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Average user rating:
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Full user review
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"Has handsfree control in 2 editions under $150"
Pros: Learns well if you take the time to teach it
Cons: Not as good out of the box as Dragon
Summary: I was really surprised to see the CNET review say ViaVoice doesn't have handsfree control. I am quadriplegic and have been dependent on ViaVoice for over 5 years. It def. has hands free control including VoiceMouse. But only in the two top editions (Pro and Advanced, as of edition 10). So I guess they tested the personal edition. Anyway, Advanced lists at $79 and Pro is under $150. I use a desktop microphone (logitech, $12) because I can't manage a headset. Here's my take. Straight out of the box, Dragon will blow your socks off. But to get full voice navigation you need the $600 version. ViaVoice isn't "buggy" in my experience--but straight out of the box, it doesn't recognize individual variations in pronunciation, so it makes more errors. HOWEVER (a big however), ViaVoice learns beautifully. If you're willing to invest 40 hours in reading to it and correcting its misunderstandings, you'll end up with something with super high accuracy, voice macros, and handsfree navigation at a much lower cost than Dragon. Dragon has been pitched at medical professionals who have the money to spend up front and don't want to take the time to "train" the system. If that's you, get Dragon. But if you are on a tighter budget or are happy to spend the time to train it properly, ViaVoice is an excellent choice. Just read the features list carefully to make sure it has VoiceMouse and Direct Dictation as features.
IBM ViaVoice Advanced Edition 10:
