Dictation Software & Applications

iPad the second has been released and apart from all the sexy bells and whistles it possesses one quiet modest little app that could change the lives of students and professionals who spend long hours at the keyboard banging out volumes of copy. Dictation software has been around for yonks but it has always been fraught with peculiar issues and output that made it impractical for any real purpose. That has changed.

The Dragon dictation app for iPad II was the first really effective example I’d ever seen of dictation software which actually writes what is said. Apparently it doesn’t just do it for the iPads either. The software is compatible with Windows and Mac and the only thing that still has me confounded is why everyone isn’t talking instead of typing. Dragon isn’t the only dictation software that boasts seamless text from the spoken word, others include:

• The range of Nuance Dragon products which includes, home, premium and professional.
• Mac Speech Dictate is obviously the Mac version of dictation software so it’s interesting they’re using Dragon for iPad and iPhone.
• eSpeaking is another, but the online specs and user reviews aren’t that impressive.
• Talking Desktop has some decent features but scored the lowest for accuracy in reviews.

Those were the ones that struck me first in my search but there may be many more. Student prices are significantly lower for some of these products so be sure to ask if you have student ID. The piece de resistance of this software is that apparently it learns voice tone and inflection and adapts to work with individual nuances.  For writers, researchers and college students this software has the potential to cut literally hours from written assignments. What will we do with all that extra time?