Review of MacSpeech Dictate version 1.5.5
Conclusion first
It works and you can get it here.
Right from the start, my “writing” with MacSpeech Dictate has been faster than my 10-finger-system and more accurate, too.
Dictating the text is a lot different than typing it. Since you think about what you want to say in advance, it seems slower. In order to objectify this sensation, I took the time to write a text instead of dictating it. The result: dictating was much faster.
I highly recommend MacSpeech Dictate for everyone who must create text on a daily basis.
How I came across MacSpeech Dictate?
I tried dictation software out a few years ago, and it was a total disaster. During hands-on training, everything seemed to be okay, but when I put dictation to actual use, the software practically did not recognize even one single word.
Around six months ago, I then came across a neat blog entry by David Pogue about the tools he uses to be highly productive and to generate a lot of text. What he uses is MacSpeech Dictate and he wrote that he has been using it for quite some time now.
So if David Pogue uses it, others should definitely give it a try, too.
Installation
The installation was easy and hassle-free. Just like with any other Mac application, all you have to do is double-click the installation package and follow the steps through the installation process. The installation only takes a few minutes and you can then get started with your first training right away.
The very first training
The headset is connected to your Mac. The headset and the MacSpeech solution adjust themselves to your way of speaking automatically. Now it is time for you to dictate your first training story. You have to dictate the words and punctuation marks. If MacSpeech does not understand what you said, everything is marked in red. In my specific case, that only happened very seldomly. In most cases, MacSpeech turned green practically all of the time.
The very first dictation
After completing my first training, I opened TextEdit and dictated my first sentences. Amazingly, it worked! The key is to talk the same way that you do during training and actual dictation. I speak as clearly as possible and enunciate every word to further enable MacSpeech to recognize my dictation correctly.
Overall, the first dictation definitely motivated me to keep on going.
Dictating the first blog entry
The blog entry you’re reading right now is dictated in entirety, the only exceptions being the formatting, correcting some typos and inserting the necessary links.
Where to go from here?
There’s no doubt about it - the first steps with MacSpeech Dictate are definitely encouraging. It recognizes almost every word I dictate. I only have to correct some typos manually once in a while.
What does dictating really entail?
My father always had a secretary, nowadays generally called an assistant, who keyed in everything he dictated. That’s why he was trained to think before he spoke. I’m now following his path. Otherwise, I would have to correct the dictation again and again and again.
Some final tips
You can adapt the speed of recognition as opposed to its accuracy in the preference pane under the recognition tap. Just play around with it. It worked wonders for me to start with the slider closer to “accuracy” than “speed.”
If I run into a problem with one word time and again, not only does it help me to repeat that one word, but also to repeat one or more words preceding it.
MacSpeech Dictate’s quick-start guide is tremendously helpful when it comes to dictating the right command.
One thing you need to know about my English
English is not my native language. I am a German who grew up in Germany. The good news is that I do not have a strong accent. I have no idea how this affects the result of my dictations.
Summing up
MacSpeech Dictate is a Mac software that really helped me get started with this new thing called dictation. No doubt about it, learning to speak in print is challenging. However, it is a challenge that is well worth the effort because it is faster.
After one hour of training and dictating this blog entry, I’m just as fast as if I would have written it with my 10-finger-system. I fully expect to be faster using dictation in just a few more days.
I’ll definitely keep you updated on my progress and maybe, just maybe, I’ll have the chance to conduct a review of the international version of MacSpeech Dictate as well. I can hardly wait to check the dictation in German, my mother tongue, out, too.
If you’re thinking about using MacSpeech Dictate, I can only encourage you to give it a try. It is not a no-brainer, but in just a few minutes, you can dictate as fast as you can when you write with your fingers. You don’t believe me? Put it to the test!
The most important side-effect: I am learning how to think before I speak.
Please let me know: How does MacSpeech Dictate work for you?
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