Dragon Dictate - Speech Recognition for Mac

BYO - Bring Your Own Mic

Perfect if you plan to use your iPhone as a wireless mic using the free Dragon Remote Microphone app [click here for the app]. If you already own a microphone you plan to use it needs to be noise cancelling and connected via USB. It is not recommended to use the built-in mic in your iMac or MacBook.

Plantronics DSP-610

Plantronics are very well known in the headset/mic world so anything from them is going to be good. The DSP-610, also known as the .Audio 610 is the headset which is included in the “standard” Dragon Dictate package. This is what would be your entry level headset and mic, it is Nuance certified and is very good. The mic is noise cancelling, which is what you need for voice recognition and the mic is on an adjustable boom for easy adjustment. Don’t be put off that this is the cheapest headset, it is still excellent

MicFlex

A very cool addition to any Mac users desk is the FlexMic. No headset here, just a high quality mic on the end of a flexible boom which can be easily positioned wherever you want it. Perfect for those that do not need a headset.

Plantronics Calisto Bluetooth Headset

A very popular option is this bluetooth headset from Plantronics called the Calisto. Preferred by many as it fits comfortably over your ear and frees your desk from the cables you get with most other mics and headsets. This is not your usual off the shelf Calisto, it comes with a special noise cancelling USB dongle, essential for high quality voice input to the speech recognition software. Please don’t be tempted to import a Calisto or grab one off eBay as the off the shelves do not have the dongle

Parrott VXI TalkPro

The Parrott VXI noise cancelling mic and headset is a step up from the entry level Plantronics DSP610. It is a physically tougher headset and mic so will withstand the test of time longer than a well used DSP610. This is the headset that we use in the Dictate Australia office.

RevoLabs xTag Wireless Mic

This is the creme de la creme of wireless mics, the RevoLabs xTag. As the RevoLabs tag line says, “hear every word” which is exactly what Dragon Dictate will do if you go for this, the most pricey mic option for your Dragon Dictate. USB chargeable, this little wireless mic is for the serious user with plenty of cash.

Enhanced Hardware and Software Support

• Microsoft Word 2011 Support: Dictate 2.5 allows users to seamlessly combine dictation with manual input from the mouse and keyboard. This ability to “mix talking and typing” within Microsoft Word was the most requested product enhancement request. In addition, Dictate 2.5 offers built-in voice commands for controlling Microsoft Word 2011. These voice commands allow users to format text, insert tables and graphics, and control most menu items by voice.

New Audio Input Options

•  iPhone as Wireless Microphone: Most customers use Dragon by speaking directly to their Mac using the microphone included with their Dragon software purchase. But some users can be frustrated by wearing a headset that tethers them to their Mac. With the introduction of the free Dragon Remote Microphone application (available in the Apple app store), users can achieve the same great accurate transcription using a device many already have: their iPhone! The Dragon Remote Microphone app converts a user’s iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4, iPad and iPad 2 or iPod Touch 4th gen running iOS 4.2, or later into a wireless microphone via WiFi.

Time-Saving Voice Commands

• New Facebook and Twitter Commands: Users can easily update Facebook by saying “Post to Facebook”, “Post to Facebook [text],” or  “Post that to Facebook.” Tweets are quickly captured by voice: a user selects dictated or typed text (via mouse or voice command), and says “Post that to Twitter.” Additional Twitter commands include “Tweet [text]" (English only) and "Post to Twitter [text].”

Improved Formatting Control

• Formatting Enhancements: With the new Auto Formatting dialog, users have greater control over the way certain data is formatted. Individual preferences can be set for dates and time (e.g., June 18, 2011 vs. 6/18/11), numbers and units of measure (e.g., five vs. 5), addresses, abbreviations, and more. Users can also set a preference to insert two spaces after a period, if they choose.
• Numbers Mode: Version 2.5 introduces Numbers Mode, which can be particularly helpful for users that frequently dictate many numbers in a row, such as inputting figures or product codes into a database. When in Numbers Mode, Dragon recognizes everything it hears as a number or as a command.
• Vocabulary Editor Improvements: Users can now delete words from the built-in Dragon vocabulary. This is helpful if a vocabulary entry you don’t need “competes” with something you regularly dictate (such as competing spellings like Schaeffer and Schafer).

Getting Started with Dragon is Faster and Easier

• Faster and Easier to Create a User Profile: Version 2.5 updates the Voice Training component of user profile creation, introducing new additional training text.

User Interface and Usability Enhancements

• Auto Sleep Microphone: If the microphone is on but does not receive input after one minute, the microphone will automatically go into Sleep mode. This Auto Sleep functionality is helpful as it forces users to follow effective microphone control even when you forget to turn the microphone off. With version 2.5, users can set personal preference for the time allotted for the Auto Sleep microphone functionality (any range from 30 seconds to five minutes). Users also have the option to turn off the Auto Sleep functionality entirely.

Minimum System Requirements

• Intel-based Macintosh running Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or Mac OS X 10.7 Lion.
• Internet connection required for registration.
• Nuance-approved USB microphone for Mac (included with new purchase).