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Laptop with Speech Recognition Software Needed. What do the FR Techs Recommend?
05.31.08 | chickensoup

Posted on 05/31/2008 5:09:53 PM PDT by Chickensoup

Because of an continuing disability of my hands I will need to move to speech recognition software. I need a laptop that can handle the internet, the software, Word and a few other programs. Internet recommendations say 2 to 5 gig of working memory to use Dragon expediently. I am having a difficult time finding a 3 to 5 gig laptop that is affordable. One can add memory but is it accessble?

Anybody been down this road recently. I would appreciate your input.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: dragon; help; recognition; speech
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To: Kirkwood

Bzzzzt. There are already rootkits for Vista.

http://www.antirootkit.com/blog/2008/01/03/security-flaw-in-vista-and-xp-rootkit-exploit-in-the-wild/


61 posted on 05/31/2008 6:35:13 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Chickensoup

I am rather puzzled. I have long thought would be a natural evolution to voice recognition software would be to combine in with two other existing softwares.

Text to voice and artificial intelligence.

Text to voice so that your computer can talk back to you, and artificial intelligence, so it has something to say.

Much of what the AI would do would be to figure out the normal patterns that users have for their daily routines on computer. This means that it begins much like a complex macro, but provides interactive options by voice.

The AI works in the background, and while “aware” of open programs, its functions both apply to them and transcend them.

But I haven’t heard of these being integrated as of yet.


62 posted on 05/31/2008 6:47:34 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: Chickensoup
My goodness perhaps I could freep with Dragon.

It isn't my style to Freep this way, but I decided to give it a try and Dragon seems to work just fine.

I'd say the recognition is between 80 and 85% at this point.

63 posted on 05/31/2008 6:55:14 PM PDT by JCG
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To: montag813
I have tried 3 different bluetooth headsets with Dragon. Far too much noise and low accuracy. Best bet is a USB wired mic. GN Netcom is by far the best and supremely comfortable.

Personally, I prefer a desk mic over a headset.  A couple of years ago I picked up a cheap Labtec desk mic at Wal-Mart for about $12.95.  It has served me well using Dragon 9.  After reviewing Labtec's website tonight I think I may try the newest model (534) because it has a mute/power switch on it that this one doesn't have.

----

Send treats to the troops...
Great because you did it!
www.AnySoldier.com

64 posted on 05/31/2008 7:04:38 PM PDT by JCG
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To: Chickensoup

I’ve been using voice dictation full time at work for the last eight years.

Any modern computer is going to have the memory and horse power to run the software. My first dictation computer was a pentium 166 with somthing like 64 megs of ram and running windows 98. It was a little slow. The current computer is about 5 years old running XP, not sure of the processor and memory but I’m sure you would have a hard time buying a new computer that would not be considerably faster and it it nearly instantaneous.

A few cautions.

You will need to buy a good professional quality microphone. It is probably the most important piece of hardware.

You will need to train the software and it will take hours.

Regardless of which product you buy, how fast your computer runs and how good your microphone is, it will be less than 99% accurate which means you will have multiple errors on each page. The errors will be similar to what you are trying to say and will be difficult to spot. And the computer will develop an evil sense of humor and try to twist what you say into a naughty limeric. I was once nearly sued because the error in the dictation made it sound like a client was injured by pleasuring himself.

I use a commercial program at work, Dictaphone and Kurzweil prior to that. At home I used Dragon which seemed just as accurate as the more expensive software.


65 posted on 05/31/2008 7:28:28 PM PDT by dangerdoc (dangerdoc (not actually dangerous any more))
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To: montag813

you are missing out. I bought a higher end 1525 Dell to upgrade from an older inspiron 1000.

Vista works just fine and the machine is fast.


66 posted on 05/31/2008 7:56:45 PM PDT by UB355 (Slower traffic keep right.)
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To: Spktyr

This was debunked just a couple weeks ago. There are no Vista rootkits if you leave UAC turned on.


67 posted on 05/31/2008 8:02:41 PM PDT by Kirkwood (Ask me again tomorrow.)
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To: Kirkwood

And after the first five minutes of use, how many people do you really think are going to leave that on instead of killing it??? Remember, Vista’s UAC was *deliberately* designed to annoy users - Microsoft themselves admit it.

Most Vista boxes I’ve seen have had UAC disabled by angry users.


68 posted on 05/31/2008 8:04:51 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Spktyr

http://www.securitywatch.co.uk/2008/05/29/vistas-uac-spots-rootkits/

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/146256/vistas_despised_uac_nails_rootkits_tests_find.html

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,146387-c,vistalonghorn/article.html

http://www.hardocp.com/news.html?news=MzI2MTMsLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdCwsLDE=

If you turn off UAC, Vista will be vulnerable to rootkits, but this is like turning off anti-virus software and then complaining that your system is vulnerable to viruses. A silly, stupid argument.


69 posted on 05/31/2008 8:11:28 PM PDT by Kirkwood (Ask me again tomorrow.)
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To: Kirkwood

Re your Vista Ultimate speech recognition, do you know if it is possible to dictate into this program and save it on a floopy disk (I know I’m probably one of the very few using a floopy disk) to be opened in a word processing program? I desperately need to learn to use voice recognition because my hands have given out on me and my typist is driving me nuts


70 posted on 05/31/2008 8:29:50 PM PDT by Cudjo
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To: Chickensoup

End of June, Microsoft ends XP support and stops shipping copies of it.
http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/#tutorial=windows


71 posted on 05/31/2008 8:32:07 PM PDT by Wolverine (A Concerned Citizen)
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To: EasySt

I agree. The ThinkPad notebooks from Lenovo are topnotch.

Lenovo markets mostly to businesses which is why most people have never heard of them. They’ve been making the IBM brand of desktop and notebook computers for a long time.

I’ve had several ThinkPads and they have all been great machines.

And you can still get Win XP on a ThinkPad.


72 posted on 05/31/2008 9:23:07 PM PDT by upchuck (Who wins doesn't matter. They're all liberals. Spend your time and money to take back Congress.)
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