Trade or Sale: semi-vintage software, Dragon Naturally Speaking 6

[Bobthearch]

I gave these a last-minute reprieve from the dumpster. Total of two available.

This is Dragon Naturally Speaking 6 by ScanSoft, practically new-in-box condition. Looks like someone opened the boxes to check the contents but never bothered to install. Each box contains:
- CD, never opened, and intact registration stickers
- Headset, still in sealed bag (one box includes two headsets)
- 270 page User's Guide, in new unread condition
- quick reference cards

If anyone can use these, even just to try out or play with, I'm open to a wide variety of trades, or make $$ offer. I expect shipping will be in the $6-12 range.

 

[Raven]

Cool, but considering the nature of voice-recognition software I'd much rather use a newer one. I've tried 9 before and even it was iffy. If one was set on using voice recognition on an older system I suppose that might be the thing for them though. :D

 

[Bobthearch]

Cool, but considering the nature of voice-recognition software I'd much rather use a newer one. I've tried 9 before and even it was iffy. If one was set on using voice recognition on an older system I suppose that might be the thing for them though. :D

I tried it once, years ago, within Linux. I reached my patience level about halfway through the setup process.

A good point regarding using with older computers. Here are the minimum specs as printed on the Naturally Speaking box:
Pentium II / 400mhz processor
128MB RAM
300MB hard drive space
Windows 95C, 98, 2000, ME, XP, NT
Soundblaster 16 compatible sound, speakers
IE 5 or higher
CD-ROM drive
Headset (included)

Heck, most of the computers I find in the dumpster meet these specs.

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I'd also like to point out that the latest comparable version is $167 at NewEgg. I'm willing to let these go for significantly less than that.

 

[kvanderlaag]

Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 is incredible. We used to have a client who used the Medical version - he was a radiologist at a veterinary hospital, and he used it to "type" up his reports. It worked very well for him.

From what I hear, and what I remember circa 2001, it was...not so good, back then. Still, this would be fun to play with.

 

[barythrin]

lol, I tried out two of the earlier varieties but can't think of the other non-Dragon software. Yeah I tried dictating things to it but I think I spent most of my time telling it "no.. no... back. back. back. meeting. ...no.. back back" it was great fun j/k.

I know they got better and better though. For what it's worth if anyone has a wearable computer this is the software they intended it to be used with so you could do hands free mode and speak your command into Windows. The government was the target audience for a lot of this but mostly for time saving and multitasking nothing super secret. The example that I remember Xybernaut imagining was a mechanic working on an aircraft. They can use both hands but have the schematic on their eyepiece and give commands via the mic headset to zoom into a part, etc.