About 10 days ago, we were tipped off by a reader that Dragon Naturally Speaking prices were SUPER low on Amazon.  At the time, you could get Dragon Naturally Speaking Version 10 Basic (an excellent program) for just $29.99!  Prices have gone back up (just a little bit), but that software is still only $42.99 new.  That’s less than the $89 retail price it normally sells for, and only about $13 more than it was selling at when it was the cheapest its been in years and years.

Someone asked me the other day if I thought maybe version 11 was getting ready to come out.

I do not have any inside information on this one way or another.  However, I have worked in product pricing in a past career, and I would hazard to say that it would appear that this recent price drop is either one of two things

1. Amazon is selling the product at very discounted levels with or without the permission of Nuance.

2.  Nuance is not coming out with a version 11 anytime soon. 

I think the second option is more likely.  I find it very doubtful that Nuance would sabotage the perceived value of Dragon Naturally Speaking by selling version 10 at prices one half the amount the product sold for originally.  Doing so would fill a lot of demand, demand that might not be willing to shell out more money for a version 11 upgrade.

I’m guessing that version 11 is probably at least a year away, and Nuance is simply trying to squeeze out more sales during a very tough economy for software sales.  Version 10 launched into the very start of the economic crisis last fall.  From my own experience with an extremely modest affiliate account on dragon (might get a referral per month these days) I saw sales go completely flat in October last year, only 2 months into the launch of Dragon Naturally Speaking version 10.  That didn’t pick up at all until after the beginning of the year and since then, things have been anemic at best.

Now, it would also appear that Nuance is letting their affiliate channel move forward on auto-pilot.  Pricing for Dragon Naturally Speaking through the affiliate program still sells at full retail price through the Nuance site, even with Amazon running these amazing deals.  Maybe Nuance doesn’t want to sell produt through their own site?

That may sound crazy, but if for some reason they actually packaged up a large number of units and Amazon has them sitting in a warehouse (no idea why they would have a JIT solution in place) but in that case, it might make sense for deep discounts at Amazon even at the expense of direct sales.

I’ve been covering Dragon Naturally Speaking from Nuance for a long time but have not seen the prices this low before.

UPDATE – Amazon prices have gone up slightly since this all time low on July 20, still an amazing discount!

Right now you can buy Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 for $29.99!  For your average user, that’s all you need!  If you want to have the extra ability to utilize an MP3 voice recorder (I use a Sony) you can get the Preferred version for as low as $117.99 and the ‘wireless’ version for $155 (that’s bluetooth wireless, I personally use an after market 2.6ghz wireless logitech headset that will work with any version).

You could buy the basic version for $30 and an $90 logitech clearchat wireless headset for a total price of $120 or just jump to Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 bluetooth wireless at $155.

No matter what these are great prices.  Typically the lowest prices you will se are about $80 for Basic, $150 for preferred and $250 for bluetooth wireless.  The best part about this is that at $30 for Basic, this is a great price for a first time user to get in and see just how great this software is these days.

I just saw this update by Peter Mahoney on the Dragon blog at Nuance.  It would appear that the long long wait for 64 Bit OS support will end tomorrow with the release of 10.1.

UPDATE AS OF MARCH 24, 2009: Hi Everyone – a quick update as of Tuesday, March 24. We are almost ready to release the 10.1 download builds for English Preferred ad Standard, but we are still working out a couple issues with our download process. Once we resolve any outstanding issues, we will move the download pages into our production Web environment. At this point, it looks like that will be tomorrow, Wednesday. I will continue to provide updates as the become available. Peter

Update on Dragon for Windows Vista 64 — Frequently Asked Questions – Speaking About Dragon – from Nuance

Personally, I can’t wait, and I know a lot of other Dragon users and people that have purchased Dragon for a new laptop or computer only to find that it wasn’t yet supported will also be happy to get this software up and running.  The bottom line is that it is great software and definitely helps with productivity, but launching it last summer with out 64 bit support was a strategic mistake as retailers and manufacturers were resetting the last of the 32 bit Vista OS’s off the shelves and out of the stores and replacing them with more powerful 64 bit machines.

US

UK

Francais

I write tutorials, white papers, and reviews of Dragon.  I write them because I truly think the software is useful for many many people.  I consider myself something of a product evangelist with this product because I use it myself and it does help.  I’m glad that the last 7-8 months of grief are almost over so I can get back to doing what I do best with this software, showing it off and showing how it can help people like the kids in my wife’s classroom.  She teaches fourth grade in a title I school and several of the children either don’t have the physical capability to write or in some cases they have mental disabilities that make the obstacles of the writing process almost insurmountable.  Dragon helps them get over that barrier and keep up with the other kids in their class, in their grade, and more.  If nothing else it helps them to avoid falling further behind.

I use it for the productivity boost.  That boost can help a capable person do more and it can help a person with less capability do more as well!

Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 will receive a Vista 64 bit OS upgrade by the end of March 2009.  This is the information that we found on the Nuance website after Peter Mahoney of Nuance left a comment here following one of our articles about 64 bit os rumors. 

Now,I normally don’t copy and paste FAQ’s as there is typically not an entire FAQ that is filled with important information.  However, in this case the entire FAQ is pretty important and I’m positive will answer a lot of question for a lot of Dragon Naturally Speaking Users. 

We’ve received a lot of comments and questions about the upcoming release of Dragon 10 that supports Windows Vista 64. I’ve compiled some of the most frequently asked questions here and included the answers to those questions. If I’ve missed something, please let me know (I’m sure you will…)

Peter

Update on Dragon for Windows Vista 64 — Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When will Dragon NaturallySpeaking supports Windows Vista 64 bit operating systems?
A. Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 10.1 will start shipping by the end of March 2009. This release of the software adds support for Windows Vista 64-bit operating systems. In addition, this version fixes some bugs that were identified in Dragon version 10.

Q. Which editions of Dragon will be released first?
A. Dragon Standard, Preferred and Professional Version 10.1 will be released by the end of March in English. Other editions (including Medical and Legal) and additional languages will be released over the next few months. Please check back here for additional detail.

Q. How will I know when it is available?
A. We will update this blog and our website when Dragon 10.1 is available.

Q. How much will it cost to upgrade?
A. Registered users of Dragon 10 are eligible for a free download of version 10.1. Special upgrade pricing will be available for customers of previous versions of Dragon for a limited time.

Q. Is this a patch release or a full release?
A. Dragon 10.1 is a full release. That means that a full installation is required to upgrade to version 10.1.

Q. I don’t have Vista 64, do I need this release?
A. Dragon 10.1 works on both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems. The primary new functionality for Dragon 10.1 is support for Windows Vista 64. In addition, Dragon 10.1 fixes a number of bugs that were identified in Dragon version 10.

Q. Can I download the upgrade?
A. Yes. The download will be available for registered users of Dragon 10. Because this is a full release, the image size is quite large (almost 2 GB), so we only recommend downloads over high-speed Internet connections.

Q. Can I get the upgrade on a DVD?
A. Yes. We will make DVDs available for upgrade customers. There will be a small shipping and handling fee for the DVD.

Q. Will Dragon 10.1 work on windows XP 64?
A. Dragon 10.1 is not supported on windows XP 64. The only 64-bit operating system that was tested during our quality assurance process was Windows Vista 64. While it may install and operate on windows XP 64, we do not recommend that you attempt to do this since we cannot support that configuration.

Q. Will Dragon 10.1 work on Windows 7?
A. We have tested Dragon 10.1 on the current beta release of Windows 7 and it appears to operate adequately. However, since Windows 7 is beta software, we cannot support these configurations.

Today, I’m publishing the fourth video demonstrating how you can mindmap with your voice.  I have Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 and MindManager 8 installed on my computer and when I add this great little tool, called VoxEnable, I can mind map with my voice.

I can say something and it creates a topic, say something more and create a sub topic, say something more and move a topic around. I can say something and a boundary is put around a set of topics.

If you missed the former video entries on this topic, I will next work with the software in a more in depth way once I have had a chance to deep dive into the software.  If you have questions about the software or suggestions on something I should/could test, let me know and I’ll try to generate a video of the result. 

Related Articles:

1. MindManager Powered by Your Voice is Here!

2. MindManager Powered by Your Voice Part 2 Navigation Demonstration

3. VoxEnable Powering MindManager 8 with Your Voice Using Dragon Naturally Speaking Part 3

Here’s my third video (quick reviews) of VoxEnable helping MindManager and Dragon Naturally Speaking work together.  I also quoted a press release on the two programs below.  I’ve got 2 more of these quick video reviews on VoxEnable to share here, before I’ll spend a couple weeks working more closely with the program to see just how much I can get out of it and whether I can make it part of my must have list of tools.  At first glance, I do think that it has this potential so far, but it takes time to change the culture of what you do and how you do it.  So time will tell more soon.

Release date: December 10, 2008
Nuance’s Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10® brings a voice-activated dimension to Mindjet’s MindManager® 8 helping individuals to save time, conquer information overload, and be more effective.

London UK, 10th December 08, Mindjet, the leading provider of applications for mind mapping and interactive visual collaboration and Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN), a leading provider of speech solutions, today announced the release of the breakthrough productivity application, VoxEnable(TM) that delivers ‘hands-free’ mind-mapping to the desktop.

In an innovative collaboration Mindjet’s MindManager 8, the market-leading mind-mapping tool, has been combined with Nuance’s Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10®, the world’s best-selling speech recognition software, to bring a new voice-activated dimension to mind-mapping, liberating individuals and helping them save time, conquer information overload, and be more effective.

"Mindjet and Nuance are recognised software innovators in their respective markets so by bringing the two technologies together with our VoxEnable(TM) application we have created a powerful productivity tool that is now completely voice-enabled," said Ian Bourne, of Citnexus, the partner that developed VoxEnable. "MindManager is used by more than 1.5 million people today including professionals, educators and home users for brainstorming, developing plans, creating presentations, and accomplishing a limitless number of other tasks. By enabling all your commands through Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 users can capture, organise, and communicate information without having to type it using a PC keyboard."

The Dragon voice-enablement engine delivers what matters most in speech-recognition software – 99% levels of accuracy at three times the speed of most typists and unrivalled ease of use. To begin building a mind-map a user issues the instruction ‘new topic’ or ’start brainstorm’ then the software tool starts building the map based on the voice-commands. Over 150 voice-enabled functions have been incorporated into this release and users can transcribe and create MindManager 8 visualisations which can be manipulated, scrolled, scaled, zoomed, printed and exported by voice. Text can be dictated directly into topics with formatting, editing and search capabilities.

"Speech technology with mind-mapping is going to be a potent productivity combination. Imagine never having to scribe your thoughts and ideas down again but instead ‘energise’ the way ‘brainstorms’ or planning meetings are conducted, said Rob Furnivall of Mindjet UK "Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10’s near-perfect accuracy and easy-to-use interface feeds into the Mindjet’s feature-rich MindManager 8 visualisation tool to deliver a unique experience that helps you manage ideas and information more smartly."

MindManager 8 is the latest incarnation of the award-winning productivity tool that allows you to map your ideas and information visually, starting with a central topic surrounded by subtopics arranged on lines, or "branches." The map is a visual diagram that imitates the creator’s thoughts, with the interactive benefits of embedded data, live hyperlinks, collaboration capabilities, and much more.
MindManager is an indispensable fifth productivity application, along with the word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and e-mail. MindManager 8 integrates and augments with all of these applications, so you can capture, organise, and act upon limitless ideas, data and knowledge without ever leaving your mind map.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred gives businesses and advanced PC users the power to create documents, reports and emails three times faster than most people type through voice commands. Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 allows users to surf the Web or dictate and edit in Microsoft Word and Excel, Corel WordPerfect and most other Windows-based applications. Commands can be dictated into a handheld device when away from a PC or using a Bluetooth microphone. A high-quality headset is included. Pricing and Availability Prices start at £129. More information on the various versions of both MindManager and Dragon software, plus special pricing for education and charity can be found on the Citnexus website www.citnexus.co.uk.

About Mindjet Mindjet (www.mindjet.com) is the leading provider of applications for mind mapping and interactive visual collaboration. Its award-winning products are revolutionising the way people engage with information, ideas and each other. More than 1.5 million people (including executives, managers, engineers, salespeople, marketers, strategic consultants, business analysts and administrators in nearly every industry) use Mindjet MindManager to save significant amounts of time, conquer information overload, and become more productive. Companies and individuals around the world use Mindjet’s powerful built-in collaboration capabilities to build strategic plans, run effective meetings, hold insightful brainstorming sessions, manage projects and succeed with almost any business or personal productivity challenge. Mindjet’s products are available for immediate trial or purchase at www.mindjet.com/products/trials. Mindjet is headquartered in San Francisco and has more than 200 employees in the U.S.,

Europe and Asia

Nuance Communications, Inc. Nuance (NASDAQ: NUAN) is a leading provider of speech and imaging solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with information and how they create, share and use documents. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications and professional services. For more information, please visit www.nuance.com.

Nuance, the Nuance logo, Dragon and NaturallySpeaking are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nuance Communications, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

About Citnexus Citnexus is a software reseller and developer. Citnexus has developed the VoxEnable(TM) application that provides over 150 functions through a seamless interface between Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 and Mindjet MindManager 8

VoxEnable is a trademark of Citnexus Trading Limited. www.citnexus.co.uk

Yesterday, we uploaded a video of VoxEnable that makes it possible to drive MindManager 8 with Dragon Naturally Speaking 10.  I know that kind of sounds like driving your car with a remote control device, but it can be very liberating.  We have multiple senses and the ability to create content very quickly.  You can type everything into a MindMap, but there are times when you can get that thought out faster and quicker using your voice alone or in conjunction with a mouse and keyboard.

Here is our second video in this series and we will share the other videos to complete this soon!

Yesterday’s Article  – MindManager Powered by Your Voice is Here!

For a couple years now, I have been looking forward to the day when I could power MindManager with my voice.  I could think it, speak it, and it would be mapped!

A couple years back, I picked up on Dragon Naturally Speaking 9, then upgraded to version 10.  Neither version plays nice with MindManager 5, 6, 7, or 8!

Fortunately, a great little company has come up with a cheap solution to bridge that gap and the software is called VoxEnable.

Now, I sat down a week ago and created a series of videos showing how VoxEnable made it possible to use Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 with MindManager 8.  It worked beautifully.

Unfortunately, I had my video/audio recording settings cross wired, and the audio of my voice didn’t make it into the video.  Today, I finally got around to making those videos.  They are a little low tech as I created them on the airplane coming out here.   

That itself was a fun little experiment.  I wanted to see how the airplane sound quality might impact Dragon Naturally Speaking.  (End result, no impact at all, it worked great).

The first video is above, and I will have some more videos to follow this as I get a chance to publish them this week, so don’t forget to subscribe to our site if you haven’t already!

If you have a lot of documents already written on your hard drive, or if you copy some in later (maybe from a work computer or a shared server or downloading a blog or something) and you want Dragon to be ready to recognize the words in those documents when you speak them you can do this through the Accuracy Center.

Go to Tools>accuracy center and look in the right column for Add words from your documents to the vocabulary.  (also notice the increase accuracy from email option below that!)

Now, this will help Dragon ‘contextually’ understand how to put words together, even words that it currently doesn’t know how to write, but some of those individual words will still need to be matched up to your voice.  Regardless, this will definitely help and will speed up the amount of time you would need to train Dragon Naturally Speaking otherwise

Great News!  Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 and MindManager 8 might soon work well together.

I have reviewed in the past the limitations of using Dragon Naturally Speaking with MindManager.  It works, a bit but it doesn’t work nearly as well as either program work alone.  Recognizing this problem a solution has been developed in the form of software that is supposed to bridge the gap and make it possible to run MindManager 8 using Dragon Naturally Speaking 10.

The company, Citnexus, that has created this solution, calls the software VoxEnable.

I’ve just heard about this and written to the company to get more information.  In reviewing the shopping cart, it is less than clear how this software sells or ads on to existing configurations.

I for example own both Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 and MindManger 8.

VoxEnable seems to come bundled with upgrades for both Dragon and MindManager and it comes stand alone.

I could be wrong (as I’ll admit I’m confused by the pricing and product descriptions) but I think if you already have both Dragon and MindManager that the software only costs £29.95.

In the meantime, you can play with Dragon and MindManager 8 together without VoxEnable, but you will not get anything productive done.  Without a boost, the two just are not good enough alone.  I’m hoping that VoxEnable puts them both over the top, but I’ll let you know. . . . 

Technorati Tags: Dragon Naturally Speaking,MindManager 8,VoxEnable,limitations,Cinexus,MindManger,product,software

Windows Live Tags: Dragon Naturally Speaking,MindManager 8,VoxEnable,limitations,Cinexus,MindManger,product,software