So I’ve used speech recognition before, but I recently decided to try using it again. I keep seeing commercials for speech recognition software and they make their software sound like it’s so special.  Windows has been able to do speech recognition for quite some time.  So I didn’t really see anything special about it.  I actually use speech recognition back when windows XP was new.  So I wasn’t buying into the hype.

The speech recognition software in windows seven is a little better than the speech recognition software in windows XP.  But not by much.  It takes awhile to get used to all the different commands.  But I’m pretty sure if I use speech recognition every day, I’d get pretty good at it.  And I’m pretty sure that all these other speech recognition software programs are pretty much the same way.  There’s probably lots of commands that you have to get used to.  I don’t know what they are because I’ve never use the programs.  But I can’t imagine they’re all that different from the speech recognition software in windows.  After all how many ways is there to say “close a program.”

So I’m actually typing this post, or rather should I say speaking this post, using the windows speech recognition software built into windows seven.  I’m using a headset microphone which actually works out really well.  I can listen to music or sound effects on the computer without the microphone picking them up.  The only thing I wish was different was if the computer would dynamically put words onto the screen as I’m speaking.  Kind of like text prediction does on a cell phone.  Currently the way it’s working is speech recognition shows me about a sentence later what I’ve spoken.  Actually I don’t think it actually shows me my text until I put a pause into my speech.  Oh well.

Well I’m done talking to my computer now.  It actually feels kinda strange, almost like I’m talking to myself.  Even though I know I’m talking to a computer. . .  Which is also kinda weird.  Of course I guess it’s the same as when you talk to yourself: I’m only crazy if the computer talks back.

Actually that would be kinda cool.