ViaVoice for Macintosh 2.0 Enhanced Edition

Amazon.com Review:
Ever wish you could eat lunch, file papers, and send an e-mail all at the same time? Well, ViaVoice for Macintosh 2.0, Enhanced Edition, offers several new features that allow you to free your hands so the rest can follow. Most impressive is Direct Dictation, which allows users to dictate text directly into AppleWorks, Microsoft Windows, Outlook Express, or Internet Explorer. Just plug the microphone into the USB port on your Mac, put on the headphones, and adjust the SpeakPad so that it's about an inch from your mouth. Tell ViaVoice what application to choose, and start dictating. Over time, the system will get better at recognizing your voice, and dictation response time will shorten. The Enhanced Edition has a 64,000 word vocabulary, and features specialized vocabularies for users who work in computers, business and finance, "chatter's jargon," and cuisine. To use the Internet, just say, "Surf the Web," and then tell ViaVoice what bookmarked site you'd like to go to. The user interface is consistent with the Mac Human Interface Guidelines. Corrections can be made with your voice--no keyboard strokes are necessary--and, if you need the system's attention for a command, pause and say, "Computer." While it's still available only in English, ViaVoice for Macintosh is a great communication tool for people who either don't like to type, don't know how to type, or could use an extra hand. --Dana Van Nest

Amazon.com Product Description:
ViaVoice for Macintosh, Enhanced Edition can maximize productivity by allowing direct dictation, editing, and correction of text with everyday applications. Streamline the steps needed to create reports, letters, and other projects. ViaVoice can convert the powerful spoken word to text. Speak into such popular applications as AppleWorks, Microsoft Word, Outlook Express, and Internet Explorer, and immediately see the results (available in U.S. English only). The ability to speak to the World Wide Web through Internet Explorer can provide the unfettered power to chat with other users--a specialized Internet Chat vocabulary increases the speech-to-text accuracy, and recognizes words spawned by this unique crowd. Users can navigate the Internet, moving back and forth between Web sites, and launch their favorite bookmarks--all with natural voice commands.

Good product, but updates are a must:
This is a good product overall and works well for me now that it is installed. (Perhaps it is just my "clean Midwest accent".) The manual states that the software does not support G3 upgrade cards, but my PowerLogix card works fine with the software so far. Cons: Lots of little problems requiring update and system tweaking. I found that updates proved critical for the software to load and work properly on my machine. After purchase, go to the IBM website for the product (see info included with the software) to request the latest update CD. This is a reason to be cautious about buying an opened box version of this (on eBay, for instance): You will need a unique support code from the back of the manual to request the update CD or to get technical help. The update is important if you wish to use the program with Word 2001. If you have problems installing, go to the IBM website for info and updates as there are strange little problems with the product, like having to reset your system time zone to New York in order to install. (?) This is the reason for 4 stars instead of 5. These problems should have been taken care of in the testing stage and I found them quite annoying to take care of in order to install the program.