Larry Bodine Law Marketing Blog

I just purchased Dragon Naturally Speak 8 Preferred speech recognition software. The user speaks into a microphone and the software types the words on your computer screen. I plan to use it to see if it's a good program for marketers to use. Also, I'm going to lose the use of my left arm on July 1.

The info on the box says it works with email, instant messages, surfing the web, AOL, Word and Excel. If you've had experience with speech recognition software or use Dragon Naturally Speaking, please add a comment below. 

I bought it at CompUSA for $189.99.  I was lured to the store by a misleading discount offer. The advertisement said "$50 off!"  However, after I opened the box, it turned out I can only get the rebate if I'm upgrading from Dragon, IBM or L&H software and I have to send in the original product CD.  I feel ripped off.

Inside the box is an installation CD, a headset microphone, a quick reference card and -- saints be praised! -- a printed manual!  I can't remember the last time I bought software that actually came with a manual.

Dragon claims you can get up to 99% accuracy.  But a colleague of mine said that's true only if you speak slowly and clearly, and then you get maybe 85% accuracy. If that's so, it means that very 17th word I use will be jargumbled!#$%&.  People who know me well with hardly notice the difference.