Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
Just over a year ago , I reviewedDragon Dictate 2.5 , which was an incremental upgrade to interlingual rendition 2.0 of the program . Nuance has now releasedDragon Dictate 3 , ramp up on the foundation arise over the past few years since the companyacquired MacSpeech , the original developer of Dictate ( MacSpeech ’s Dictate used the Dragon speech - realisation engine ) .
Dragon Dictate 3 includes both improvement and new features . One of the small - yet - valuable add-on to the programme is the presence of a simple , synergistic tutorial that play when using Dragon Dictate for the first time , or whenever a new profile is created . ( Profiles are create when you begin voice training the program with a specific microphone . The visibility also check information about your vocal style , which aid the Dragon Dictate improve recognition over time . )
The tutorial helps familiarize new exploiter with the basics of dictation : how to speak punctuation , how to compensate mistake , and how to edit schoolbook . While I certainly recommend reading the manual , the tutorial can have you up and run with Dragon Dictate 3 in just a few minute of arc . I also commend download theDragon Dictate Command Cheat Sheet for Mac , which lists the most commonly used bidding .
refinement down Dragon Dictate 3 ’s recognition locomotive , and in my trial , out - of - the - box accuracy was perceptibly good than in the previous edition . ( My mental testing were performed after do the obligatory 5 - min voice training session after creating a visibility . ) Correction is a bite smoother as well , and one illustrious gain is what Nuance calls Smart Format Rules . When you say certain character of text ( numbers , abbreviations , salute , etc . ) , the Smart Format Rules palette come along , inquire if , for example , you wish to always apply numerals or always spell out numbers . you may conform a number of car formatting place setting in the Tools - > Auto Formatting window , but the Smart Format Rules palette can salvage a lot of time , since it appears the first meter you say certain type of texts .
Transcription
arrangement is another pavilion feature article in Dragon Dictate 3 . you could dictate into a digital voice recorder , or you could use Nuance ’s free Dragon Recorder app on your iPhone , iPad , iPod touch , or Android smartphone . When you move these audio file to your Mac , Dragon Dictate 3 can transcribe them .
The first time you apply transcription , Dragon Dictate 3 carry a few minutes to analyse your recording to recognize how you speak . Dragon Dictate then interprets the schoolbook and places it in a new Notepad document . later , when you transcribe text , there will be no initial preparation and calibration .
The recording feature has a few caveats . When using recording , you’re able to not make correction as you go , so a scrap of post - editing is required on the text . However , while on the road , this is an fantabulous fashion to take notes and transliterate them when you get back to your desk . You need to use the received Dragon Dictate commands for punctuation and new paragraphs ; otherwise you will have execute - on sentences .
Storage considerations
If you ’re do command with an iOS machine , make certain you have enough free storage space — Dragon Recorder save up audio files in .wav data format , and these file take up about 2.7 MB per minute . If you wish to use a digital record-keeper , Dragon Dictate 3 can agnize a numeral of audio file formats : .mov , .wav , .aiff , .m4v , and .m4a . However , it does not endure .mp3 filing cabinet , and many digital fipple pipe offer only .wav and .mp3 — you’ll take to use the uncompressed .wav data formatting that have up the most space . Some vertical flute support only .wma and .mp3 , which means you ca n’t utilize bring the audio filing cabinet directly into Dragon Dictate 3 . Most people wo n’t hit the point of accumulation of space on a digital recorder , but if you do order a lot , you need to keep this in judgement and perhaps get a recording machine with more infinite . ( The standard 2 GB digital vertical flute still holds about 3 hours of recording in .wav data format . )
It ’s not a handsome change , but the direction Dragon order 3 installs is different from the premature edition . Before , the program installed about 2 GB of keep files in the user ’s software Support leaflet . Now , these data file are install at the system horizontal surface , so if you have multiple users working with Dragon Dictate on the same Mac , the accompaniment files wo n’t be duplicated , saving phonograph record outer space . While this is n’t really a trouble with Macs using great capability hard drives , it helps with Macs equipped with strong - state drives that do n’t tender as much storage space .
Note that if you ’re running OS X 10.8 , the late version of Dragon Dictate ( 2.5 ) does n’t work very well , so if you dictate regularly , you ’ll require to update it .
Bottom line
Dragon Dictate is n’t consummate , and may never be . There are still glitches when editing and correcting , notably with emended texts having capitalized words where none are intended . When correcting words or phrases , sometimes the programme selects a different one from the one you want to correct . ( For example , you want to objurgate a Christian Bible in the last sentence you dictated , but the program take one three paragraphs higher . ) Version 3 of Dragon Dictate does offers ameliorate credit out of the box seat , which allow new users to start appreciating the broadcast ’s power in good order away . And written text is a feature many users have wanted since Dragon Dictate ’s first Mac version .
