MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Ok, this might be asking for the moon on a stick, but here we go!
I'm wondering if there is any (possibly free?) software out there which enables someone who couldn't use a word processor (due to poor vision and lack of computer knowledge) to dictate a letter straight into the computer and then have said dictation rendered into a printable format.
The alternative would be to use a speech recording device which could then download to a computer a printable format of the dictation.
This is for my mother-in-law, who no longer feels able to write letters. My father-in-law is pretty computer literate and would be able to do the downloading and/or printing but probably couldn't do the typing himself in any reasonable time-frame.
(I've tried the Speech thing in Word and can't make it work for me, so I doubt that they could either).
Many thanks
Julian
I spent a week or to trying to find something similar a few years ago when a slight misadventure left me without the use of my arms. In 2004 there was nothing that was any good and free. I got better before I bothered paying for anything so can't really help.
Slightly unrelated - Do you want to know how I used the keyboard while in traction?
Well, I always was a clever dick
I don't know of any and it's a difficult area.
I'd advise looking for open source software as I would't think that there will be any other stuff in the realm of the free
MS-Word software also needs some training to a particular voice, so it may be worth persevering with that one. It has improved over the last few years. Get a microphone / headset for best results
Well I don't want to be using your keyboard then WCA!
By the way, there's a very good beer deal going on in Southampton - just about to do a PSA on here...
Cheers, chvck - I'll have another look. Doesn't necessarily have to be completely free - just not very expensive...
@Moses - thanks: tried that but it says that my keyboard setting (en-uk) doesn't support dictation. Might try en-us but I doubt my father-in-law will want to change his settings even if he knew how...
i've got a list somewhere of useful free or low cost software, but am blowed if I can find it - investyigated this extenisvely a while back to see if I could help with some of my work pressure (I am dyspraxic and find sometimes that I get overburdened with work and checking my writing is an issue) - I found some good software that reads back to you which I occasionally use, but didnt go in for dictation software, other than trying a demo of dragon naturally speaking
http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/
if I find the list i will be posting back here