I Speak Dragon to Improve My Creativity

Albert F.
After being ordained to a Deacon in the Catholic Church in February of 2006, I was compelled to write my life story in a book. There is an expression that everyone has at least one good book in them and I decided to write about the best topic I knew: myself and my journey of faith. Having used Dragon for completing three different masters’ degree programs, I felt perfectly comfortable using this powerful tool to be able to write my manuscript. In approximately 3 months, I had a completed manuscript of over 105,000 words prepared and sent off to be published. Being a new author, I elected to self-publish my book. On December 12, 2006, my book went live with my print-on-demand publisher and on Amazon.com. The title of the publication is "From Sinner to Servant”. Once again, I don't believe that I could have completed the manuscript as quickly as I did without the use of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I have sold over a hundred copies to date and I have received personal responses on how well the story reads. Thank you for bringing my story to life through print.

Carol N.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking allows me to wear two hats: (1) technical and business writer and (2) novelist. Traveling to and working at technical writing jobs didn't leave me much time for writing fiction, so I purchased Dragon NaturallySpeaking and a Sony recorder. I recorded while driving in the car to and from work and wherever else the muse struck. Then, I connected the recorder to Dragon via USB and my deathless prose was transcribed in the word processing software I use to write books. Thanks to Dragon, what used to be only a dream has become a reality. I have two romance novels being released this year and a third is in progress. Thank you.

Dr. Chaplain
My use is in poetry and I am currently writing a book. I have used this product since I purchased it in 1998, both at home and as OTR Truck Driver. It has benefited mainly in areas when hand typing was not an option. I would recommend this program to anyone that is handicapped or is in any way unable to physically type on a keyboard or has any impairment that might complicate their options. I believe that my purchase of this product was by far my best investment in the computer technology since it first came out.

Peter B.
For many years now, since 1970, I have kept handwritten journals. My hand writing is abysmal. Even I have trouble reading the journals. I have been using Dragon Naturally Speaking to transcribe them for my children and grandchildren. Reading these journals has given me a perspective of my life. Many revelations have resulted about various events. Some of these revelations have been surprising and shocking. Without DNS, transcription would be much more difficult. Now I can leave behind a legacy of my experiences that others can reflect upon. I have also discovered that I can record my thoughts directly without handwriting them by using a portable voice recorder. I am considering turning this into a minor business where I transcribe journals for others. Many people have had ancestors leave behind handwritten letters and journals that would be more accessible if typed and electronically preserved. DNS is a useful way of preserving history.

Herbert M.
I use Dragon to improve the work I do. In the past I purchased a couple of books, translations from the Spanish-to-English "translations" of well regarded classical writers. Machine translators, used by people who do not have the most minimal sense of the grammar, lyricism, and forms of the language they would translate into, produce ghastly material that is impossible to understand, painful to read, and impossible to use in a classroom. And if corrected and translated into the original language, the effect is absolutely the same. There is no better translation than an "interpretive" translation, as is done well within the possibilities of the human mind. Dragon allows me to take materials written in English on matters Theological, Psychological, and Spiritual, and to interpretively translate the materials for use in adult education and formation, without any loss of the intent, the design, the idea, and the spirit of the writer's acumen, and experience; it is a wonderful instrument, that saves time, allows for the free use of imagination, while preserving the perceived intent, the poetry and lyricism of the writer's heart, into a new language. As an added bonus, not only do I get to read and use original material, but I do get to study, and use, the same material in a different language, and I am comfortable, that the author's originality is preserved and interpreted clearly and concisely. Also, it renders the work of using correct grammatical form and syntax an easy task. Dragon is a product that I do recommend to others, and will do so, because it is a product that is useful, and friendly, from install. Does it improve my creativity? Yes, and it also allows me to do much, much more, in a relatively shorter time. Translating from English-Spanish-English, without loss of intelligence and literary form. Thank you.

Charles H.
I plan to use Dragon in my schooling to write speeches in my Publish Speaking class. I probably have to write several speeches this quarter. This product will help me fulfill my goals. Thanks to Dragon.

Chaplain Andy M.
After returning from a combat tour in Afghanistan in 2003, I decided to write a book recounting my experiences as a chaplain with the Special Forces (The Green Berets). After a good start, my book writing stalled. I purchased Dragon Naturally Speaking to "jump start" the process and now am back on track.

Alberto T.
I have been getting progressively worse as I aged, my Parkinson disease, was getting worse and I could no longer type very well. I tried and tried but to no avail until someone told me about the talk and type system that the computers had. With reluctance I went and bought one. Much to my surprise this system works good. I must thank you for giving me the opportunity to again be able to express myself.

Linda R.
“Dragon NaturallySpeaking has made such a change in my life, it’s unbelievable! In 2005, I joined a local writers group, hoping to connect with other writers, become more involved with my town, share publishing information, and improve my own abilities. I was astounded at how much I learned. Last year, a doctor joined our group and while reading one of his stories, he told us that he used the Dragon NaturallySpeaking program. He explained how the system worked and I was immediately taken by the prospects of how this could affect my daily efforts. I immediately went to Office Depot and purchased the program. Since that time, I have found new freedom, the ability to create in a matter of minutes what used to take an hour, and it seems that my right brain is more functional, colorful, and expressive as I dictate. I am more relaxed, my stress level is lower, and I have been producing two to three articles per day. I’ve always enjoyed writing, but Dragon has definitely added to my joy. Each day, I find something new and wonderful that it can do. It is an amazing product. I can lean back in my chair, gulp down a Pepsi, and relax while I compose. I have also found relief in my hands and wrists from 44 years of typing. I have been writing non-stop since 1964, when I was only 14, and began writing poetry. Over the last 44 years, I have become a prolific writer in many other genres as well, including humor, inspirational pieces, and children’s stories. I have been published and received awards over 150 times. My latest publication is a poem entitled, “A Son,” published by Blue Mountain Arts in their new anthology, “A Son is Life’s Greatest Gift.” I wish Dragon NaturallySpeaking had been available when I began writing in 1964, but I’m sure glad it’s here now, assisting me on a daily basis to improve what I love to do -- the best part of my life – writing. . .because for me, writing is breathing.”

Robert E.
“I use Dragon Speak for the following reason. I talk faster than I can type. This allows me to maintain my train of thought. Additionally, my spelling is not all that great, so when I speak my thoughts dragon assists with spelling. This allows me to finish my thoughts and make corrections after I have finished. I am a procrastinator and often wait till the last minute to write papers. Dragon is great for my style of work habits. I just talk and dragon writes.”

Debra G.
“I am a busy Ob-Gyn. I take care of patients and I teach medical students and residents. I started with the Dragon 1. I am now using Dragon 9. I use Dragon for all my dictations. I use it for my office notes, my student files, email, letters to my mother, and all my typing needs. I also use it for my journal. I dragon every day about my amazing patients and their courage as they struggle to deliver their babies. I think I am gestating a book about the bravery of women in labor. Dragon lets me think out loud at the end of the day reflecting on just how strong women can be when they need to be.”

Kristen M.
“I speak Dragon after being inspired by my students who speak Dragon. As a teacher of students with learning disabilities, I have seen how wonderfully creative they can be once given the tools to get their ideas onto the page. Watching a student write a journal, create an essay or share 5 typed pages of a story about their troubled past after never having spoken about it to anyone has inspired me. They have shown me how to go beyond the simple dictation I thought they were going to use the program for to well-functioning, happy, productive students. After being inspired by my students, I now keep a journal, write poetry and create children's stories by using Dragon.”

Nancy Jean O.
“I am a children's writer, and I use Dragon to keep the left side of my brain from attacking and devouring the right side of my brain. Here is my process: I write my stories on plain-jane paper and let the creativity flow. I do this while my children are romping around my feet and doing everything they can to keep my mind on juice boxes rather than creative juices. Then, when life is semi-quiet, I go to my desk and sit down with my Dragon. I read my scribbles juice-stained writing into my computer AND (here's the beauty), I sort of a little (okay, maybe a lot) edit as I go. If I wrote, "The man in argyle socks heaved a heavy rock." I change it on the fly to "The man in argyle socks hated to heave the heavy stone, but he heaved it anyway." It's sort of a two step process being disguised as one when I use my Dragon and the editor side of my brain doesn't step all over the creative side of my brain - which is a squasher for us creative types. And there you have it, my life in a nutshell with two children and a Dragon.”

Conrad O.
“I am a Student at Concordia Theological Seminary. I was a Registered Nurse before coming here to become a Pastor. I had never learned to type before coming here, so when I had to start writing papers on a regular basis I found myself overwhelmed. Trying to "hunt and peck" 50 pages in a 10 week quarter was horrible. Then a friend introduced me to Dragon. I couldn’t believe the ease with which I was able to type papers without touching the keyboard. It cut both my study time and my stress level in half almost immediately. Not only this but, I found that it improved my sermon writing. When I was typing them they sounded more like a lecture than a sermon. As I began to dictate them with Dragon they began to flow more conversationally. They were written the way that I speak and therefore sounded more natural. The versatility of Dragon also increased my creativity. Because I would often think of great ideas while I was away from my computer, I would many times forget them before I could get back, or I couldn’t word it the same way. However, with Dragon's technology I can carry my voice recorder with me and record my ideas immediately and then dragon will dictate them for me from the audio files so that I never lose those great ideas. I have even dictated a whole sermon on audio while traveling and Dragon typed it for me as I spent time with my family. Dragon has been both a life saver for my time and an inspiration for my creative work.”

Brenda W.
“I discovered Dragon Speaks last year and it literally changed my life in ways beyond words. I was a dropout from school in 1972 when I became a single parent. I returned to school to get my diploma after the pregnancy because day school wasn't an option back then in the south. I wasn't interested in typing because I thought this would put me in a traditional profession for women and I was far from traditional. I continued my interest in writing thru journaling, whereby after my marriage and childrearing my grown children begged me to consider getting published from reading some of my stories. I knew that typing would slow down my creative flow because I did everything in longhand. Even my English teachers would encourage me to write more and get published. Dragon Speaks has given me the freedom to do what I love most, share my stories and voice through the Blog I created, (http://sacredflower-thewriterscafe.blogspot.com) Now I have the venue to share with a women's circle that reaches around the World. This would have never been possible without your wonderful creation of this aid. My greatest accomplishment has been to share with other women and my children as well as my grandchildren to never give up their dreams even when there are weak areas in their skills. Again, thank-you for this great invention. Now, maybe I can get that book finally into print at 52. It's never too late!”

Tom S.
“Lillian is an assisted living resident in Winter Springs, FL. Immediately following the death of her husband of 56 years, she became totally blind. A journalist by formal training and experience, Lillians' greatest frustration has been not being able to write. Through the assistance of Dragon, at age 89, she has just started writing her memoirs! And did I mention, she is having to learn how to use a computer simultaneously? Thank you, Nuance Dragon!!”

Arte N.
“I've been a chief human resources officer for nearly 30 years and believe that people read and understand more if it's in a conversational format. I write policies, opinions, essays, speeches and blogs continually and find that when using a keyboard the result is more professional and businesslike than the way we speak to each other. So when I use Dragon NaturallySpeaking I am able to get the conversational cadence that is more of what I want my communications to be. It's fast, easy and more creative than any other way of getting my thoughts down on paper. And people love the stuff I send because it matches the way they communicate personally. It's one of the best tools I have in my toolbox.”

Leland J.
“As a historian for 50 years, I have written more than 30 histories. The first 15 were done on typewriters, manual and electric. The next 5 during the early 1980s on a Commodore 128, and the last 10 on IBM-clone with MS Word. Now handicapped, I decided to write my next book with the Dragon and without touching the keyboard. It's a great pleasure to relax in my lounge and just speak to Dragon instead of typing.”

Art B.
“I am an author. Currently, I have two books I am writing and plan to self-publishing as E-books. One is about my "Musings About Human Life". The second is about "Being A Losely-Related Caregiver". I hope to complete both this year for I am now 82 years old and have less than one year before my death. I've been working on he Human-Life book for the past fifty years.”

Kelly M.
“I have been using Dragon 9 preferred at home & 9.5 at Ventura College. At the Assistive Technology Training Center/Educational Assistance Center in the Learning Resource Center at Ventura College, Ventura CA. I also help students who use Dragon and beginners. Last week one of the students used Dragon to write an e-mail. I have had to use the dragon pad then paste it in e-mail. Also Dragon works well with Microsoft Word but not with PowerPoint.”

Jon C.
“I ghost write for my congregational leader. I listen to his sermons and dictate using DragonSpeaking Naturally. I tried using Dragon directly on his sound files after training it to his voice, but his speech varies greatly in volume, and he often interrupts himself mid-word. I have an excellent sound-editing program that let's me stop and start by hitting the space key. I can listen to his speech and easily switch over to Dragon Pad to dictate. I just finished dictating his first book. Now I’m ready for the next. I can also use Dragon to dictate my own novels. Like many writers, I have excellent typing skills, but I'd rather concentrate on what I want to write rather than worry about such things as typos, misspellings, and such. One of the nice features of DragonSpeaking Naturally is the ability to be able to speak directly into Microsoft Word, although I like to use DragonPad, which seems to have greater flexibility and accuracy. Maybe that’s because I’m so used to DragonPad, but it just seems easier to use than Word.”

John T.
“I have a friend who's creativity i have improved as well as my own. He wrote a true story about his part, as a police detective, in apprehending a serial rapist. He wrote this book in pencil and in longhand. He asked me to type it for him because he couldn't type. He mistakenly assumed I could type because I had a computer. He had a professional writer helping him that had stated he couldn't deal with the handwritten manuscript. My friend's handwriting was barely legible. By reading each paragraph several times and getting familiar with it I was able to read each paragraph (one at a time) into the microphone and translate his scribbling into MS Word with very few mistakes. It was the first time I had tried to use the Dragon program for anything other than practice sessions. Most of the mistakes were due to my unfamiliarity with the program. By the time I had finished I was much better. When he read the MS Word copy he and his professional writer associate immediately saw many things that didn't look or sound right and they made many changes, deletions and additions. This was so easy to do because it was now in MS Word. His book was published. I have used the Dragon program for myself in writing some stories about some rather unusual adventures or events that happened to me during my twenty years working at overseas locations for an International Oil Company (Amoco). Because I am not a writer I used the Dragon program to outline these events as I remembered them and to be sure the events were in chronological order. Once I had these outlines in MS Word I could easily go back and add all the details and true embellishments necessary to make the story readable. It would be difficult to estimate how much time I saved using the Dragon program.”

Cathy G.
“I use Dragon for everything that I do. My father dictated his life story on tapes and I am creating a Family History book with pictures by listening to his tapes and dictating using Dragon. I think that it will be a real cool book for the Family to have as a keep sake. I use Dragon doing my fiances in Quicken and all of my Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets for my business. But I also use Dragon at work inputting data into more Spreadsheets so that I can finish all of the data that I have to track for trucks, trailers and drivers in order to meet all of the Government Regulations and paperwork that is required. Since I speak and think faster then I could ever possibly type I actually can get much more done then when I just type and then have to think about what else I need to say or what data that I have to input into the documents. Dragon is fun to use and I really love getting finished sooner then I would if I just typed and I am not nearly as tired at the end of the day. Also my back, neck, shoulders and hands and arms are not sore from sitting in the same position all of the time. I can sit back relax and talk. What a great way to work. Writing letters is a snap, writing E-mails is faster and easier. Even creating cards is faster and fun. I can create Labels for mailing faster and easier. Why type when I can just talk. Yes, Dragon is use for everything that I do with the Computer at work and home.”

Shelley A.
“I have always wanted to write a play for my elementary school. But as a 4th grade teacher I am always so busy - busy - busy. This school year proved different. This year I wrote a fabulous play in just one afternoon. Using Dragon, I was able to write wonderful and witty dialogue even while using funny voices. (i.e. pirate, cheerleader, surfer girl and ninja "talk") Both students and adults are still talking about my amusing little play.”

Mike K.
“I’m often misunderstood. When I talk, I see the blank stares looking back at me. Melodic strings of words float from my lips, only to hang awkwardly over our heads like a baby mobile of miscommunication. All day I hear, “What are you trying to say?” “What do you mean by that?” “Huh?” But, my Dragon gets me. My Dragon understands. My Dragon listens and knows exactly what I’m saying. My Dragon doesn’t question, doubt, or dismiss. Rather, quality time with my Dragon brings only the confirming echo of the words I already know are true – because I said them. Thanks.”

Robert N.
“As a beginning writer trying to fashion my words into what I have experienced in my unusual life, I needed a way to put the true emotional experiences to print! I had taken typing in the 60s, when men in the typing field class were looked at as unusual, for it was women then that did the typing at that time! Dragon speaking, I was interested in, this is my third copy, it took a little time to set up, some time to get used to, but once you can passionately feel what happened in your life, and speak it, it magically appears on the screen! Done! It lets my life that I have experienced around the world, be put into words, with Dragon, you are set free from the bonds of manual typing, to let your creative side loose! Don't be shy, I took this step, and I have become better at putting meaning to my experiences, better at speaking, and better at spelling! It is all good!”

Rob G.
“Several years ago, I was working as a "News Topical Producer" for the CBS station in Orlando, Florida. I wrote those annoying little ads that run all day long telling you why you should watch the news without really telling you what that news is. One day I took a script to my boss. It had all the right buzz words, with carefully crafted language, and some kind of payoff at the end. She read it, sighed, wadded it up into a ball and pitched it into the trash can saying, "It just sounds so much like a promo. Maybe we shouldn't promote the story at all." I flew back at her, "It's a great story." I pled my case at fever pitch. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she said, "If you had written down what you said to me, I'd be producing the promo for that story!" It hit me hard. The instant my fingers touch the keyboard, I get all intellectual. I care more about language and phrasing that passion. I stress vocabulary more than feeling the emotion. That's what was missing from my writing. How could I bridge the gap between head and heart? Then I saw a demo of Dragon. I bought a copy on the spot. It changed everything. Now my ideas can pour from my heart, as fast as I feel them, and they are captured on the page for careful editing. I am no longer in "News Promotion". I am an Episcopal priest. And now, passion in my writing is more important than ever. (Ask anyone who has ever sat through a boring sermon.) Now I Dragon Speak my thoughts first, and I make sure that that my heart, and not just my mind, is given full presence in my work.”

Tim C.
“I am a middle-aged lawyer who is enrolled in a weekend Masters of Theology program. I have much reading to do in my courses. I use Dragon to dictate notes as I read the required books and do research for my papers. I do it this way: I have made a template for a two-column table in Microsoft Word. The first column in the table is narrow, and I dictate there the page number of the book from which I dictate the note. The second column in the same row is much wider and holds the note I dictate from that page in the book. I navigate through the table with the “Tab key” command, starting new rows as appropriate, dictating the page numbers and the notes. At the top of the table, of course, I dictate the complete bibliographic information about the book from which I am taking the notes. As a consequence, I make thorough notes and the precise page location from which each note was taken. In addition, Dragon quickly learns new words and names that I encounter in my reading and that I use in my notes. This is a real time-saver!”

Marty S.
“I'm writing a novel. That means it comes from my subconscious out into the light of day on a page. When I speak, it's more natural, it's more free, it flows better, it's less conscious, and so the thoughts that I see before me are a more direct reflection of my unconscious. And that's where the creativity comes from. It doesn't come from logic or analysis. It doesn't come from careful planning. It comes from the hard emotions, the powerful feelings that thrust out from the unconsciousness and make me feel the pain and joy and thrill. When a character speaks in anger, it's not visible directly on the page, it has to be carried by the words. When I speak those words in my own audible anger, it changes what gets put down on the page and makes it more alive. I always dictate first, and then go back and edit with typing.”

Michel K.
“Although I have been touch-typing since I was seven years old and type over 100 words per minute, I find that using Dragon Naturally Speaking (going through upgrades from versions 5 through 9) has increased my productivity in writing because I can focus on sources for my technical writing without interruption. I work with two screens and a microphone when I’m writing my twice-weekly Network World Security Strategies columns. The document-creation screen is a 19” portrait-mode unit and the research-materials unit is a 22” wide landscape screen that lets me see a browser window and an Acrobat window for PDF documents. The Dragon bar sits comfortably out of the way at the bottom of the wide screen. I can dictate almost error-free now using a high-quality microphone because the system has learned so much of my technical vocabulary over the years. The one warning I can offer new users is to remember to turn the microphone off when you answer the phone: Dragon will make truly awful puns in the middle of your document because it cannot recognize the radically different cadences of casual, fragmentary speech from one side of a phone conversation.”

Robert D.
“During four years of World War II my wife and I wrote each other almost daily. She also kept a daily diary throughout our courtship and the following ten years of our marriage. For 50 years this intimate record resided in our closets and attics. Following her death (after 58 years of marriage) I had to prepare a sketch of my scientific endeavors, and soon resorted to this stored material to check dates, places, etc. This alerted me to the fact that this was a treasure trove, the lives of two individuals recorded in vivid detail during these historic times. True; but it posed a monumental task in converting these vast scribblings into text. With Dragon Naturally Speaking, however, it was simply a matter of reading what became 1.25 million words into the computer. The resulting book, MAN and WOMAN, WAR and PEACE, 1941-1951 - A Dual Autobiography, Verbatim from Their Letters and Diary, (ISBN # 978-1-60388-150-0) is UTTERLY UNIQUE. It has captured “online” the emotions of both parties in the courtship and marital state, unadulterated by the foibles of “recollection”. It is thus, thanks to the facility of Dragon Naturally Speaking, an unparalleled social document, quarrels, erotic longings, and all. The sociological perspective, however, is embedded in life’s adventures: an intense courtship, the bride’s reactions, intrusion of WWII, draftee, OCS, Oran and Afrikakorps prisoners, Gibraltar, bombing, Palermo, the Cassino front, sunk in Bay of Naples, Algiers, Casablanca, bombed off Crete, Karachi, Perth, North Atlantic fog, Edinburgh, marooned in Azores with 670 homebound GIs, UK War Brides; home with inlaws, night fireman, U Chicago, PhD with Gerard, postdoc with McCulloch - And the bride at the War Dept, Wall Street, Civil Service recruiter, Manhattan Project (atomic bomb), pregnancy, birth (twice!), miscarriage, quarreling parents, and mistress of her house, with a semi-obedient husband. What Dragon Naturally Speaking has brought out of the attic and into vibrant literary life!”

Melissa M.
“I started using Dragon when Version 5 first came out. I write fictional stories for relaxation, and using Dragon has made a world of difference in my creative process. Using Dragon, my characters can now tell their stories, rather than my having to type. Speaking the story and letting the words flow from my mind to the computer, rather than from my mind to my slow fingers, to the computer has allowed me to keep up with my characters thoughts and plans. The story doesn't have to wait for my fingers to catch up. I have used Dragon in other applications as well, especially in Outlook and Instant Messaging, though the IM was not without it's often times very funny translations, as Dragon and I were learning how to communicate. It was a good thing that I was only IM-ing family during that learning process. I enjoy using Dragon as part of my daily computer use, and who knows, someday with Dragon's help, I will finish one of my stories and just maybe be published. Thanks Dragon, for helping me to laugh at myself, and to become more creative in the process.”

Michael M.
“I am a 63-year-old entrepreneur with dyslexia. Due to my disability I have poor spelling skills and number reversal problems that make it next to impossible for me to type. I used to dictate all of my letters, reports etc. to my secretary. I started using your program in the beginning when your accuracy was between 80 and 85%, it still save me time, even with going back and making corrections. Today with your accuracy in the high 90s, I dictate as fast as I talk. This allows me to express my thoughts much more accurately. I use Dragon Speaks for all of my writing and e-mails. This program was truly helping me to be independent. My only problem now is remembering to turn off my speech recognition when I answered the phone.”

Richard T.
“...Since 1956 I have kept various handwritten journals. I was frustrated with the inability to easily find a particular entry recorded in the 3600+ pages of my handwritten journals, because there was no index. I was very excited to learn about speech recognition software. I tried IBM ViaVoice and Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I found the ViaVoice error rate unacceptable. I purchased version 2 and subsequently version 3 of Dragon, but was frustrated by the considerable amount of correction needed after dictation. I abandoned the effort. In 2007 my nephew interested me in Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 and said it worked well. He uses the medical version for dictating his medical records. I purchased the Preferred Version 8 and then the upgrade to version 9. When I purchased a new laptop with 2GB of memory I took advantage of the free offer to upgrade to version 9.5, the Microsoft Vista operating system version. I also purchased an Andrea NC-91 microphone…Dragon NaturallySpeaking has been a great boon to me. Ninety five percent of my journals have been recorded using Dragon. Once I accomplish this conversion task from the handwritten journals to the Microsoft 2007 Word processing text I wish to compile a book of all my journal entries, both those handwritten and others recorded in the word processor. I have no written records of my grandfather and only a page and a half of what my father wrote about his life. I wish to leave my children and my descendants a detailed record of what happened in my life. With the search capability of a computer, those who are interested can see what was written about any person or subject. I love computers and am ever so thankful for Dragon NaturallySpeaking, which has aided me in accomplishing this task.”

Karim N.
“I have been using Dragon naturally speaking preferred since edition #2 to dictate letter to my referees and guide them about management plan. It has made my life simple and efficient and one of my success stories because despite the fact that I have an Indian accent when I speak, I have been able to train the software and the software has trained me to pronounce a word for better speech recognition.”

Ray S.
“I speak Dragon to improve my creativity because I have something called essential tremors which contributes to my terrible handwriting and I never learned how to type without looking at the keys. I need to be creative. If I have to write things out or type them I can lose my train of thought At best I could write 30 or 40 words a minute while our brain thinks at the rate of 300 to 400 words a minute. I can get thoughts and ideas down quickly and then look at how to string them together. I work with the leadership teams of organizations and having the ability to put down my thoughts and ideas quickly concerning meetings and next steps is a great benefit. It's amazing how by getting ideas down on paper can crystallize it and open the door to a new creative solution. With Dragon am not limited I can let my thoughts flow freely.”

Tobias H.
“I am the vicar of a mid-sized church in the Bronx. I've always written my sermons out before delivering them, but I've found, since using Dragon Naturally Speaking, that not only are my hands less tired, but that I'm able really to preach and capture the thoughts the Spirit gives as they happen. Using the voice recognition tools has made my preaching freer, more inspired and inspiring, and so more upbuilding to the church. Being liberated from the keyboard has let my spirit sing.”

Lloyd D.
“I am a perfectionist. I write technical papers and newspaper articles. Using the keyboard, it takes me forever to write anything because I am constantly going back to edit and perfect what I have just written less than one minute before. I do not fully understand why, but using Dragon Naturally Speaking, I feel compelled to keep on dictating. I seldom feel compelled to edit what I have just written until a substantial portion has been completed. Thus, I am much more productive.”

Bob S.
“I am a student at Middlesex Community College who uses Dragon to create school projects. I have worked with Dragon as an adaptive technology tool. Functionally it allowed me to become a creative writer. More importantly Dragon has allowed me to enjoy creating stories and reports. It has also given me the gift of being able to reach out to others using my computer enrich my life. Without Dragon I wouldn't be reaching out to answer this ad. The flow of words that I can get out and down on paper using Dragon are far more, clearer and represent what I really want to put down. My brain is running a lot faster than the rest of my body. If I was to try to type them out myself manually my thoughts and creativity would be thinking more about which key to hit or how to spell that word. One thing that I thoroughly enjoy is the “Read That” option Dragon offers. You're able to listen to the content of your writings making sure they deliver the message that you want. I have a physical disability Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia as well as a learning disability Dyslexia. I also experienced a stroke in the latter part of 2006 my hands have been affected. I'm hoping to get back most of my use in my hands back but currently I am using Dragon more or less hands-free. But now out of work on disability I enjoy creating writings and answering e-mails throughout the day. I can get a lot more elaborate with my writings using Dragon. There is no way that I could enjoyably sit down at my computer without using Dragon. I want to see other people that are having difficulties writing use Dragon. This is the one reason I am writing this letter to encourage people to take adaptive technology tools like Dragon to make it easier to work with a disability. Thus making one more independent and successful with what one want to do in life. Today computers are in everybody's life one way or the other no matter how young or how old you are. Dragon has taught me to be so much more creative in putting words down on paper. Dragon has given me the ability to overcome my disabilities. I can go back to school looking for a second career and be independent and productive. I have overcome many of my challenge I have with Dragon and done it successfully with pride.”

William C.
“I have been a doctoral student since 2004, which is when I began using Dragon NaturallySpeaking at the recommendation of one of my doctoral instructors. Dragon NaturallySpeaking has been a huge time-saving tool. Over the four years since starting my doctoral program I have had constant courses each of which required eight weeks to complete. During an eight week course there are generally six to eight papers with a minimum of 3,000 words each. Prior to using Dragon NaturallySpeaking it would require a minimum of two days worth of typing to complete a 3,000 word paper. It must be understood that I also work full time as a natural resource professional besides being a graduate student. With Dragon NaturallySpeaking once I have my research completed for a paper I can refer to the research and compose the paper in five to six hours. An enormous time saver. Within the time period of each of those classes it is necessary to also research and begin writing a dissertation proposal. I cannot say enough positive words on behalf of the excellent Dragon NaturallySpeaking program. It has allowed a mature graduate student to complete a doctoral program with honors. It may be satisfying for the people of Nuance to realize that they have been instrumental in assisting this graduate student to write a dissertation which will aid in the environmental preservation of North America and perhaps influence the United States lawmakers. The dissertation that I am writing is well on its way to committee approval and addresses the role of NAFTA in environmental contamination along the United States/Mexico border.”

Elizabeth P.
𔄙I am twenty-six years old. I’ve been using different versions of Dragon Naturally Speaking since ’98 for a variety of different things, but my favorite way to use Dragon is to write. In the past I’ve used it to keep a computer-based journal, write inspirational poetry, essays, short stories, and novels all of which I hope to publish someday. Without the use of Dragon, none of this would’ve been possible, as I was born with a condition known as Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy, which limits the use of my hands and legs, but my speech and intellect are very much intact. In addition, I have even translated some of my works into Spanish, as the particular version I use; 9.0 is primarily Spanish-based with an English speaking interface. I plan on continuing to use Dragon for all the activities listed above including employing it in the work force, as a Spanish/English translator for the medical field. I currently use the program to translate my Pastor’s sermons and correspondence from Italian into English. I also translate documents for a local rehab center from English into Spanish. If the Dragon program on my computer could actually talk back it would probably ask me for overtime, benefits, and a raise in pay. Consequently, to paraphrase the old Marilyn Monroe cliché diamonds are not a girl’s best friend, but in my case, Dragon certainly is.”

Cassandra L.
“I have been using dragon since version six. Each version has improved my ability to create and refine my writing. I am an art critic and poet so it is important that my words get translated into forms I can use to make my meanings clear. Dragon saves me a lot of time and allows me to get more done so I have time for my water color illustrations. Dragon lets me do my captions for these poems in record time and it learns the vocabulary in record time. When I injured my right hand last month and had a deadline for a poetry contest I was able to get my work out because Dragon was there for me when I needed it. I love Dragon Naturally Speaking. It's a life saver.”

Marji H.
“Every photo in my photo storage boxes has a story attached. Since I am partially sighted, it is difficult to scan back and forth between looking at the photo and typing the caption (names in order of appearance, etc.) and the story that goes with the picture. With dear old Dragon, I just sit in front of the computer with the photo on the screen and tell the story of the photo, names, date, location, occasion, and whatever recollections are brought to mind that make that picture precious to me and will make it a treasure to future generations. Dragon almost never makes typos because I have trained it to recognize the family names and often-mentioned locales. When the story is told, I format it to fit a page with the photo or set of photos that go with it and print out a copy for the family scrapbook. Also, I make a voice recording of the text in TextAloud. When enough recordings have accumulated, I put them on a CD and share them with older family members who have macular degeneration & can't enjoy the scrapbook version. My stories help them remember more family history which gets tape recorded as they reminisce, transcribed, and included in the family history that's growing from the photo collection being sifted through Dragon.”

Kathy B.
“Each November, I participate in National Novel Writing Month. You "win" if you can write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. (The prize is a certificate and bragging right.) One year, I had just gotten a 4-month contract job with a daily 3-hour commute and at first, all hope of winning - or even participating - seemed lost. I used my drive time to dictate through a headset into a digital recorder. At night, I let Dragon NaturallySpeaking do the rest. I not only "won," but I finished 3 days early.”

James H.
“I am an 83-year-old retired physician. Growing up I never learned to type. Now, even if I could type I have so much arthritis and nerve damage to my hands that I cannot type. Dragon NaturallySpeaking has been a godsend to me. Back in the 1990s I went to a medical meeting and IBM had a booth advertising their Via Voice. I was so excited the possibilities that I purchased the program for the unconscionable price of $1500. For several months I made periodic trips to Houston, Texas a distance of 65 miles carrying with me, each time, my computer tower. All of this was for instructions on how to use Via Voice. For some ungodly reason the program never recognized my voice and I finally abandoned it as being a complete waste of my money. When I purchased Dragon NaturallySpeaking and after going through the orientation program it recognize my voice immediately. I now use it for all of my long e-mails. I have written several short stories. And I am now up to my stint in the Korean war, writing my autobiography. I do not plan to publish it. I am merely writing it for my children so that in later years if they decide to check on some of the things I did in my life they can refer to the autobiography. I have expounded my love affair with Dragon NaturallySpeaking to any and everyone who will listen. I have the nine preferred version. I have encouraged a first cousin of mine who is nearly blind with macular degeneration to purchase the program to better help him use his computer. I have also purchased a program for my daughter who is a nurse practitioner with the hopes that she will be able to use it to write her histories and physicals and progress notes on patient's charts. I reminisce on how great my life would have been when I was practicing medicine if I would have had a computer and this program to help me keep all of my records. As you can see I am an ambassador for your program and to be honest with you I am entering this contest solely with the hopes that I might win the GPS system. I am a native Texan, but my children to Kansas when I nearly died in 2004 so that I would be close to my daughter for her moral and physical support. I, however, am petrified with the thought of driving. Onstar informed me the other day that I had driven a total of 1100 miles in my car last year. I have thought that maybe a GPS system would alleviate some of my fears, however, the cost of one of them so far has been prohibitive.”

R. Cone
“I started using speech recognition as Beta Tester 1992… IBM, Pilot, while I was practicing medicine. Later, Dragon Dictate surpassed ViaVoice… I changed. At the time of ViaVoice, speech recognition software was a curiosity I used to dictate medical information records reports. It was tough to do originally, time consuming, at times taking longer than to type, and not accurate enough to use for real world correspondence. Intriguing, Dragon Dictate speech recognition finally became more accurate. Enough so that the correct output was acceptable, but I had to retype in the areas of scientific terms of art, medical, scientific and law. Then along came - - - - DragonDictate 9.5. With Office Suite Ultimate 2007 on Windows Vista Ultimate, DragonDictate 9.5, with its easy ability to “teach” new words and phrases, allowed email, correspondence, medical record keeping and writing medicolegal reports for attorneys doing personal injury litigation. I learned this in law school, not from the software. Now it is allowing me, with poor typing skills, to write a book… P.S. If I win the software, I want to donate it to a medical school of my choice. I’d like the free updates as they are real improvements that I use… as to the GPS device, heck, I’d like that so I can travel around to promote my DragonDictate dictated book.”

Michael B.
“You wouldn't believe the incredible stories 1,500 world travelers and adventurers have told me about their travels. I use Dragon NaturallySpeaking to listen to and dictate into text these incredible tales that these 1,500 world travelers and adventurers have told me about their travels. Not only was it fantastic to listen to these stories the first time, but now--in the process of converting the interviews into text--I get to listen to them YET AGAIN! I started interviewing travelers early in the 1970's and continue to this day interviewing and recording travelers for even more travel tales to add to my collection. My method is to listen to the travel tales via an iPod, then to pause, and then to dictate what I've just heard. I will repeat this process 1,000s and 1,000s of times... listening, pausing, recording over and over again! Truthfully, I don't think this project would even be possible without speaking Dragon!”

Michael L.
“I was a teacher in New York City for 32 years. At the present time I spend six months of the year in China teaching English. Students in China are very adept at English grammar and reading but they are lacking in spoken English. I introduced the Dragon Speaking program to them and I was amazed at how rapidly their confidence improved. There are programs that can type Chinese characters but the students were reluctant to type in English until they used the oral Dragon Speaking program. English is the route to a better job and therefore a better life for their families so any technique that motivates the students and improves their spoken English is significant. Teaching is a creative endeavor and I am always looking for tools that peak the interest of my students. Student around the world are communicating with each other in English on the Internet. Dragon Speaking can enhance this process and hopefully bring about more understanding between people.”

Nancy C.
“I began using Dragon Dictate during an episode many years ago when I had tendonitis in my thumb and couldn’t type. Understand that I type for a living. I’m an author, and at that time, I was completing my fourth novel (Keeper of the Rings, written as Nancy Cane). I was contracted with a deadline, and the pressure to produce quickly had pushed me into severe repetitive strain injury. While I underwent physical therapy, splinting, and cortisone shots, I had to devise another means to continue my career. Dragon saved me. At first it was difficult, learning to speak each individual word with a pause in between and to speak punctuation aloud. Nor was I accustomed to speaking my character’s conversations, their internal thoughts, nor the narrative parts of my stories. And don’t even mention the sex scenes. :) I had to work from my home office, with the door closed, so no one else could hear me. With enough practice, I got into the rhythm of telling the story to my computer, and I began to enjoy speaking the dialogue aloud. Saying the Dragon commands became second nature along with the punctuation. Having adapted to voice recognition, I bought each upgrade as the program continued to improve. I’m now on NaturallySpeaking Preferred Version 9, and I credit Dragon with saving my career. I cannot type an entire book even to this day. I’ve already gone through two hand surgeries and continue to be plagued by tendinitis, so while I may type my e-mails, I still dictate my novels fully using Dragon. I recommend it to fellow writers suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome and similar repetitive stress ailments and am grateful to the creators for allowing me to continue pursuing my career. Since I finished that fourth book mentioned above, I’ve published nine novels in my Bad Hair Day mystery series (Killer Knots is the most recent title) plus a novella. And those don’t count my other projects currently in progress. So thank you, creators of Dragon, for allowing me to share my stories with avid fans and readers. Without you, I could not have followed my chosen path.”

Richard S.
“Dragon Naturally Speaking is one of the greatest writing tools ever invented. I’m working on a book about my son’s wrongful death and the government law that bars surviving family members of active duty soldiers from seeking justice. Writing such a personal and emotionally charged story has proven to be the most difficult task of my life, always leaving me drained after short periods of writing time. I use Dragon to jot down my thoughts as they occur and organize them into completed chapters. Because of my limited writing experience I also rely on Dragon to spell words I wish to use. Dragon is a wonderful tool I wouldn’t want to do without.”

Keith M.
“It was 2 1/2 years ago when I made the decision to go back to school. I was a 49-year-old Pastor who was settled in my profession. I had started working on my undergrad degree years ago but time and family did not permit me to complete it. Another barrier that was in the way was my inability to type proficiently and with speed. Therefore, I did not consider my pursuit of my degree in the future; until one day, I saw the advertisement of naturally speaking dragon, and I believed that, that was the answer. After I made the purchase of the program and experienced the benefit of it, it gave me the confidence that I needed to consider and continue my education. I then enrolled at our local University to complete my degree. I entered into an adult studies program that basically consisted of writing long and numerous papers, and because of the dragon, I was able to produce all of my documents that was assigned. As I processed through the program, my writing was average but as I learned the Dragon, I began to ace all of my assignments. Naturally Speaking Dragon positioned me to write with excellence and clarity. Without that program, I would not have been able to complete my degree because of my substandard typing. I have since graduated from the program with a grade point that I never expected and now I use the Dragon for my sermon preparation and now my sermons have been elevated to a different level. The Dragon gives me the ability to elevate my vocabulary as I write and brings better context and comprehension to my messages. I have also since made the decision to begin writing my life story in the form of a book. I am so grateful for the Dragon and I look forward in using it in the future.”

Paul S.
“My students think I'm magic. I put on my headset, and looking at the brainstorming we have just done I begin to speak. On the large screen TV in my tech wall, a complete five paragraph essay appears. My students sit in silent wonder as I make corrections, spellchecking as I go. When done I point out the stylistic flaws I made, say "Select all, delete" then write the essay again. Of course, this time it's much better:) By the time I'm done by students are ready to write -- and they know what they want for Christmas. In the morning and afternoon's I use Dragon to create multimedia lessons, activities and short reading passages based upon things I've seen happen in the hallways that week. When I ask them to read this material they readily dig in because they know they'll be reliving a recent event. "Mr. Schnaubelt, can you help me type this poem?" When a student comes to me who is mentally challenged, or is just learning English I can take their scribbling and listening carefully, turn their words into a document. Nothing empowers a student like success and those kids keep coming back for help on future assignments. "Today we walk over to the Great Wall of China..." In my personal life I use Dragon to write a weekly travelogue for a pedometer group I'm leading. Because I don't have to worry about the time involved in typing, and because the ideas flow like a river, I also write three newsletters for various groups I'm involved in. Dragon helped me to get a recipe printed in the newspaper. How, I used Dragon to tell the story behind the recipe,and I'm certain that's why it was selected. I've been using Dragon Naturally Speaking since the first version came out. When I retire, I'll be using Dragon Naturally Speaking to finish my novel, and that will be a story in itself!”

Peter L.
“Since I retired some 11 years ago from a career in the areas of electronics technology and software development, I have kept a journal of my activities and projects. I used the very first PC dictation software that became available, and continued each year to purchase improvements and upgrades. Increasing PC processor speeds over the years helped enormously in the transition to an accurate dictation capability. My retirement projects have included the development of a PC-based navigation and data logging system for my sailboat. I have also developed software to display digital images from scans of a lifetime’s collection of 35 mm slides, and make them available to the family on double density DVDs. My style of software development is heavily based on the reuse of proven code, so most code that I write is copied from someplace and just tweaked, but I have found dictating code comments and thoughts concurrently to be very valuable. To support all these developments, careful documentation is essential, and Dragon NaturallySpeaking dictation software has made this possible. While I dictate project specific documents, I also weave my daily project activities into my daily journal so that I can easily find a record of a specific activity and date it amongst the rest of my activities. Another activity which has required documentation and record keeping is the management of healthcare. It is essential to keep good records of diagnoses and medications. Fortunately Dragon NaturallySpeaking is able to recognize many medical terms. In dictating this story with Dragon NaturallySpeaking, it occurs to me that I will soon be starting a new project- the archiving of 8mm videocassettes. Because of the current accuracy of dictation software, I will most likely make even better use of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I have forgotten to mention that dictating e-mails is another of my major uses of Dragon NaturallySpeaking.”

Robb W.
“Dragon helped me pass my PhD Exams with flying colors! I am working on a PhD at MIT. The biggest hurdle in getting your PhD is passing your general exams. In my department, general exams consist of 4 open-book questions that can cover your entire academic experience. The exams last four grueling days. During the exams, one question per day is given at 9AM and the final answer is due promptly at 5PM. In talking with other PhD Candidates that passed the exams in previous years, the biggest hurdle was getting all the stuff in their heads onto paper. They would tell me about how sore their fingers and hands were from typing at the end of the process and how exhausted they felt. Inevitably, they spent at least 5 hours typing and revising their answers and the balance of the time was spent gathering their notes and thoughts to compose their answers. Rumors among the students said that any answer less than 12 pages would not be able to treat the topic thoroughly enough to earn a passing grade. I wanted to improve my chances of passing, so I decided to use Dragon for my Exams. I was very nervous the first day of the exam. When the test question arrived, I quickly outlined a plan to answer it. I decided to pull together my notes and ideas for the first 3 hours, take a quick lunch, and then calmly “dictate” using Dragon for the rest of the time. However, the first exam question was about something I had never prepared for – applying all that I had learned to respond to a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina. I needed to spend a couple of hours on the Internet looking at all of the problems that existed and then spent another 2 or 3 hours deciding what things I had learned in all my schooling and personal experiences would apply. That left me with about 3 hours to prepare a “scholarly” response. Dragon saved the day. Instead of having sore hands and feeling physically exhausted, I was able to submit an answer that met all of the expectations of MIT (about 15 pages) and didn't leave me feeling fatigued. The last 3 days weren’t nearly as harrowing because Dragon gave me confidence that I could do everything and compose my answers in the time allotted. In the end, I was able to spend MORE time thinking about my answers, gather the relevant resources and prepare solid outlines for my answers. Using Dragon was a great way to take these exams and allowed me to focus on the content and not the process of typing my answer. Most importantly, I passed!”

Sukumar S.
“Hi I like Dragon. Its amazing software designed for new generation users.”

Terry S.
“A few years ago, when I was diagnosed with cancer, my daughter bought me a book called "A FATHERS LEGACY". She asked that I fill in the pages with the history of my early life up to the present, but because of the chemo and other medical problems I had, I was unable to write. Then I remembered that I had purchased a copy of Dragon long ago and found it and installed it on my computer. As it was an older version it was not as responsive as I would have liked. After a few months I decided to upgrade to the newer version and was absolutely amazed at the improvement. I then decided it was time to fulfill my daughter’s request and I took out that old book and started to "Dragon" answer the questions on each page. Before I knew it I was done, and I presented the pages to my daughter. She now has a history of her dad’s life that can be passed down to my grandkids and beyond, because I won't be here in person to tell the tales. Thanks Dragon!”

David B.
S“ome people measure success by the amount of enjoyment one derives from one’s work. By this definition, I am a success; I love my job! I have been writing computer code for about fifteen years. I enjoy every aspect of my work; from discussing the needs directly with clients to brainstorming clever techniques to best meet those needs. The most rewarding part is watching happy clients use my software. For years I have relied on fast and accurate typing to pump out quality code productively and within strict deadlines. I had heard about other colleagues who developed pain in their hands and I felt sorry for them - briefly. I dismissed their plights the way someone reading a newspaper might ponder a deadly earthquake in some unknown far away city. Sad, but remote. Then it happened to me. The pain in my hands started slowly. I ignored it. But it grew worse and started to bother me. My productivity began to suffer. I tried to combat the pain. I wrapped my wrists in cold bandages. Then hot bandages. I applied ointments. I was able to get some sporadic relief, but the pain grew worse. I had to take long breaks and work deep into the night to meet deadlines, sometimes typing through tears. My sleep suffered. My mind became sluggish. The work I formerly loved became a chore. I didn’t know what to do. A friend suggested Dragon NaturallySpeaking. At first, I didn’t have much faith in the idea. But the pain worsened. I decided to try it. I taught Dragon the commands that were the most painful to my hands. Teaching Dragon was easier than I had expected. Amazingly, the pain started to diminish. Then I started using Dragon for more code writing. Syntax errors disappeared. The accuracy was incredible. I continued to use Dragon for all my typing chores. In time I was thinking less about the pain and more about my work. After six months, I happily discarded the bandages and ointments. My typing was now more accurate and faster that it had ever been. My sleep improved and my mind cleared. Today, I use Dragon NaturallySpeaking extensively, along with my keyboard and mouse. I work more efficiently and productively than ever. The pain is just a memory. I have resumed other activities, like playing the piano. Most importantly, my work is enjoyable again! Dragon has given me back my success!”

Lynn S.
“I am a confessed Luddite. I cannot learn the dance steps necessary to be "one" with my writing partner, my computer. I am a woman of body and voice, rather than screen and keyboard. I stumble and struggle with my stiff little fingers, trying hard to find the right writing rhythm with which to move about and express myself. I am a writer who sings, and my favorite mode of expression is the voice. I recently began writing a young adult novel about fear and singing. My level of productivity was only as good as my relationship to the dizzy dancefloor of the keyboard: awkward and uneven. Then, one day, Dragon Naturally Speaking came into my troubled life, and I waltzed into a groove that has made all the difference in my creative life. No longer a wallflower, I have found the way to bring my words to the dance by speaking them. Telling my stories. Singing my ideas into the microphone, and watching them spin on the screen. Beautifully. Waltz. Jitterbug. Hip-hop. Tango. I'm there.”

Corey L.
“Dragon has helped me improve my verbal moves/through every word dictated and macro that I use/the transition wasn't smooth/but I learned to/perfect the techniques/with careful pronunciation/it's even helped me improve my speech/conversations that I keep/now I naturally speak/I've learned to touch many/though it's all hands-free/I send e-mails in detail/play games like free cell/online at all times/do all this by myself/this software has so helped/me regain independence/not just the creative side/but the new life that I'm living/commands that I give it/I train and it listens/wake it up when I need it/go to sleep when I'm finished/I feel very privileged/that as a vet I've been given/the technical assistance/of speech recognition/thank you”

Davis P.
“I'm a freshmen, ninth grade you see I wanted B's but it was F's for me. School was hard for this dyslexic boy, I needed something to make school a joy. I searched and searched for answers true I thought and thought what should I do? My parents brought me something new Dragon Speak now that's for you. I now can write a report or two In half the time the time I use to. Dragon Speak has made me free, To express myself more easily.”