App Review: Dragon Dictation

Why write it when you can say it?

That’s the motivation behind Dragon Dictation (Free) for iPad/iPhone. The app was developed by Nuance Communications, the same company that partnered with Apple to create the popular Siri service. It’s the kind of application that gets better with time, as the company’s servers accumulate voice data from around the world and transcribe it into written text.

Here’s an overview of Dragon Dictation, a remarkable app for writing what you say.

The App

Dragon Dictation transcribes spoken text by uploading an audio file to its servers.

Before you begin, make sure you are connected to the Internet via a WiFi connection or 3G mobile network. Once you are connected, your recordings are quickly transcribed into text, which you can send via email.

Open the app to begin a new dictation:

Click record and start speaking:

Click done when you are finished speaking:

Click on the bar-and-arrow in the lower right corner to export the text from Dragon Dictation:

Email your notes to the office to create a memo or letter. There will be typos, as you would expect with any dictation software, so remember to make final edits.

Does it work?

Yes, if you talk slowly in a quiet environment that minimizes background noise. It’s not going to work well in a crowded courtroom, but the iPhone app is perfect for dictating notes while driving home from a deposition using a 3G mobile connection.

Like anything, it takes practice.  Use the app to dictate notes while reviewing records, after meeting with a client, or while driving to a hearing. Over time, the app begins to recognize your speech patterns and its accuracy seems to improve.

Bottom line: Dragon Dictation is a must-have app to dictate short memos or write blog posts – such as this one. If you to need to dictate a longer document, you are probably better off using the dictation button on an iPad 3 or purchasing software for your office.