Alternatives Considered. Pros: I have been an avid user of Dragon Naturally speaking for several years. I have been on version 2 since it was released some 10+ years ago. I liked the software but was hesitant to upgrade it due to all the issues it had back then with integration and the limited amount of usability. I recently decided to. Chuck is using Dragon Naturally Speaking on the Mac, but he just found out that Dragon is discontinuing support for Mac. What are his alternatives? Leo says that Windows and Mac both have voice recognition and dictation now, so it may be that they discontinued it. “This is a fantastic application, it works flawlessly on linux, and is a great alternative to dragon naturally speaking.” - Darian Brown “I have been using dictanote for some time now and I can say that it really helps me in my day to day meetings. I don't need to save my work from time.
What is Dragon NaturallySpeaking Software?
“Dragon speech recognition software makes it easier for anyone to use a computer. You talk, and it types. Use your voice to create and edit documents or emails, launch applications, open files, control your mouse, and more. Quickly and easily capture your thoughts and ideas while Dragon helps you get more done faster.”
Nuance Communications websiteDragon NaturallySpeaking is a speech-to-text program currently employed by Carleton. Students may find Dragon a useful option for word processing and voice-controlled computer navigation. Disability Services for Students and the Assistive Technologists at ITS work together to provide students with as much information and assistance as possible for continued use of Dragon on and off campus.
How do I start using Dragon?
Dragon software only runs on the Windows operating system and is located on several public lab machines, including the three machines on 5th Libe and one in the Assistive Technology room, Libe 328.
To start using Dragon, use any one of the computers listed above. The first time you use the software you will be asked to complete a four to ten minute voice training session. We highly recommend this process (best, we found, when used “with prompting”), as it will greatly improve the accuracy of the software. Dragon offers tutorials on the software, available both upon first use and later, if desired. We strongly recommend using the Assistive Technology headsets which can be checked out from the Circulation Desk of the library. If you are interested in one-on-one consulting or help setting up your Dragon account, please email aztechs@carleton.edu.
Updating Your Dragon Profile:
Dragon’s accuracy will increase the more you use it, but only if you correct the program when it makes a transcription mistake. When Dragon records something incorrectly, correct its mistake using one of two options:
- Highlight and right click the incorrect word or phrase, and select “Correct That.”
- Use the voice command: “Correct [word/phrase].”
Either of these will prompt Dragon to display a list of alternative choices; select the correct option, or say “Spell That” if none of the generated options are correct. Then spell or type out the correct word(s).
When quitting Dragon at the end of your session, you will be asked to save your profile. Do this. This will permanently record the recognition corrects you made, helping Dragon to improve its performance in the future.
Helpful Resources:
While the Dragon software contains a large volume of its own documentation within the program, to the right are some additional resources we have found useful.
Additionally, Nuance has made a series of instructional videos about the Dragon software.
Dictanote is a notes app with speech recognition integrated, making it easy for you to voice type your notes.
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Dictanote accurately transcribes your speech to text in real time. You can add paragraphs, punctuation marks, and even smileys using voice commands.
With over 90% accuracy, Dictanote performs better than most offline services including Dragon Naturally Speaking.
Better Than Dragon Naturally Speaking
Multi-Lingual Support
Voice In supports speech recognition in over 50+ languages and 80+ dialects.
Voice Commands
Use voice commands to insert punctuation, technical terms and to correct mistakes.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Use keyboard shortcuts to start/stop dictation and easily switch languages.
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“I didn't think it was true but I believe this works better than any other app. Use it every day. It's fantastic.”
“This is a Great Web App to speak to text for my Windows Laptop. Easy to use and save your notes”
“Really great app and so easy to use.I could use it right away without any training time and best of all, it recognises my Indian accent also.”
Dragon Naturally Speaking 16
“This is one of the best dictation apps out there I have to say this is a must for any writer or journalist who needs an accurate and powerful dictation app.”
“This is a fantastic application, it works flawlessly on linux, and is a great alternative to dragon naturally speaking.”
“I have been using dictanote for some time now and I can say that it really helps me in my day to day meetings.I don't need to save my work from time to time since the app do it for me already.Moreso, I can access my work anytime anywhere.”
Dictanote works on the following platforms:
* Desktop: Windows/Linux/Mac in Google Chrome and installable as a standalone app
* Android: in Google Chrome and installable as a standalone app
* iPhone: Safari 12+ (only editing, no voice dictation support)
Additional hardware: inbuilt/external microphone
Dragon Naturally Speaking Competitors
Yes, Dictanote and Voice In are two seperate products built by the same team addressing different usecases.
Dictanote is a note taking app with built-in voice-to-text integration. Writes use it to write their books, students use it to takes notes, etc. Dictanote automatically syncs your notes to the cloud and makes it available on all your devices.
Voice In is a chrome extension that lets you use Speech-To-Text to type on any website in Chrome. Use it to type emails in Gmail, enter data into Teladoc, write blogs in Wordpress, etc. Learn more about Voice In
Yes, checkout Dictanote Transcribe. Transcribe lets you convert pre-recorded audio files to text.
Best Free Alternative To Dragon Naturally Speaking
At Dictanote, we take your privacy seriously. All your notes are stored securely encrypted on Dictanote servers.
We do not store or process any of your audio. We rely on Chrome's speech to text API to convert audio to text.
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