Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Standard

The key problem is that, even though there is a dedicated command mode, moving the cursor around, editing text and generally fiddling around with the way something has been written is clunky. Telling a piece of software to "move up one line", "go back three words", or "go to end the document" doesn't make for swift document editing. And neither is the web browsing perfect: advanced Ajax-based websites such as the BBC and Gmail seem to flummox it, with its link-clicking engine missing large swathes of pages. You can control the mouse cursor with your voice if it comes to it, however, using a cunning grid-based movement system.

However, Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 works extremely well and the extra features - the handy help system, automatic learning system and web browsing controls - push it ahead of Vista's built-in offering. If you choose the standard version, it's actually pretty good value, too, at £60 (exc VAT), a price that also includes a standard headset. For that alone it deserves to be applauded, although we still can't see ourselves making a habit of talking to our PCs in the office.

Author: Jonathan Bray