A First Look at Microsoft Office XP Speech Recognition
Microsoft joins the fight to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome : Microsoft Office XP can drastically reduce mouse clicks and reduce typing, thereby aiding in the prevention of carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive motion disorders related to computer use. Those who already have signs of RSI should stick with Dragon NaturallySpeaking or IBM ViaVoice.
A Big Step Forward in the Battle against Carpal Tunnel
By Karl Barksdale
Last week I was able to load and enjoy the new Microsoft Office speech recognition software, which ships with the new Office XP product.
For my money, Microsoft Office XP is the best version of Office ever! It's well worth having even if you never use the speech portion. But our topic is speech and handwriting recognition and how these tools can help prevent repetitive motion to disorders. So, how do these new speech tools fit into our collective battle against carpal tunnel syndrome?
A First Look
Critics of the Beta 2 speech software were often harsh.
On the other hand, would I quit using NaturallySpeaking and switch to XP speech? I’m a carpal tunnel suffer, so absolutely not! Microsoft tells you upfront that their product is not meant for total hands-free use. Even minimal typing would send me to the operating room. But Microsoft is heading in the right direction. In fact, Microsoft Office XP Speech Recognition is better than any speech solution I have experienced on the Macintosh platform. It does lag behind Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Voice Xpress and IBM ViaVoice on the Windows PC platform, but that should be expected given that this is their first speech recognition release.
Strengths
After one enrollment with a good headset, I liked the accuracy! I'm not saying this will be your experience, but on a Pentium III 800 MHz computer with 256 MB of RAM, and the best USB headset I could find, it gave me surprising accuracy. All speech recognition programs require horsepower, and I gave Office XP every chance to perform. And, it worked well beyond my expectations. Here are three additional strengths:
1. The enrollment training is very user-friendly.
2. The Language Bar is really cute and easy to understand.
3. The Voice Command feature can virtually replace the need to use a mouse. This is the best feature in the XP speech software! You can access menus and open buttons by simply saying them. For example, to Save and Print you can say something as simple as:
Voice Command
File, Save
Print
If people do nothing more than use the Voice Command feature in Office XP to replace the mouse, they can cut their mouse clicking by more than 90 percent inside Microsoft Office itself. This alone would be a huge step forward in the battle against repetitive motion injuries.
Weaknesses
At this stage, Microsoft Office XP does not allow you to control the Windows interface. Perhaps we will see that feature integrated into Windows down the road. (Currently, Dragon NaturallySpeaking and IBM ViaVoice allow you control of Windows -- further reducing mouse clicks and the risk of injury.) Here are a few additional weaknesses:
1. Microsoft splits Dictation mode from Voice Command mode. Unlike all of its competitors, you're only allowed to dictate or control the interface with your "voice mouse," but NOT both at the same time. For this one reason alone, professional users will stay with NaturallySpeaking, Voice Xpress, or ViaVoice.
2. Correcting errors is critical to improving accuracy. However, Microsoft XP has a very awkward correction feature which requires the user to type. This must be improved in order to be competitive.
3. For users experienced in other speech recognition programs, the voice-activated selecting, editing, and formatting features will seem very awkward. The use of natural language commands is virtually nonexistent by comparison to products like Voice Xpress. This is a surprise. Microsoft, in large part, worked to invent the concept of natural language commands with its Speech Application Programming Interface 5 (SAPI 5) tools and its longtime partnership with Lernout & Hauspie. We will no doubt see a better execution of natural language commands in the future releases of Microsoft's speech recognition software.
It is doubtful that professional users or those with severe pain from repetitive motion disorders will switch from their current voice solution to Microsoft Office XP Speech Recognition. The reason is simple, the product is not meant for total hands-free computing. In Dragon NaturallySpeaking, it is possible to go for hours in Microsoft Windows and Word on a few mouse clicks while eliminating keystrokes altogether. You can't do that with Microsoft XP speech. Perhaps the biggest drawback to Microsoft's current XP speech software is its rather archaic error correction system. Until this improves, professionals who are accustomed to quick and painless error correcting will stay with NaturallySpeaking, ViaVoice, or Voice Xpress.
Even with these weaknesses, it is still possible to dictate at speeds of over 110 -130 wpm with 95 percent or better accuracy with Office XP speech. Not bad for a first effort. Like all speech software, it does require training. It's important to help the students through the initial steps. However, after the beginner basics have been mastered, students will be able to do amazing things with their voices.
Headset and Speech Software Installation
Without a high-quality noise cancellation headset, every speech program suffers. This is also true with Microsoft XP. If you don't have a good headset and a 400 MHz processor with a minimum of 128 MB of RAM, don't try the speech portion of this product. You'll also need Microsoft Windows 98 SE or higher to run the speech and to install a proper USB headset.
Microsoft avoided a possible public relations problem by making speech installation optional. Microsoft is going to have hundreds of thousands of users try speech without the proper equipment and training. Because Microsoft Speech Recognition does not install instantly with the rest of the Office applications, users can enjoy Microsoft Office XP and never touch the speech recognition or handwriting features.
In regards to equipment, in a recent press release Microsoft recommended Plantronics USB headsets, namely the DSP-100, DSP-300, DSP-400, and the DSP-500. (www.speakingsolutions.com/plantronics.html) They also recommend the Plantronics analog headsets such as the SR-1 for those using speech with sound cards. For information on these headsets visit www.speakingsolutions.com/training/index.html. Scroll down the page and click on the Recommended Headsets link.)
With your headset working, you're ready to install your speech software. Follow these two simple steps:
1. Install Microsoft Office XP first.
2. After the XP installation, open Microsoft Word and simply click Tools, Speech and follow the instructions. You will need to have your Office XP installation disk in the CD drive. That’s it!
Handwriting Recognition
The handwriting recognition features are extremely exciting. The only problem today is that most of us will need to use a mouse to accomplish the task, which doesn't help with injury prevention. These tools are designed to be used with tablet computers, handheld computers, and a stylus rather than a mouse.
Nevertheless, the handwriting recognition features are fun! Again, don't judge handwriting recognition too harshly when all you have is a mouse to practice with. This is an exciting glimpse of the future, and we need to learn to use the handwriting features effectively -- but we need the right hardware tools first!
Microsoft has given us a futuristic product with the release of Office XP. For my money, Office XP is the best application software suite I've ever experienced. I'm sure you'll love it even if you decide to use another speech recognition product along with it. While XP speech does not provide a total solution for those individuals with repetitive motion injuries, it can be a powerful tool in the prevention of these problems if taught and used properly. For this reason alone, every student should learn to use speech recognition software.