Talking to your computer used to be a dream, like something from “Star” Trek.” For years, artificial intelligence researchers labored to make voice-recognition software a reality but were stymied by such vagaries as accents, lisps and even the emotional timbre of the human voice.
All that has changed, however, and slickly packaged voice-recognition packages are available to everyone. The biggest users, according to Dragon Systems, makers of Naturally Speaking software, are small-business owners, retired people, students and managers. There also is a big market for those who have trouble typing, from those with a touch of carpal tunnel syndrome to the severely disabled.
One of the biggest uses for voice-recognition software is in chat rooms, said Roger Matus, Dragon’s vice president of marketing. Dragon even has established a marketing alliance with America Online to benefit chatters. “It’s very relaxing,” Matus said. “You sit there with a headset and dictate what you want to say.” Anyone who has feverishly tried to type chat room responses would agree.
There are practical uses for voice recognition, as well. For the executive who never learned to type, the software reduces reliance on secretaries. For those who have lost secretaries to budget cuts, voice recognition is a lifesaver. The programs are useful for teens who want to produce good-looking school papers but who haven’t learned how to type yet. And seniors, many with arthritis, consider voice-recognition a boon to productivity.
For those who want to join in, be aware that installing and “training” your software is no easy task. To compare the top-selling voice-recognition packages, we found that the training period — time spent getting the computer used to your speech patterns — can take up to two hours. The programs keep getting better with each trial, but some learned faster than others.
To test the software, we read a business letter and a passage from Hermann Hesse’s “Siddhartha” into each program. Here’s how they did:
(star) (star) (star) 1/2 ViaVoice Executive (IBM, $149). IBM is a trusted name — for good reason. Most of its products are well-researched and easy to use. ViaVoice is no exception. The program was a snap to install and took the least time to train. (Reading from “Treasure Island” was a pleasure.) Although the program made the usual bloopers at the beginning (“and we” for “ennui”), it caught on quickly. ViaVoice recognized unusual names, such as mine, within two tries. The program allows you to dictate right into your word processing program. Otherwise, there is a SpeakPad you can use to cut and paste text. Drawbacks: the correction routine was the most cumbersome of all the programs, the headset was hard to position and the program never caught on to some words. (Other versions of ViaVoice are the $50 Home program and the $89 Office product. IBM also has incorporated ViaVoice into its World Book Encyclopedia.)
(star) (star) (star) (star) Naturally Speaking Preferred (Dragon, $159). This is the top program we tested. Installation was a breeze and reading Dave Barry for the training period was enjoyable. NaturallySpeaking learns at an astonishing rate. It took only one pass for the program to learn such unusual words as “samsara” and “troika.” Formatting is easy to use, the correction process is simple and the microphone headset is no problem to position. Although the program is supposed to respond only to the user’s voice, my 13-year-old son, who has a similar timbre to his speech, also was able to use NaturallySpeaking. Not only is the Dragon product easy to use, it’s a lot of fun. (Dragon also makes other versions, including a Teens edition and a mobile program — complete with a tiny digital recorder that hooks up to the computer.)
(star) (star) VoiceXpress Advanced(Lernout & Hauspie, $80). After working long enough with VoiceXpress, I started talking to the program as if disciplining a small child: “No, no, it’s `enclosed,’ not `and closed in.’ ” The installation process for this program was nearly disastrous: We arrived at the Blue Screen of Death that every Windows user fears. Eventually the program was installed, then the endless training program started. Voice-Xpress is maddeningly slow to learn. It never got the gist of “Siddhartha,” but it eventually got my name. It has some correction features that are better than that of the competition, but that hardly makes up for the constant recognition errors. This program will do, if you can put up with the shortcomings.
(star) (star) (star) 1/2 LanguageConnect Self-Study Spanish (Syracuse Learning Systems, $80). While this isn’t just a voice-recognition program, it uses IBM’s ViaVoice technology. Unlike many language programs, which give users no one to talk to, this one allows the student to perfect pronunciations. The speech recognition was excellent. There also is a 60,000-word on-line dictionary, tests and culture videos. It’s more appropriate for college students and adults than for younger students.
Sometimes you don’t need voice recognition to be understood. Here are some sign language Web sites:
American Sign Language Fingerspelling
(www.where.com/scott.net/asl/). Learn the entire alphabet with clear photographs. There also is a quiz and an on-line dictionary.
SIGNhear Communication Center
(http://library.advanced.org/10202/ ). Learn 200 of the most used ASL signs, plus the entire ASL alphabet.
Animated American Sign Language Dictionary
(www.bconnex.net/randys/). Just what it says, a comprehensive on-line resource.
Cinderella
(www.signwriting.org/cind00.html). Instructions for signing this children’s classic, plus other stories (“Humpty Dumpty,” “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”) can be found here.
