware protection first!) all it took was about 20 minutes of reading to the software for training and it was surprisingly really super accurate and fast during dictation. Another plus was that it pointed me toward a free app for my iPhone that allows me to dictate text messages (Dragon Dictation). Sweet. Follow the advice of those telling you to pickup version 11.5 and get a good product for a lot less money.

I purchased this software several weeks ago. I installed it the day I received it and have not been able to use it yet. Numerous attempts to contact customer support by email have been worthless. I receive answers from their trouble shooting data base. I have asked the technician to call me to no avail. They have not replied to my latest emails which are now over a week old. They claim it is a hardware problem. If I do it is only as related to their program. My microphone test is OK until I try it with their software. I am using the microphone that I purchased with the software. One email from their tech stated I should go out and buy a USB mike because the jack type mike they supplied might be the problem. Mainly I do not feel I am getting any real response from a tech who knows what they are doing. I have asked to be sent to the next level of support with no reply. I am stuck because I cannot return software to my supplier. I watch the ads on TV. How wonderful they make the capabilities of the software seem. What a rude awakening when I actually tried to use the product. My computer hardware has passed their compatibility test so it is not hardware. I do have Windows XP operating system which is also supposed to be compatible. If you are like me and not a computer nerd, this program might be a problem for you like it has been for me.

Im not sure Im any more impressed with this version than I was with earlier versions. Yes the speech recognition is better than version 2-10, but its still not the greatest thing since sliced bread. Great for creating the initial draft but I found that editing commands were frequently ignored or interpreted as additional text. Menu commands dont work at all with Open Office. Its useful, but not the works great, cant live without it product of the advertisements.

If you lose your CD you are done for. I am told by thier online store (they issue the dowload version for replacement) also general customer support ..that they offer no download for those who do not buy directly from them. I consider lack download service to ALL customers stealing in 2013. They wanted me to buy another CD. I am not kidding. Ive got the Amazon reciept in front of me. I dont like it but have to use it. I am forced to download an unaltered .ISO (illegal? hahaha!) to install it. I need it because I am a developemntally disabled adult who has trouble communicating day to day and staying on track. My mother is in an terrible situation requiring me to write Adult Protactive Services in Oklahoma; a conservative Right To Work state with social service job-soakers. Ive got to fight for my mother by writing officals and authorities. Thanks Nuance?? I will PIRATE your softwares from now on if I have to make the crack myself and there is no better help available.

I bought this as a Christmas gift for someone who has been talking for years about writing a book but never took action. I read all of the reviews carefully before purchasing Dragon because the recipient is not particularly proficient with computers. After a month, he is still having great difficulty with it. I am sure that if he were take the time to use the tutorial and/or peruse the online manual at least some of his troubles would be resolved. Unfortunately, he is one of those I dont need no stinkin instructions type of guys. I guess I was overly optimistic about his ability to make use of Dragon. Just from my sessions trying to assist him, I notice that Dragon does take time learning, both on the part of the person and the software itself. Conclusion: be careful who you buy this for as it is nowhere near as easy to use as it first appears.