NatSpeak Version 3.5

Last Modified: November 23, 1999

(Editor's note: this topic was originally written in January of 1999. The information is accurate although somewhat out of date because Dragon Systems has already started shipping Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 4.0. All of the features introduced in version 3.5 of Dragon NaturallySpeaking are also in version 4.0 of Dragon NaturallySpeaking.)

At Comdex, Dragon Systems previewed its latest version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, version 3.5. With version 3.5, Dragon Systems has added some of the key features which customers were requesting.

Some of the new features of version 3.5 of Dragon NaturallySpeaking include:

• Number and currency formatting, so you can dictate things like "3 hundred 45 dollars and 32 cents" and have it type $345.32. (See Number Formatting for more information.)
• Command and control of your desktop which allows you to launch applications by voice (like "Start Microsoft Word"), as well as switching between active applications by voice. (See Desktop Commands for more information.)
• The ability to do voice editing in a larger number of applications. With version 3.5 you can use Select 'n' Say directly in applications like Microsoft Outlook among others. (See Editing in Other Apps for more information.)
• Complete tracking of menus and dialog boxes in Microsoft Word, which allows you to run the menus by voice (like "click File").
• And the addition of some new commands including the often requested "backspace" comman

As of January, 1999 all versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking which you buy in retail should have version 3.5 in the box. But even if you get a copy of version 3.0 instead, Dragon Systems will automatically upgrade every registered user of version 3.0 to the corresponding version 3.5.

This is important: you must be a registered user. Otherwise, Dragon Systems does not know who to send the upgrade to. (Also, I believe that Dragon Systems is giving you additional incentive to register its products in the future.) I have been told that all registered users of Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 3.0 will be mailed a free upgrade to version 3.5 sometime in the first quarter of 1999. However, this applies only to users of the U.S. English version. I do not know the details of any upgrades for international versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

This web page (http://www.synapseadaptive.com/joel/NatSpeak35.html) was last modified on November 23, 1999. The contents of this page are (c) Copyright 1998-1999 by Joel Gould. All Rights Reserved. See Copyright Information for more details.