[MV] IBM's ViaVoice on Macintosh OS X and Windows XP

Mon Dec 1 15:15:57 PST 2003

Damien,

You have not had any of the problems I described earlier with Panther and
VV?  That is, inability to start VoiceCenter directly, problems with keeping
SpeakPad recognizing the mic when SpeakPad loses focus?  I wonder what I'm
doing wrong to have those stability problems?

Robert

> From: Damien Fox <ahdfox at mac.com>
> Reply-To: "MacVoice, Speech Recognition List"
> <MacVoice at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
> Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 17:47:12 -0500
> To: "MacVoice, Speech Recognition List" <MacVoice at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
> Subject: [MV] IBM's ViaVoice on Macintosh OS X and Windows XP
> 
> I second that--I have a PowerBook G4 with an 867 MHz processor/640MB
> running OS 10.3 with ViaVoice and no significant problems.  The dual
> 867 MHz G4 Tower I used previously was definitely faster, but the
> PowerBook is still quite functional.
> 
> My roommate, also a law student, suffers from repetitive strain
> injuries as well.  We both find ourselves dictating entire papers and
> creating course summaries on a daily basis.  That is, we create a
> variety of documents from e-mail's to term papers, Both of us doing
> almost exactly the same work.  We have both been using ViaVoice for
> nearly a year now.
> 
> While I use my PowerBook, he uses a Dell 1.7 gigahertz/256MB machine
> running Windows XP with the Windows version of ViaVoice.
> 
> our recognition success rate and satisfaction with the program is
> virtually identical.  That is not to say the programs themselves are
> identical, however.  The Windows version of ViaVoice provides, in my
> eyes, two main advantages over the Macintosh version.  first, it allows
> correction in any application, not just speakpad.  This means he
> actually uses the correction feature, while I do not as I dictate
> directly into AppleWorks.  second, the Windows version of ViaVoice
> provides superior dictation speed when dictating in Microsoft word.  I
> do not know why, but this is a fact.
> 
> In conclusion, I argue that the actual recognition rates are the same
> on both platforms, at least when using IBM's ViaVoice.  The Windows
> version provides better correction and better integration with
> Microsoft word ( if you consider that an advantage ;-))
> 
> furthermore, the Windows version of IBM's ViaVoice came with a much
> nicer looking USB headset than the Macintosh version.  it seems to
> function equally well, but I have not tried to switching headsets to
> see if the work on each other's platforms.
> 
> Program stability, however, seems better on the Macintosh than on
> windows.  This is not a scientific assessment but based on our mutual
> rantings in the hallway when our respective programs refuse to
> cooperate.
> 
> Installation is also significantly easier ( at least in our situation
> and experience) on the Macintosh than on the Windows version.  My
> roommate was an avid Windows gamer, yet still had difficulty setting up
> Ibm's ViaVoice on his Dell Computer.
> 
> finally, the Windows version of IBM's ViaVoice is cheaper than the
> Macintosh version.  I don't remember the prices now, but I remember he
> paid less than I did by I think 40 or $50.
> 
> In the end, the advantages of using a Macintosh outweigh the slight
> interface advantages of the Windows version of IBM's ViaVoice, given
> that the most important consideration of recognition accuracy seems to
> be identical.
> 
> while voice recognition software is not yet where I think most of us
> would want it to be, there are ways to improve recognition accuracy and
> one's satisfaction with the program.  fully training the system,
> performing corrections, adding words to the vocabulary, and maybe even
> going to some voice coaching lessons will all help make the program
> work better.  As a side note to all the law students out there, the
> legal add-on pack for IBM's ViaVoice is generally useless for
> Canadians, as It mostly focuses on American abbreviations and contains
> very Latin terms.  I added about 50 legal terms to my vocabulary and
> that seems to work just fine.
> 
> if you like your Mac but don't like your voice software, switching to
> a PC will not help you, unless Dragon dictate ( or whatever it's
> called) is significantly better than IBM's ViaVoice.  This may change
> in the future: from what people have been saying on this list looks
> like IBM's ViaVoice has been orphaned on the Macintosh, and our only
> future hope is iListen from MacSpeech.
> 
> For now, however rest assured that so long as you have a working system
> ( in my case a new PowerBook with the latest operating system) your
> Macintosh works roughly as well as its Windows counterpart.
> 
> 
> On Dec 1, 2003, at 5:09 PM, David K. Wehe wrote:
> 
>> 
>> Is this the "grass is greener" syndrome?  I haven't heard from many
>> people who have experienced SR on both the Mac and Windows -- at least
>> given both a serious shot and lived to report on any significant
>> differences.  The real question to me is accuracy ... not whether a
>> particular software program has better macros or user interface.  If I
>> seriously thought that speech recognition was significantly more
>> accurate using Windows rather than the Mac, I'd buy a Windows machine.
>> 
>> David.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I wonder how anyone who really needs speech recognition can use the
>>> Mac platform anymore.  My question to this list is how much you feel
>>> you are sacrificing to use SR on the Mac rather than Windows?
>>> 
>> 
>> ----------
>> <http://www.themacintoshguy.com/lists/MacVoiceFAQ.html>.
>> Send a message to <MacVoice-DIGEST at themacintoshguy.com> to switch to
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>> 
>> iMic    | Connect virtually any microphone or sound input device via
>> USB
>> Dr. Bott | Now $35.00      <http://www.drbott.com/prod/iMic.html>
>> 
>> MacResQ Specials: LaCie SCSI CDR From $99! PowerBook 3400/200 Only
>> $879! Norton AntiVirus 6 Only $19! We Stock PARTS!
>> <http://www.macresq.com>
>> 
>> iListen by  | Dictate or Transcribe your next email (or anything else).
>> MacSpeech  | Buy iListen 1.5 for $99. Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X!
>> at Dr. Bott |      <http://www.drbott.com/prod/macspeech.html>
>> at Dr. Bott |      <http://www.drbott.com/prod/macspeech.html>
>> 
> 
> 
> ----------
> <http://www.themacintoshguy.com/lists/MacVoiceFAQ.html>.
> Send a message to <MacVoice-DIGEST at themacintoshguy.com> to switch to the
> digest version.
> 
> iMic    | Connect virtually any microphone or sound input device via USB
> Dr. Bott | Now $35.00      <http://www.drbott.com/prod/iMic.html>
> 
> MacResQ Specials: LaCie SCSI CDR From $99! PowerBook 3400/200 Only $879!
> Norton AntiVirus 6 Only $19! We Stock PARTS! <http://www.macresq.com>
> 
> iListen by  | Dictate or Transcribe your next email (or anything else).
> MacSpeech  | Buy iListen 1.5 for $99. Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X!
> at Dr. Bott |      <http://www.drbott.com/prod/macspeech.html>
> at Dr. Bott |      <http://www.drbott.com/prod/macspeech.html>
> 