Voice commands and dictation software on mobile phones, in apps like Vlingo or the iPhone's feature known as Siri, don't represent what's truly possible with this kind of technology. Not even close. Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 Premium SEE IT does. If you've never used dictation and voice command software before, Dragon NaturallySpeaking seems almost futuristic. It translates accurately. The speed is incredible. Intelligent features allow the software to become smarter the more you use it, by looking for words in context. After spending a few days with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12—and a fair amount of time with its predecessor Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11.5—I've found my workflow completely changed, in particular when writing scripts.

Dragon can also solve problems you didn't even know you had. It can make writing faster, especially if you're not fond of composing with your fingers. I've also found it revolutionized how I write scripts that are meant to be spoken rather than read silently. Anyone who suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome or other mobility issues really can't do better than Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12. Professors can use the software to essentially show closed captioning during lectures in real time. And for some people who struggle with writing, or have spelling anxiety, Dragon can relieve a lot of their pains, too.

The hardest part of working with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 is that it takes time to set up, practice using, and master. Very good documentation and tips appear onscreen when you need them, but there's no denying the learning curve. Invest the time and energy needed to get started, however, and Dragon more than pays off.

Note that you do need to use a microphone with Dragon, and a very good one comes included with the shrink-wrapped version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12. If you're already happy with your current version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, an upgrade may not be in the cards at this time due to the exorbitant price: $149.99, whereas a new package lists at $199.99. (There's also a Home edition with some feature limitations for $99.) Version 11 was a 4.5 star Editors' Choice product, however, so it's easy to imagine a lot of people skipping a version or two.

Set Up

I tested Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 on a PC running Windows XP (more on the system requirements later). The installation from disc took less than 10 minutes, but it helps to do some additional setup to acclimate the system to your voice and establish a user profile. In all, the full setup time could take around 45 minutes, although you don't have to do it all at once. You can continue to give Dragon additional voice feedback that will help it adjust your user profile anytime you want.

You can choose your country or region, such as New Zealand, Canada, Southeast Asia, and then an even more specific accent, from a comprehensive list (I chose U.S., and then Northeastern U.S.). , but you'll still want to do additional setup in order for the system to adjust to your style of language and speech. Another way to give Dragon information about how you talk is to let it scan your sent emails and other documents, so they can look for words you use in relation to other words.

I actually enjoy the setup process with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12, which entails reading text shown on screen that explains how computerized dictation and voice command work. I find it helpful to know what the system is doing and how it's trying to understand what I say so that I can adjust how I speak in order to get better results from the software. As mentioned, you can go back to your profile and further adjust it by reading additional texts that Dragon provides and uses to better hear and translate how you speak at any time. You can choose from a list of texts that vary in difficulty, length, and content. For example, I read parts of a business book that was coded for medium difficulty, but other options included humorous writing and children's books.

Dragon in Action: Dictation

The very first time I use Dragon last year, I found it bizarrely intuitive. Version 12 is even more so, in part because of a new tutorial that's offered during setup, which gives you a thorough walk through of how to use some of the basic functions and features.

The minimalistic interface consists of little more than a gray toolbar at the top of your screen showing when the microphone is active or asleep, and offers a few menu options, such as profile, tools, vocabulary, modes, audio, and help. You can reveal additional menu options but even these don't take up much screen real estate. An optional sidebar appears on the right side of the screen the first time you use Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12, but you can close it in one click if you prefer not to see it.