iListen with Headset/Microphone (Mac)

List Price: $149.99

Features:

• Top Selling Speech Solution For Mac OS X
• Dictate into any application
• Control your Mac with your Voice
• Includes USB Microphone
• Easy to install, train and use

Customer Reviews:

iListen DOES work on Mac OS 10.3.9 [Posted on 2005-11-28]
iListen works fine on Mac OS 10.3.9. If people have problems getting it to work, they should contact MacSpeech customer service, but should not post erroneous information here.

So Very Disappointed! [Posted on 2005-12-09]
I think there should be a way to hear what the "baseline voice" sounds like, because apparently it sounds nothing like me! I went through every single training unit -- Bram Stoker's Dracula, sports stories, recipes, the three-part explanation of the state of voice recognition tech, everything! And then it didn't work! Worse, it just made things up in a really creepy way! I was trying to dictate an email to a friend -- mostly I was saying that I couldn't believe how bad iListen was and instead of transcribing my complaints it started to type-out words like Arabs, airlines and terrorists! I kid you not!!!! Maybe it is programmed to write what most people are talking about these days! But I can assure you those words never came out of my mouth.

I was so so so so very disappointed in this product. I didn't expect perfection but seriously it got almost every word I said wrong. After I "trained it" for 4 hours. And my voice isn't weird...I have friends that think I should be on the radio. I speak in front of audiences even and no one has ever said I was hard to understand! So buy at your own risk.

Oh, and also...It doesn't come with instructions -- if you want to know how to use it you are forced to buy another $20 DVD or tape of a guy teaching you to use it. I figured out alot of it but could never figure out how to go back and correct wrong words. But by then I felt as if there was no point since I would have had to correct 97 percent of the words anyway. So here I am, typing this review with my fingers.

So just as an illustration I have decided to *show* you what this looked like when I used it. I read the review you just read above. I will say that THIS is the BEST it has EVER WORKED! I'm kind of almost impressed, which should tell you how bad it was last time!

"I think fish the should be a way to hear what that "baseline police and "sounds like, because apparently it isn't it sounds and acting like mean! I went through every single training unit - brunch stroke struck you, sports stories, recipes that three part explanation of the state of voice recognition tack, everything! Ant thin it didn't shirt! I was trying to dictate and e-mail to leave friend - mostly higher we say that I couldn't believe how bad iListen once and instead of transcribing my complaints it started to take out would like an above, airlines and terrorists! I did you not!!!! Maybe it is programmed to write what most people are talking about the but I can assure you those where it's never came out of my mouth

I was so so slow very disappointed in this product. I didn't expect perfection but seriously it got almost every word I said wrong. After I "trained it could "to for four hours. And that blows it isn't we headed the... I have friends that think I should be on the the help. They speak in front of audiences event and no one has ever said I was hard to understand! So by your own risk.

0 and hostility... it doesn't come with instructions - if you want to know how to use it you are forced to buy and that their 20 dollar DVD or take up with the IT she knew how to use that I figured out a lot of it that could never figure out how to go back and perfect well aware that by then they felt I think they were No.8 since that we have had to correct 97 percent of the wear anyway. So here I am, tight that this route you with my fingers."

MAYBE THIS IS HOW JAMES JOYCE WROTE FINNEGANS WAKE!?!?!?!?

Finally, I will say that I bought this version and then downloaded the upgrade so I could run it on Tiger...and that I had to buy an iMic adapter so that the USB port could be used for the Microphone since I have an iBook G4 and it doesn't have a Mic port, only the little hole next to the screen. So count on another 40 dollars for that if you have an iBook (But you will save that 40 by buying this version (if you are a masochist or someone with infinite free-time) and upgrading for FREE, rather than buying the more expensive Tiger OSX 10.4.3 - compatible model. I had no trouble installing it...it just didn't work. Like I said, the above experiment was the most successful trial by a mile!

C'est la vie...Live and Learn!

This one really works. [Posted on 2006-03-08]
It is tedious to follow the instructions in the manual and teach the program how to recognize your voice, but after you have done that it is amazing how well it can type for you. It is not any more difficult than ViaVoice for the Windows world. If there is more than one person using this program, then each person has to create their own unique voice profile (which means each person has to go through reading the training text). But this is a requirement of using any dictation program.

To use this program (or any dictation program) you need to have a decent microphone. Don't expect to use the built-in mike on any computer. A headset mike works best. If you are the type of person who has the patience to train a program of this type, then you will find it very helpful.

The most current version is 1.6.8 and the company issues regular upgrades as necessary. I started out with the very first version, and am now using it with Panther OS X 10.3.9. There are all sorts of Script Packs available for many programs so you can issue program commands appropriate to each program's needs. And they keep coming out with new ones. The latest In January was a Spanish LanguagePak so iListen users can dictate in Spanish. They also recently released ScriptPaks for TurboTax, Quicken 2006, QuickBooks Pro 2006,iLife 05, iWeb, Pages 2.0, Keynote 3.0, iWork 06 and Microsoft Office 2004. They keep the registered users informed as to new ScriptPacks as they come out.

If it could somehow magically just understand me with no training whatsoever I would issue it 5 stars. But that is not likely to happen in the real world--only in my dreams. Try it. You'll like it.

Program won't launch [Posted on 2006-07-21]
Worst software that I have ever purchased! I've re-installed and it still quits 1 second after it launches. I have iListen 1.7 on an Intel based iMac running OS 10.4.7. Even worse is MacSpeech's web site has been down for several days and telephone support is 15 bucks for 15 minutes (and they apparently call you back at their convenience). Maybe I just got a bad copy, but it's hard to tell when you can't even get any customer support.

It says "I listen" but mine doesn't [Posted on 2006-08-24]
I got my wife and daughter DRAGON (the PC I-listen equivalent). They have been using it with pleasure since.

My "I-listen" began well -- I read it several of the texts to familiarise it with my voice.

On dictation, it produced fluent gibberish. I re-loaded, taught it again (reading virtually all of the texts. Again, more fluent gibberish. Embarrased husband, pointedly tolerant wife and daughter. An email to the support people produced a detailed form letter of ideas, and an offer that they would phone if I still had trouble.

A time in hospital (just out, and quite well thank you) means I haven't tried their trouble-shooting advice yet. So far, a level of frustration that I do not associate with Mac.

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