Subject: Voice recognition software

From: Chanoch Weil <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 14:17:54 +0300

The following article is by Bruce Couper:

~Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 16:29:29 -0400
~From: Bruce Couper <[email-masked]>
~Reply-To: MS Canada List <[email-masked]>
To: MS Canada List <[email-masked]>
~Subject: MSC: Finally - that article I promised on voice input

Hi folks

I'm finally getting around to that article on the voice-recognition system
I'm using, Kurzweil VoicePad Pro.  Everything seems to be taking longer
these days.  I know there are messages on the list I should be responding
to, but today this has priority.

Background:

The explosive growth of the Internet has opened a new world for many folks
with MS and others isolated by disease and disability.  As wonderful as
this is, the very tools for its use can be an impediment or barrier for
some of us.  There are always solutions, of course -- some examples are
larger screens or voice output for folks with limited or no vision and
enhanced keyboards or voice input for folks who find it difficult for
impossible to use a standard keyboard.

Some solutions, such as "sticky-key" programs or settings are simple and
free.  Others, such as very large displays and voice input can be quite
expensive, though various provincial assistance programs may help.  The
solution I'll write about here is one which is very reasonably priced and
might meet the needs of those of us who can still use a mouse (or
trackball) and/or keyboard to a very limited degree, but who might benefit
from voice input for writing.

Please note that the software I will mention are the "lite" or least
expensive versions.  The "full" versions do very much more, at much greater
cost.  For example, Dragon Systems has a new product which is supposed to
allow natural, continuous speech, without the short pauses required by
other systems.  It and the more powerful versions of voice-recognition
software from other companies also allow dictation into any application and
control of the Windows environment (such as menus, dialogue boxes etc..).

The Important Bits:

I'm "writing" this with Kurzweil VoicePad Pro, a voice-recognition word
processor that allows me to write anything and everything without touching
a key.  I speak and the words appear on the screen at a rate that's many
times faster than my last few years keying with one finger; at least as
fast, in fact, as I could type when I was young and a fairly quick
touch-typist.

Voice-recognition software has been available for a few years now, getting
better as both the software improved and computers became more powerful.
Some of us have watched, wishing we could afford both the software and
hardware.  Then, some of us have slowly acquired faster hardware but have
balked at the high cost of the software, often in the $800 to $1000+ range.

If, like me, you can still use a mouse or trackball and keyboard to at
least the limited degree necessary to run programs, manage files etc. and
really only need or want voice input for writing things like email, or want
a simpler and less expensive step before buying "full" voice-recognition
software that does almost everything, then read on.

I've been looking at voice input for some time, even going to a friend's
house to try his.  I've seen the excellent DragonDictate and IBM VoiceType
for Windows 95.  Both work well (with DragonDictate being the more popular,
I believe, and seeming to have more complete control over the Windows
environment, against IBM's impressive context-sensitive recognition), but
both are far more expensive than I can afford.  Provincial assistance
programs are great, but the waiting list is long.

I found an alternative.  Kurzweil VoicePad Pro does everything I currently
need and does it very well at a Canadian price of $119 (when I bought
mine).  Much more attractive.  Not only that, I was able to download a demo
version to try out.  While recognition accuracy is at best abysmal without
a high-quality microphone, the demo shows well how the software works.  I
ordered the commercial version from a Canadian supplier.  Additionally, if
I do decide to upgrade to their more expensive version which works with
other software, I can do so at a savings and in any case their more
expensive product is in the range of half the price of their competitors.

I don't feel qualified to compare the various products now available.  Both
IBM and Dragon Systems have "lite" versions available, priced close to
Kurzweil VoicePad Pro.  My guess is that it's a matter of personal
preference.  Certainly, one can use a search engine to check Usenet
messages people are writing about those products.  I can tell you that the
IBM product, VoiceType Simply Speaking, like the Kurzweil product, operates
within its own Wordpad-like word processor.  As I understand it, the Dragon
Systems products, called I think, "Singles", operate with specific
applications.

I find the Kurzweil product very easy and intuitive to use.  Rather than
try to explain precisely how it works, though, I'll leave it to anyone
interested to try the demo version or email me questions.  Instead, I'll
give you an example of my using it, and I'll add some things I think folks
should consider before buying.

I start by first running VoicePad Pro.  It takes a few moments to start,
after which I just leave it in the background.

When I've read an email message I wish to respond to, in my email program,
I click the reply button which then displays the original message in quoted
form.  I right-click on the message body and click Select All from the
popup menu, then right-click and select Cut, cutting the text to the
clipboard.  I then switch to VoicePad Pro and paste the quoted message
there.  The rest is done just as we all do, except by voice input rather
than using the keyboard.

When the message is completed, I say "cut-all" which executes a command
I've created in VoicePad Pro which cuts all the text of the reply to the
clipboard and shrinks the size of the VoicePad Pro window.  I then
right-click on the exposed part of my original mail program reply window
and click Paste.  Done.  It's not quite as convenient as dictating directly
into the original application, but the extra steps make only a few moments.

Those Considerations:

Accuracy --
The various products claim 90% accuracy, initially, with final accuracy of
97% or better after extended use or "enrollment".  I've found this to be a
tad optimistic with VoicePad Pro, but good, only when I'm well-rested and
quite alert.  I can speak quite clearly under those conditions, but as MS
fatigue sets in, my volume drops out and I become less careful, more apt to
not leave the sight pause required between words and less consistent in my
enunciation.  Therefore, I would suggest that folks need to be able to
speak fairly clearly and quite consistently.  Since MS sometimes affects
the clarity of speech, this can be a very real problem.

Hardware requirements --
While Kurzweil VoicePad Pro claims it will run on a 486-75, under Windows
3.1x, I rather expect that all available products are more realistically
run on a Pentium-class computer under Windows 95.  My other guess is that
16 megabytes of RAM would be a realistic minimum for reasonable speed.  You
also need a compatible sound card (it looks like they all work with a broad
range, with Sound Blaster 16 being the standard).

Which is "best" --
I don't know.  As I suggested earlier, it's probably a matter of personal
preference.  However, IBM does offer to accept product returns within a
specified time.  I don't know that they'd care for my suggesting this, but
since the very same microphone is included with both IBM VoiceType Simply
Speaking and Kurzweil VoicePad Pro, if one purchased the IBM product and
had any doubt about its appropriateness, one could try the demo of the
Kurzweil product and at least compare them.  I'm sorry, but I don't know
the return policies, if there are any, for either Kurzweil products or
Dragon Systems products.  You might want to ask.

A personal observation --
I've been doing this for some time, now, and am finally comfortable with
it; "comfortable", not in the sense of being able to use this software, of
being able to dictate words which appear on the screen, but comfortable in
another way I hadn't anticipated before starting.

I've spent a good many years "typing", then keying, my thoughts.  When
word-processors arrived, editing became easy and words thrown out too
carelessly could easily be rearranged.  Talking into a microphone was
suddenly very different.  I can't tell you why, I can just tell you that,
aside from the time it took to learn to use this, it took quite a while to
feel comfortable dictating.  Different brain pathways?

Finally --
There it is, folks.  I probably wouldn't thrill any of the three companies
I mentioned, but I did promise to attempt some article on my experiences
with voice input and this is at least a lengthy beginning.  I'll add links
to the three companies I mentioned and I urge anyone interested to check
out all three (there may be others I've not seem that are worth
considering).  There are doubtless considerations I've not thought of and
advantages some have of which I'm unaware.  Also, Gerry Gold might comment
on his use of the version of VoiceType that comes with IBM OS/2, as might
Don Harber on the Windows version of that software.

Please email any questions you have about my use of Kurzweil VoicePad Pro,
or if you think others would really be interested, post to the list with a
cc to me to ensure I see it immediately.  And do tell me if there is more
about this that you'd like written here.

Take care all

Bruce Couper,  in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

=====================================

Kurzweil
http://www.kurzweil.com/

IBM VoiceType Simply Speaking
http://www.software.ibm.com/is/voicetype/simply-speaking/usa/speaktxt.html

Dragon Systems
http://www.dragonsys.com/