Scansoft claims that Dragon Naturally Speaking 8 makes 20 per cent fewer errors than in version 7, and can be up to 99 per cent accurate, which is better than most typists.

DNS8 can make as few as one mistake in 100 words, but you'd be hard put to get that accuracy consistently. By voice, corrections can be tricky, but a pop-up box giving other interpretations helps. Even with correction time, DNS8 can be as quick or quicker than a keyboard on a fast PC.

We tried it on a Motion Computing Tablet PC, using its twin built-in noise-cancellation microphones rather than the Scansoft-provided headset, which was surprisingly effective. Correcting voice transcription by the tablet's handwriting recognition was quicker than using the soft keyboard; the greater input speed outweighs the chance of secondary errors.

This is getting back to the convenience of the writing pad and makes tablets of all sizes - even ultra-personal PCs the size of PDAs - more useful as working platforms.

New features in version 8 include a scan of your documents and contacts files to pick up names and specialist vocabulary, while smart formatting allows you to specify how acronyms and dates are spelled out.

The DNS8 Preferred edition will transcribe dictation taken from recommended PDAs or digital voice recorders. We used a Philips 9350 recorder but had to phone the company to discover how to get it to deliver the required wav format.

Prices:
Standard £79.99 (£68.08 ex VAT)
Preferred £149.99 (£127.65 ex VAT)
Professional (with customisation tools) £548.72 (£467 ex VAT)

Contact:
Scansoft 0871 872 0150
www.scansoft.com

System requirements: