> Yes, I know -- you're all shocked to hear that there's a conflict.

NaturallySpeaking Version 6 is very problematic. Several features do not work.
The program seems to crash frequently. Hands-free operation is even less
possible than with previous versions of the software. Keyboard navigation no
longer works on some screens. "Automatic Playback on Correction" does not work
in the Spell Dialog. Version 6 does not support the "Default Font=x" and
"Default Font Size=y" in OPTIONS.INI. And the list goes on.

The most significant problem, in my option, is that the program adjusts to the
user's voice and vocabulary in a new way. I don't fully understand what
ScanSoft is trying to accomplish by changing something so fundamental, but one
result is that the program automatically adds word FRAGMENTS to the lexicon.
After a few days of use, the program had, without prompting from me, added
dozens of nonsense "words" to my active vocabulary. The consequences of this
change cannot be good. Version 6 updates the lexicon/voice files when the user
types or dictates over selected text. The program is supposed to be smart
enough to determine whether the user is revising the document or correcting a
misrecognition. However, I don't see how the program can make this distinction
when the selected text and the replacement text are similar. From Version 1
through 5, revising text and fixing misrecognitions have been two distinct
processes. The fact that NaturallySpeaking made it easy to revise rendered it
better than ViaVoice for users who do serious writing. In Version 6, the
processes of correcting misrecognized utterances and revising text are
blurred. One possible outcome is that the act of revising text may result in a
degradation in performance.

Version 6 does have a number of improvements:

- Version 6 has an excellent set of web-navigation commands.
- You can now say, "Scratch That x Times."
- The "Getwords," "Putwords," and "VocEdit" utilities are now built-into the
program.
- You can add contact names from your address book. Very simple and effective.
- "Play That" points to where it is reading. This should be a boon to people
with certain LDs.
- The text-to-speech reads in a very pleasant synthesized voice.

Despite these improvements, I hesitate to recommend version 6. I have advised
people who use Versions 4 or 5 to hold off upgrading until ScanSoft fixes at
least the more conspicuous problems.

Alan

Alan Cantor
Cantor + Associates Inc.
Workplace Accommodation Consultants
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www.interlog.com/~acantor