Itamar -- So... it appears I GOT YOU GOAT !

Yet, your smug reply fails to rebut the basic proposition that, today,
DNS has a better, more complete user interface, and is easier to
implement than MS Speech - even with its new macro capabilities, and
Marty's helpful add-on. DNS is far more likely to be adopted by real
world business - and for good reasons. A novice user will be up and
running with DNS long before another will be with MS Speech.

1) FACT = MS Speech may work better for YOU,... but NOT for ME. And
I am not alone. No program can claim universal best accuracy.

2) FACT = Today, the learning curve and "futz factor" is much
higher for MS Speech than for Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Dragon Ver. 10
is easier to install, access, and implement than the unsupported,
undocumented, covert beta applet we know as MS Speech. Even Microsoft
treats it more like an illegitimate child, than the next killer
application that will usher in a new era in productivity. MS Speech
lacks the relatively complete user interface and supporting
documentation that accompanies DNS. A novice would find DNS far easier
to install and implement.

3) OPINION = You unduly discount the enormity of your personal
investment in learning to MS Speech. I suggest you do not represent
the typical businessman, who does not believe he can afford the time it
takes to make SR software an effective tool. You are more far more
erudite, inquisitive, and patient with new technology and more willing
to adopt new methods of doing work. The real world has a different
assessment of its potential.

4) MARKET DATA SUPPORTS MY POSITION - Busy business executives will
not adopt speech recognition unless and until it comes easily - and DNS
comes easier than MS Speech. I posit you are older with more time to
devote to this technology than the typical businessman. And, I bet you
do not bill your time on an hourly fee basis. I have spoken with
hundreds of lawyers and business executives at productivity seminars
over the past 15 years, who will not devote the same time and effort you
and I have invested to adopt a dramatically new work paradigm. Maybe a
younger crowd, having grown up in the digital age will see things
differently. But the current rabble does not perceive sufficient
benefit for the cost.

4) FACT = I sampled the new VISTA OS and its clandestine speech applet
long enough to know it is not ready for prime time general use. The
VISTA OS offers me NO ADVANTAGE over Win XP, so I and many others
continue to use Win XP. And I am not alone in this assessment.
Microsoft acknowledged this by extending support for Win XP and
initiating new marketing initiatives to better promote the new OS,
e.g., releasing an advert calling the new OS the "Mojave Project," and
even creating a separate YouTube Channel just to promote VISTA - which
is far from popular, to put it mildly. There is nothing really new
and exciting in VISTA - just the same old wine in a new bottle. And
many of the so-called improvements are mere different ways of displaying
the same data, but for no tangible advantage. None of the changes
helped me push more paper out the door with less effort.

6) FACT = Microsoft only recently produced a macro assembly feature -
but discussion on this reflector proves it is neither complete, nor easy
to use. YOU have time to figure it out. But a busy businessman does
not.

7) FACT - Even Mr. Pogue's article mentions one must cobble together a
combination of secondary resources to even begin to approach the sort of
user interface DNS presents. (Thanks to Marty and Company...) But,
consider the time spent discussing and crafting macros in this group.
It is a long way from easy or convenient. Regardless of how powerful it
COULD BE, it requires substantial time and effort to accomplish the
task. Real world business has already proven it will not make that kind
of investment.

8) OPINION -- OTHERS are developing the software capabilities for
Microsoft, which is, apparently, unwilling to commit the necessary
resources to complete the job, itself. DragonSystems, IBM, Phillips,
L&H, Kurzweil AI, each published a "finished" product with a complete
UI. Microsoft is still way behind the curve, and yet it is the biggest
technology player in history. Microsoft continues to just dabble at it,
and remains way behind the curve in producing a slick, polished, and
complete user interface for the average consumer. If the other guys
could do it years ago, why not Microsoft today? They are either unable
or unwilling to complete the task. I suggest the latter.

9) CONCLUSION = DNS is the only slick, complete, easy to install and
implement SR program available. And for SOME (most perhaps?) it is as
accurate or better than MS Speech. It is for me, at least.

--- --- ---- -----

SUPERFLUOUS FACT = There is no offensive stigma associated with being a
computer geek... You cannot realistically decry the appellation
"computer geek." Your protest is completely belied by your incredible
investment of time and effort to learn and implement this technology.
Come on, already, you attained geek status long ago! Looks like I got
your goat this time! You should not take this so personal! I just
wish I could be as accomplished.

--- --- ---- -----

OVERVIEW = So it seems we disagree strongly on what works, and what is
a good investment of time and money. FOR MY MONEY, FREE FROM MICROSOFT
DOES NOT CUT IT. The investment is way to high. So... for now, I
will stick to what works, and works well.

FOOTNOTE = You fellows cannot imagine my respect for Itamar and the
others who have doggedly slaved over this technology, blazing the trail
for others. Nor should you underestimate my respect for Mr. Chambers
and his crew at Microsoft, who have made this their life's work. But I
am, nonetheless, compelled to conclude Microsoft, as a company, has
failed to commit the necessary resources to timely complete the task.
We are still a long way from that ad where the guy paces back and forth
and speaks commands to his computer and it responds appropriately by
setting his calendar, sending his email, and doing other neato stuff.

Happy trails. ====== Richards - K8JHR ==========

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



Itamar Even-Zohar wrote:
> --- In ms-speech@yahoogroups.com, "robch_ms" <ms-speech@...> wrote:
>> Did you all see this?
>>
>> http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/05/talk-is-cheaper/
>>
>
> Our friend Richards contributed to the blog the following comment:
>
> "Anyone wanting to do work, and not take time to play computer geek,
> will want to use the Nuance program. It is ready to use, easier to
> understand and implement, and has a polished User Interface."
>
> Well, as a person who does work with WSR and who currently does
> prefer it to DNS, I resent being called one who plays computer geek.
> I posted the following comment in response to Richards' whimsey:
>
> I do not disagree with Richards that DNS is an excellent program.
> However, my experience, although it goes back only to 1996, has been
> somewhat different. I have reached much greater accuracy already with
> MS Speech 2003, and am now reaching higher accuracy with Windows
> Speech Recognition than I do with DNS 9.5. With the new macro tool
> (you don't have to buy the WSRToolkit to be able to write macros,
> though if you wish to begin, this is a great tool indeed), the
> commands that are available in WSR are now far more flexible and
> versatile than DNS 9.5. I don't really expect version 10 to be a
> quantum leap: it is still based on SAPI4, and I have read that there
> are installation problems and that successful commands had been
> eliminated (numeral-text conversions). However, if, like Richards,
> you have only casually tried WSR but are proficient in DNS, stick to
> the latter!
>
> Users who need more than one language, however, must go a hell to
> acquire the necessary language modules from Nuance "international"
> branches, while WSR's 6 languages can be downloaded via Update free
> of charge. WSR French, Spanish and German are excellent products.
>
> For a fuller comparison of features and PROs and CONs considerations
> please check my speech page: http://speech.even-zohar.com
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>