| Author |
Message |
    
Kevin R. Paglia
Hunger Member
Post Number:
82
Registered: 07-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 01:59 pm: |   |
Do any of you out there use that technology where you can dictate to your computer? I've always been curious about this technology but can't bring myself to buy it being unsure how effective it is. Of course around this house I can see the text now:
"As the moon slowly broke through the mountain's peak William realize with new clarity that.. Jason quit hitting your brother. NO! I said stop it. Bella, get off the table. Michael, is your room clean? That does it, all of you, into the closet. $%$@#!^*! kids now where was I...Oh."
Kevin |
Pacwriter
Unity Member
Post Number:
1666
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 02:08 pm: | |
I've been using it for a number of years. It has improved greatly. Once you train the machine, and this takes effort, the computer will recognize 90% of what you say BUT only you.
IBM is the leader in the technology. However, others such as Dragon have more features. You can download trial versions. The only hardware needed is a microphone that will plug into your computer. I have several headsets but no one seems better than the others. If you have a web cam with a microphone, it will work.
I also use a digital voice recorder and can play it back directly into the computer. It doesn't work as well as dictation but for important ideas, does ok.
http://www.pacwriter.netfirms.com/ |
Laurel Johnson
Unity Member
Post Number:
3413
Registered: 01-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 02:21 pm: | |
Several people have recommended that I get one because my vision has failed so much. BUT...my problem is that I create best with my fingers on the keys. Not by talking.
It may come to that eventually, but for now it would not work for creative writing. |
C. E. Winterland
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1749
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 02:29 pm: | |
Lolly,
Have you ever considered using Microsofts text-to-speech software for having your computer read posts to you? I was just wondering, since we're on the topic 
CEW
Mindsight Moderator |
Laurel Johnson
Unity Member
Post Number:
3414
Registered: 01-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 03:25 pm: | |
No I haven't tried anything like that, although the text to speech software was also recommended to me. Right now I have my email and webpages enlarged so I can see them - except for these textboxes which I cannot see until I preview the post.
As you know, CE, I am rather technically challenged. I have to hire the computer tech dudes to load, install, or activate any new programs I try to use. |
LaurieAnne
Unity Member
Post Number:
1666
Registered: 12-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 03:53 pm: | |
I have used the speech-to-text function in MSWord quite often---so long as my children are not around (I end up with an entire page of, not now, mommy's trying to work, get down off the shelf, stop antagonizing your brother, if you two don't start getting along-you'll be holding hands all weekend, get off the tv, find the remote or no ice cream--either that or get up anc change the channel the old-fashioned way (usually followed by a gasp), etc)---and that was only until the cats chewed through the wiring to my headset. Once I get the opportunity to get a new headset, then I will be back to using it. It's pretty nice because I get muscle cramps in my hands when I spend a lot of time typing.
----------Okay, so I didn't read your whole original post before I started typing.....obviously, you can sympathize with my reason for using it while the kids are outside.
LA
Available now:
THE BUTTERFLY GAME, Gloria Davidson Marlow ISBN 0-9722385-4-9 trade pb
AN ANGEL IN THE SKIES, Elura Coren ISBN 0-9722385-2-2 ebook
|
Gloria Marlow
Unity Member
Post Number:
1161
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2004 - 08:06 am: | |
LA, you do the hand-holding thing, too? It was a miracle-worker when my son was about 10 and my daughter was 8. I made them sit on the couch with their arms around each other for ten minutes. You would think I'd killed them, then we started the other -- "for every bad thing you say to or about them, you have to list three good things to help undo the damage you did to their feelings"
Well, sorry, out of all these enlightening messages I picked that one thing to gloam onto.
Back on subject, how does the speech to text thing work with accents? I mean would it type "thing" or "thang" when I say it? I've always thought it would be nice to have a tape recorder to talk into, but I think everything would just sound goofy when I listened to it and I'd erase everything. |
Pacwriter
Unity Member
Post Number:
1668
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2004 - 08:21 am: | |
when you train the program, it has no problem with accents. The program learns your voice. You do not have to train every word because it works on patterns. The accuratcy comes by learning your voice and speech habits. The more you use it, the more it learns about your voice and speech patterns.
The good thing about speech to type is you read what is written rather than listen to what you said. So, you don't have that annoyance.
Since you will be editing later, consider the speech to text as the rough draft. Trying to fix mistakes before finishing is like correcting typing mistakes before finishing. As they say, "Get the story down then edit!"
http://www.pacwriter.netfirms.com/ |
LaurieAnne
Unity Member
Post Number:
1667
Registered: 12-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2004 - 09:21 pm: | |
I think the hardest thing for me to adapt to was actually saying period, exclamation point, comma, question mark, etc., when I was so used to just typing. But once you get used to it, and once the system gets trained to your voice, it really is pretty cool. I had mine working pretty well within a few days. (But it is not very good with names. I get all sorts of interesting combinations with names. LOL)
LA
www.authorsinkbooks.com
Available now:
THE BUTTERFLY GAME, Gloria Davidson Marlow ISBN 0-9722385-4-9 trade pb
AN ANGEL IN THE SKIES, Elura Coren ISBN 0-9722385-2-2 ebook
|
Harry Simenon
Hsympothai Member
Post Number:
394
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 01:02 pm: | |
It’s nothing for me. I write rather slowly, rarely more than two pages an evening. I don’t like dictating.
And the computer is in the living room. I think my wife would kill me if I would chat through “Oprah” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” etc. And I would suddenly write things like: “but Ridge, don’t you know I’m pregnant?” |
Trina Green
Wandering Member
Post Number:
179
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 24, 2004 - 08:42 am: | |
I tried it years ago, but it wasn't that accurate then so I gave up. Now if I want to hear something back in voice I try using the adobe ebook reader or the ms software, which by the way is included in windows. Somehow, though, the computer's reading is flat and monotone so I can't get the full feel of how the text would sound. |
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