Speech recognition software

From: Rasana Atreya (atreya@library.ucsf.edu)
Date: Thu Apr 03 1997 - 12:43:23 CST


Hi Sun Managers,

Here's my long over due summary. The following responses confirmed that for
Unix there is no software (as yet). The way to go is better equipment and
more exercises.

Original post and responses follow.

My thanks to all respondents!

Rasana

> With the onset of tendinitis (pain in wrists), I'm looking for alternative
> solutions to the keyboard. I would appreciate any suggestions/comments/ideas
> about voice recognition software for Solaris 2.x (unix), it's cost,
> capabilities....

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: twhite@bear.com (Thomas White)

When I first started feeling Carpal Tunnel Syndrome I got wrist-wrests for the
keyboard and mouse. it went away in no time. there are also simple warmup
stretches for the wrist. Or you can probably find a way to spend money on the
newer keyboards with the better design.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mshon@sunrock.east.sun.com (Michael J. Shon {*Prof Services} Sun
Rochester)

>From the Journal American:

At a recent Sacramento PC User's Group meeting, a company was demonstrating
its latest speech-recognition software. A representative from the company
was just about ready to start the demonstration and asked everyone in the
room to quiet down. Just then someone in the back of the room yelled,
"Format C: Return."

Unfortunately, the software worked.

Try the following:

Command Corp. Bob Adams 404-813-8030
3761 Venture Drive
PO Box 956099
Duluth, GA 30136
fax 404-813-0113
rea@gacc.atl.ga.us
support@gacc.atl.ga.us
in3@gacc.atl.ga.us
http://www.commandcorp.com

Try also Entropic Research -- They are into heavy-duty audio/speech
processing (their products are industry standard, used at the DOD
Speech Processing Workshops at Rutgers) but they evidently see Command
Corp as major competition. Maybe they have something in your
customer's price range?

Entropic Research Lab Ken Nelson 800-368-7674
Director Sales & Marketing
600 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Suite 202
Washington, DC 20003
202-547-1420
FAX 202-546-6648
nelson@wrl.epi.com

Also
Linkon* http://www.linkon.com/
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From: Glenn Carver <glenn@atm.ch.cam.ac.uk>

I urge you to check out the web page : http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/sac/.
This guy suffers badly from RSI and has amassed a great deal of information.
He uses Dragon Dictate and some other software to drive a X windows workstation.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: MarkM1162@aol.com

Sorry, there are no software that run under Unix as of this writing. If you
are using Windows at a local workstation than you can use DragonDictate for
Windows. Below is detailed information. Please call me at 1-800-631-TALK
(8255) if you have further questions.

This document was generated entirely by voice using DragonDictate for Windows
2.5!

The following prices apply to DragonDictate for Windows and are current as of
this date.

DragonDictate for Windows Personal Edition (10,000 word vocabulary) $395.00
(Recommended for disabled and/or command and control functions only)

DragonDictate for Windows Classic Edition (30,000 word vocabulary) $695.00
(Widely used for business, students, and general dictation)

DragonDictate for Windows Power Edition (60,000 word vocabulary) $1,695.00
(Recommended for individuals who dictate on a wide variety of subject matter.
 I.e. Physicians, attorneys, journalists, authors, researchers, etc. Also
recommended if the user will have a need to dictate proper names and
addresses)

All software packages come with a VXI Headset Microphone (very high
quality!), DragonDictate software, manuals, and quick reference card. 90 day
technical support on all products.

WHAT YOU NEED TO RUN DRAGONDICTATE FOR WINDOWS

Operating System - Microsoft Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11 for Workgroups,
Windows 95, or Windows NT
Personal Computer - 486/66 MHz or faster, Pentium Recommended
Diskette drive - 3.5-inch, high density

Memory (dedicated)

12 MB* -- Personal Edition (6 MB dedicated), 16MB Recommended
12 MB* -- Classic Edition (7 MB dedicated), 16MB Recommended
16 MB* -- Power Edition (8 MB dedicated), 20MB Recommended

*Required for DragonDictate plus Windows 95 or 3.1 and one typical
application program.

Hard disk storage (Minimum)

32 MB -- Personal Edition + 8 MB per user file after one (Includes space for
automatic backup of voice file)
36 MB -- Classic Edition +10 MB per user file after one (Includes space for
automatic backup of voice file)
42 MB -- Power Edition + 14 MB per user file after one (Includes space for
automatic backup of voice file)

Microphone - Dragon Systems certified microphone.

Certified Notebooks (using built-in sound hardware)

Acer - Note Pro P120 (Pentium)
AST - Ascentia 950N (Pentium)
AST - P-Series (P100/P133)
Compaq - LTE 5100 & 5000 Series
Gateway 2000 - Solo (Pentium)
Hewlett Packard - Omnibook 4000 (486)
IBM - Thinkpad 701C (486)
Panasonic - CF-41/V41 Mark II (Pentium)
Sager - NP 8600/8620
Toshiba - Portege 610CT (Pentium)
Toshiba - Satellite Pro 400/410/420/425 (Pentium)
Trogon - TG 8100 (P120)
Zenith - Znoteflex (486)

Although not yet officially certified, these notebooks also work fine
according to our customers:

IBM - Thinkpad 760CD
Toshiba Tecra 700 P-120
Hewlett Packard - HP 5000 Pentium

Certified Soundcards

Advanced Gravis - Ultrasound Max (3010-10)
Creative Labs - Soundblaster 16 Value Edition
Creative Labs - Soundblaster 16 Value Edition (IDE) Based on Vibra16
chip-set.
Creative Labs - Soundblaster AWE 32
Ensoniq - Soundscape Plug & Play
Mediatrix Peripherals - Audiotrix Pro
MediaVision - ProAudio Studio 16
Microsoft - Windows Sound System
New Media - WavJammer (PCMCIA)
Reval - Sound FX Wave 32
Reveal - WaveExtreme 32 SC800
Turtle Beach - Tropez
Dragon Systems certified DSP audio board (IBM ACPA Card)***

We maintain an updated and detailed Notebook & Soundcard list at
http://www.iglou.com/vrsky/complist.htm for detailed information on notebooks
& soundcards.

(See DragonDictate information at our home page http://www.iglou.com/vrsky
for detailed information on our products.

Ordering Information:

Visa, MasterCard, American Express, COD, COD certified or cashier's check,
money order, or bank wire transfer.

(Note: You may send us a check drawn on your bank and we will hold shipment
of product until it clears your bank)
Call us at (606) 266-2800 for details or to make special arrangements.

Demonstration Software:
We have a 3 minute demonstration of DragonDictate for Windows in action that
is downloadable on the Internet at our home page address
http://www.iglou.com/vrsky. It is a Lotus ScreenCam Demo that demonstrates
exactly how the product works. (Note: the demo actually runs slower than in
real time)

We now serve clients in 45 states and we have never had a DragonDictate
system returned to date. This should give you an idea about user
satisfaction levels with the product. What's more, the system will recognize
accents without any problem and will allow you to change each and every word
in the active vocabulary if you wish. Continue to watch our home page
(http://www.iglou.com/vrsky) as I will be making new changes to reflect the
changing standards and new technologies that are rapidly evolving in the
voice recognition industry.

If this E-Mail has not answered your questions, please do not hesitate to
call me at (606) 266-2800. We look forward to serving you as a client in the
future.

Sincerely,

Mark H. Michael
President
Voice Recognition Systems

If you need to correspond with us, our address and telephone numbers are
listed below.

Voice Recognition Systems
P.O. Box 24405
Lexington, Kentucky 40524
(606) 266-2800 Office
(606) 269-6275 Fax

http://www.iglou.com/vrsky World Wide Web Address
Markm1162@aol.com E-Mail Address

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Rasana Atreya Voice: (415) 476-3623 ~
~ System Administrator Fax: (415) 476-4653 ~
~ Library & Ctr for Knowledge Mgmt, Univ. of California at San Francisco ~
~ 530 Parnassus Ave, Box 0840, San Francisco, CA 94143-0840 ~
~ atreya@library.ucsf.edu ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



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