NaturallySpeaking Preferred 4

Companies which make voice-recognition software are also hoping to convince users to use their products for Web browsing, but Dragon's integration with Internet Explorer falls short of being ideal. 'NaturalWeb' loads up when you start IE 5, and following hyperlinks is made relatively simple by saying 'Click' followed by the words on the link. Using hyperlinked images is inevitably more difficult and Dragon's solution is a slightly clumsy approach of saying 'Click image' and then cycling through the images on the page until you find the one you want. Coupled with the tedium of spelling out Web addresses, browsing seems destined to remain the domain of the keyboard and mouse for the moment.

More disappointing is the price Dragon charges for its high-end product. The main differences between NaturallySpeaking Preferred and Standard are the former's Select-and-Say enhanced editing options, dictation playback and text-to-speech for proofreading. These are all useful tools, but whether they're worth an extra £68 is open to question - and when Dragon has a potential breakthrough product, it would seem wise to price it accordingly.

However, what really matters is that this product performs its central function - namely translating dictated words into written words - extremely well. This is the best voice-recognition software currently available. The only potential pitfall in its way is IBM's forthcoming ViaVoice Millennium Edition, but only time will tell if it can match NaturallySpeaking Preferred's short training time and fantastic recognition levels.

Author: Tim Danton