ACID Music Studio 7 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I will try to make this brief. This is a easy program to use if you are experienced or just learning(like myself). The program pretty much spells everything out for you. But for a program that is based around music it limits you if you do not have the full version of Acid Pro(which is about 300 dollars). For example, if you are recording multiple tracks, you need to create mixing busses. But the program does not save your busses unless you have Acid Pro, so if you record something that has lets say 25 tracks all asigned to busses and then you save it, once you open the project back up all those busses are gone and the program tells you an error occured and it then tells you to buy Acid Pro so this will not happen anymore. This is very frustrating, if you make any projects that involve complex mixing, you basically need to leave your computer on until you finish your work and never want to touch it again, unless you love remixing stuff. There is also a strange thing where you can't automate panning and volumes from the busses, you have to pull up an "envelope" on the track and create bullet points to adjust these things. I find it to be tedious and strange, when other porgrams such as Pro Tools allow you to automate much easier. Overall this is a decent program, but it has its frustrations and does not work fully unless you want to buy the full 300 dollar program.

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Product Description:
Sony Media Software ACID Music Studio 7. Music Creation and Mixing Software ACIDMusic Studio software is the perfect tool for original song creation, multitrack audio and MIDI recording, studio quality mixing, and effects processing. Share your songs any way you want burn your own CDs, upload to the web, prepare audio for podcasts, or export to your MP3 player. With built-in tutorials to guide you, you ll be composing, mixing, and mastering like a pro in no time.

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My Piano Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I found this to be a great product in teaching kids to learn to play.I am 30 with no music abilities and I have learned to play part of a song in the first few mins.My daughter is 4 and she loves to watch and play the games at the end of each lesson.Then she goes to the keyboard and tries. I did not expect her to learn since it is recommended for age 6 and over, but the interest is there and she will learn someday.

I have Windows XP and no blank screens

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Product Description:
My Piano is a unique and fun way for kids ages 6 and up to learn how to play piano or keyboard! An animated character named Pam the Piano guides kids through over 100 lessons by former Juilliard School of Music instructor Irma Irene Justicia, M.A. My Piano covers the basics, such as proper hand position and rhythm, and moves on to reading music notation, playing songs and more. An animated keyboard shows kids where to put their fingers as the music plays, and the speed of the music can be adjusted with MIDI tracks so that each child can learn at his or her own pace.When used with a MIDI keyboard, kids get instant feedback on their playing, telling them which notes were played incorrectly and what should have been played instead. Separate audio tracks (left / right hand, full song / voice only) and colorful MIDI accompaniments provide exciting options to have fun with. My Piano is the complete program that will get your child playing piano!Built-in accessories: Digital Metronome: Kids can keep a steady beat with audio and/or visual feedback. Digital Recorder: Allows kids to record and play themselves back for friends and family to hear! Research has proven that children who play a musical instrument do better in school, form friendships more easily and gain self-confidence. Get your child started playing with the easy and fun way to learn - eMedia My Piano

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Dragon Dictate 2.0 for Mac Academic Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Review for Dragon Dictate 2.0.
All of this review will be written using DragonDictate 2.0:

I've been using Dragon Dictate 2.0 for little over two weeks, I never used MacSpeech Dictate, however, I did use Dragon Naturally Speaking nine, for Windows.

I am using a Plantronics 400 USB headset: I bought the program because I've had some pain in my wrists, and because I do a lot of writing, and need a hands-free way of typing. I write fiction, blogs, e-mails, nonfiction, and school assignments with this program, I even use it for Skype.

So far, the program has worked exceptionally well. There was one issue that I wasn't really pleased with, however, an update came out a few days ago, which mostly fixed the issue. The issue was, I wanted to be able to train the program to learn new words. I noticed, some words it could learn, but other words it refused to learn. With the update, I've been able to train the program to learn all the words I've been trying to train it prior to the update, however, I have still found a few words it has had trouble learning. But overall, I'm pleased.

Also, the program has unexpectedly quit on me a few times, not so much that I'm losing writing, but enough to irritate me. I think with the update, they have fixed the crashing issue. I hope so.

The program has this wonderful recognition window; whenever you say anything, the program writes down 10 different outcomes the program thinks she may have said. Usually, one of the 10 is correct, so it is as easy as saying pick five, or pick eight... But usually, the first one is the correct one, meaning you don't have to say anything more than what you are speaking. However, if there is a chance that none of the options are correct, you can pick the most correct one, and just by saying edit five it will open up the writing for editing. You can either use your voice, such as select that, and then fix it, or you can use your keyboard and type the word in; and then say pick five. And it will automatically change the writing in your document from the writing you edited in the recognition window.


I usually like to write in Word document, but it's a little bit sluggish and slower, so I just write in the Dragon Dictate window, and then copy everything and paste into my word document. A probably could just write my Word document, but it's faster in the Dragon window. I like faster.


I've been very pleased with the accuracy of this program; so far, I've only had to edit a few times, completely using my voice. I'm pretty sure that I might have missed a few things because I wrote this review very quickly. But, I think seeing some of the errors for yourself will allow you to see the results of this program, the results I get.

So I don't have any thick accents, but I'm pretty sure that I slur some of my words, only slightly; I'm sure others will have better success than I. Using this program has been fantastic, I thought it would distract from my train of thought, but not as much as you would think.

Anyway, if you're looking for a program to enhance your time efficiency when it comes to writing... Depending on what you're using this program for, I would say it could improve your productivity. And, if you're looking for a hands-free device to write with, this program is awesome!One last very important thing, when I bought this program, I was hoping to put on my desktop and my laptop, however, my laptop did not have enough RAM, and my desktop did not have snow leopard. I could not even download it without snow leopard, but don't let that stop you, just by Snow Leopard, it's cheap and runs well on my computer. After that, installation was easy.

Enjoy my friends, and I hope this review was helpful for you.
one more thing,I was speaking quite quickly, without any sharp dictation, so if you concentrate with your articulation you can achieve better accuracy. However, sometimes I like to just speak asnatural as I can, and then edit it after. Because, there is nothing worse than messing with your train of thought while you're trying to write. Peace, take care. also,if you form what you're going to say in your mind before you say it, it comes out clearer! Which I didn't do for this review.

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Product Description:
With Dragon Dictate for Mac, accomplish more than you ever imagined possible. Input text just by speaking - up to three times faster than typing - and interact with your favourite Mac applications using only your voice. With Dragon Dictate you can produce reports, e-mail, articles, books, research notes, online content, and more - quickly, easily, and accurately. You'll get more done faster with less stress and more success - at home, at work, or wherever life takes you. Dragon Dictate provides amazing accuracy and requires just minutes of training to get started - it's Simply Smarter Speech Recognition.

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Street Atlas USA 2011 Plus Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It is more convenient to use a detailed full screen mapping program like this than any internet map or hand held gps device when planning a route.It is not as convenient to use while driving unless a passenger is willing to hold your laptop or netbook, and you will need a compatible gps receiver like DeLorme's Earthmate to use your computer as a gps device.

This 2011 edition is not as updated as it should be.The last previous edition I own is 2003.I ordered but had to return Street Atlas 2008 because it was not at all updated in my town.The 2011 edition finally included my now 5 year old street, an extension of the 8 year old street that still wasn't on the 2008 version.Unfortunately, my part of the street is just named Local or Rural Road, as are some of the other streets in my neighborhood.A major connecting road in my town is still only drawn for half of its three mile length, even though I emailed DeLorme about that omission back in 2008.Also, two streets in my development are misspelled, leading to search problems that had to be worked around by correcting the spelling in the search window.Since they pride themselves in using their own maps, DeLorme has to take responsibility for errors and omissions.My little TomTom GPS that is now over a year old has more up to date maps.

This is the first time I bought the Plus version, which gives the added ability to find 120 million businesses and people, which it will map to various degrees of accuracy.Some of my friends and family it had, others it didn't. As with my TomTom, it is sometimes so far off that you will not be able to find your point of interest without asking a local for help.The included phone book in the Plus version, however, gives you the address to work with and thus another way to program your destination and find it on your own using either Street Atlas or your small GPS device.

Overall, Street Atlas is an easy to use program for planning routes and a good supplement to the window mounted gps that I travel with.Each fills in the blanks in the other.When I last traveled through a wildlife refuge, my TomTom showed none of the unnamed streets that crossed each other.Street Atlas showed all of the roads so that I could navigate.

Netbook owners can use your desktop computer to transfer the DVD's to a flash drive that you can then attach to your netbook for program installation.Alternately, you can also download the program through DeLorme for List Price.




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Product Description:
America's Leading Mapping Software Great for before-you-go trip planning AND large-screen GPS navigation with an Earthmate receiver.Much More Powerful than Online MappingInnovative GPS features: 2-D and 3-D NavMode voice commands spokendirections automatic back-on-track re-routing with offroute distancesettings high contrast mobile map colors and much more. All inaddition to the new E-Z Nav Search feature.New E-Z Nav WizardTry out the new E-Z Nav wizard for on-the-go routing. Just search on anycategory (see below) choose your destination (retailer hospital gasstation friend s address etc) and start real-time navigation withyour GPS receiver. Great for daily and overall trip planning too.The GPS LeaderInnovative GPS features: 2-D and 3-D NavMode voice commands spokendirections automatic back-on-track re-routing with offroute distancesettings high contrast mobile map colors and much more. All inaddition to the new E-Z Nav Search feature.Up-to-Date Maps & Travel InformationComprehensive street and POI updates for the U.S and Canada now withMexico highways. Over 180000 new or updated roads for 2011. Powerfultravel planning tools MapShare and many data types.Download Aerial ImageryDownload $40 of aerial imagery FREE using included DeLorme Data Dollarsand the software s NetLink tab. Imagery can be used with all of theStreet Atlas USA routing GPS and draw tools.Features:All the features and capabilities found in standard edition.Put your contact manager listings on the map.Import and edit an unlimited number.Display their map locations for strategic planningrouting more.Print large-format wall maps.Link photos documents and URLs to the maps.Get 150 million U.S. and Canadian residential and business phone listings FREE newly updated.Import up to 1000 at a time.Query by Yellow Page headings and create your own databases.Right-click on a street and get all its phone listings.Delete

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TalkIt TypeIt 2 Deluxe / Easy Letters Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)EXAMPLE:

First I'll type it (with one hand):

*Now I am back to the drawing board in search of a program that will type what I say while my hand is too injured to type, with no end in sight".HERE IS WHAT "Talk It Type It" typed as I repeated the sentence above, AFTER I twice went through the voice training program to program in my voice:

*Now I'm back to the drawing board and searchable program that will type what I say will my hand is to enter to type with no end in sight.

What's WORSE? It navigated me off of FACEBOOK AND GMAIL several paragraphes into a message, and I LOST everything after such SLOW PAINSTAKING WORK. THIS IS NOT AT ALL FAST, BECAUSE BY THE TIME YOU CORRECT THE ERRORS, IT'S ABOUT A HALF HOUR TO TYPE THREE PARAGRAPHS.

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Product Description:
With Talk It Type It 2, you can do all of your typing in as little as one-third the time it normally takes in any Windows application-just by talking to your computer. Packed with more than 2,200 business, sales and personal letters organized into 500 useful topics, Easy Letters helps you compose effectively.

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Finale SongWriter 2010 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought my first computer, a Macintosh, in 1986-ish. I believe it came with (?) a music composition program that I had a blast with. I've pined for it ever since. When I discovered Finale Songwriter, I was in heaven. It's user friendly and sings (plays) your compositions back to you instantly. BUY it. It will satisfy the creative soul in you.

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Product Description:
While Finale SongWriter makes it easy to create great sheet music at an affordable price, that's just the beginning. Finale SongWriter allows you to enter notes from a mouse, computer keyboard, or midi keyboard. You can add chord symbols, fretboard diagrams, and multiple verses of lyrics. Finale SongWriter can automatically add two and three voice harmony to your melodies and instantly add a drum part. The music you create sounds great through your computer's speakers thanks to Human Playback and 128 professional sounds. You can import and export MIDI files, create MP3 files, and save your work as a standard Finale file which can also be shared with users of Finale Notepad (a free download). If getting music on the printed page is part of your songwriting project, Finale SongWriter is the perfect collaborator.

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Dragon Premium 11 Upgrade from V9 and up with Bonus Lifestyle Pack Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)they show a box that says dragon premium 11 upgrade...well, for $100, they gave me, tossed in the larger box that held the rest of my order, along with paper packaging a large white envelope!!I honestly thought there wasn't anything in this white envelope...lucky thing i didn't toss it!What was in that envelope was what they listed as the dragon premium upgrade ($99)one dvd dragon naturally speaking and a quick reference card.Guess i have to go looking for VERSION 9, How was i to know V9 meant version?..I'm Christmas shopping!Besides, how does a dvd and a 4.5" x 6" card weigh over 4 ounces?That's over a quarter of a pound.Who has time to puzzle out all those nuances mfgrs use?I haven't opened it; it was bought as a gift, and, now...I have to go shop for v9. Please don't make my mistake...look at Dragon's web site and spend some time reading a little bit more about what you get for your money, instead of what it can do...Merry Christmas!!!!

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Product Description:
Dragon Naturally Speaking 11 Premium Upgrade from V9 and up plus Lifestyle BONUS pack is speech recognition software lets you control your digital world by voice - three times faster than typing. Turn ideas into text at the speed of thought. Tell your PC what to do and it does it. Use Dragon to talk your way through your "to-do" list - email, reports, spreadsheets, presentations, social networking and more - quickly and confidently. Use a digital voice recorder and Dragon will transcribe the audio files when you return to your PC. With Dragon as your personal assistant, you'll get more done faster for less stress and more success - at home, work, or wherever life takes you. This includes a Dragon Lifestyle pack which is a one-time Amazon ONLY special BONUS offer! Dragon Lifestyle Speech Pack is an add-on tool which will allow you to optimize your use of Dragon by speech enabling additional applications such as Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Skype, iTunes, Thunderbird, Audacity, and more!!

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American Idol Extreme Music Creator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)American Idol Extreme music Creator is the awesome thing! if u are looking for something to make your OWN ORIGINAL music, get this!!! because i wanted it so bad for christmas, i got it, and i WAS NOT disappointed!!! and if u get a PC microphone, which is really cheap, you can record your singing voice and make up lyrics to go with your music you just made!! then u can burn everything to make your own CD, AND you get to publish it!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!

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Product Description:
American Idol Extreme Music Creator software is a powerful application that lets users experience what it's like to produce songs much in the same way their favorite producers do; right on their home computer. It offers more advanced music-making features for aspiring musicians and singers who are serious about the chance at their turn as America's next superstar. Users can record their vocals, remix their own favorite songs, burn them to CD to share with others - or even publish to the web. The software includes hundreds of royalty-free music loops and samples in multiple genres and also comes with a free Randy Jackson's Producer's Pack bonus disc providing over 250 additional pop music loops and samples.

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Sound Studio 3: Record, Edit, Add Effects to Audio (Mac) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm primarily interested in converting vinyl to digital and recording and editing FM audio, though lately I've begun to record live music.The colorful, gaudy, comparably-priced Toast/Spin Doctor program may be slightly handier for converting vinyl LPs, but its wave patterns are unreadable and its editing functions too imprecise to be practical for editing a large file.Sound Studio requires a bit more study than Spin Doctor, at least for the uninitiated, but the wave patterns are readable, offering the user more than the merely decorative squiggly lines of the Roxio product.Moreover, it has a reliable and easy-to-set timer for automatic recording, a very useful feature that's missing in Spin Doctor.Finally, it comes packaged with a handy little hard-copy manual--perhaps the reason Roxio's Toast is once again including printed instructions.

As for the recent, heavily promoted Wiretap Studio, it's definitely the program of choice for recording audio files off the internet (I mostly use it to record files from NPR Jazz).And it enables you to preview about a dozen different compression ratios in real time, a unique feature.Moreover, you can record in any compression ratio rather than convert after the fact, which helps insure against exceeding storage capacity while recording.Still I feel more comfortable recording and editing non-internet sound with Sound Studio.The latter offers a bigger display, more accessible wave patterns, better level indicators, more protection against distortion, and makes the saving of a single part of a large unedited file a simple, straightforward operation.

Later: Sound Studio 3 has updated to Sound Studio 3.5, which lists dozens of additional features and add-ons.It's no problem downloading an upgrade from the Freeverse site.The new version does nothing that's different from my old Sound Studio 2, which was practically free as I recall (the price of the present one seems a bit high when compared to the burning and video features of the comparably priced Toast).But the current program has been, for the most part, stable and dependable.

The other program in this price range worth considering is Fission, which appears to have all of the features of Sound Studio plus more reader-friendly instructions and user-friendly icons.The problem with the program is that it requires a separate recording program (Audio Hijack Pro).

Apple, which is always popular with musicians and artists, doesn't appear to offer any programs comparable to the PC favorite, Cool Edit, but Sound Studio may well be the closest for the reasons given.Although the instruction manual is relatively short and accessible,a few more recommendations and tutorials for the neophyte would be welcome.Otherwise, the plethora of settings and effects can soon become overwhelming.For example, is Normalization preferable to the Compressor setting?Is it advisable to use both?When Normalizing, is it better to use the Peak or Average Power (RMS) option?After hours of experimentation, my advice comes down to this: 1. boost the volume a tad if the signal seems to require it; 2. use the wave patterns to cut out the dead spaces, coughs and clams.Trust a decent mic and recorder to do the rest.

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Product Description:
Sound Studio 3 is an easy-to-use Mac OS X application for recording and editing audio digitally to your computer. Digitize vinyl records and tapes, record live performances, create your own mixes with crossfades, tweak the levels and EQ, apply digital, and save in all major file formats with Sound Studio. A perfect accessory to create and customize your own iTunes tracks!

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TomTom Homer Simpson Voice Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It is fun to listen to Homer Simpson's voice as your guide, but since this is a recorded voice and not computer generated, it does not include street names, i.e., it is "turn right" rather than "turn right on Elm Street".I prefer to hear the street names, so I have switched back to the built-in computer voice.

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Product Description:
Directly from Springfield, America's most popular Dad makes his way to TomTom devices. With Homer at your side, even the shortest drive will transform into a journey to remember. You'll see, driving with Homer is as easy as 1, 2 ... doh!


Never miss a donut.
Installation is a breeze through TomTom HOME software--even Homer himself could do it.
Let Homer Guide Your Odyssey
On the road, Homer's hilarious, encouraging and sometimes unusual advice will ensure that drivers will not only reach their destination on time, but have a lot of fun along the way. With an insatiable appetite as his motivation, Homer adds his own words of wisdom for TomTom drivers like, "Take the third right. We might find an ice cream truck! Mmm... ice cream." With Homer's unpredictable and comical commands leading the way, drivers are guaranteed an unforgettable journey.
TomTom Voices
TomTom voices allow you to choose your favorite voice for your GPS device. It can turn a boring journey into something a bit more interesting. The selection of fun celebrity voices is always growing.
Downloading Voices
You can download Voices directly onto your TomTom device via TomTom HOME desktop software. The software includes everything you need to keep your TomTom device up to date--get new software updates, download new maps, access free content from the TomTom community, subscribe to services and much more.
Requirements
To download Voices to your device, it will need TomTom software version 5.0 or higher. Check the version number of your TomTom software.
What's Included
TomTom Homer Simpson Voice [Online Product Code]

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Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred Student Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This appears to be a good product, but the installation process is positively EVIL.

First of all, despite the way it is shown on the Amazon page, you do NOT need to purchase a headset; it comes with one in the box. The suggested Plantronics unit may or may not be better, but you do not NEED it.

Installation is a many, many step process. Enclosed in the box is a slip of paper with a relatively short "product ID" that is required for the first step of many.

The first step is "Eligibility Verification", and the instructions say this can be done online. Perhaps **someone** could do this online; I certainly could not, despite many attempts. Perhaps this would have worked better if the my son's school email address ended in .edu, or if their list of schools included high schools. Perhaps. I do not know.

Further confusing the issue is that the box says Nuance, and so does the website - but the emails come back from ScanSoft orcustserv-uk@myidentit-e.com

I would **HIGHLY** recommend skipping the online method entirely, and going straight to the phone. The Tech Support phone number is not included in the box anywhere that I noticed, so I will leak the secret:
call 800-654-1187 during Eastern Time Zone business hours.

Once you have them on the phone, they can generate and give you the much longer (17 characters) Serial number. You will need that just to install the software.

You might want to keep them on the phone while you run the installation from the disk; you will need to talk to them AGAIN.

Once the software is installed and started, it generates a 16 character "Machine Fingerprint" which is tied not merely to your current computer, but the current configuration of the computer. You will need to give this code to Tech Support for the NEXT step.

They should now be able to give you the (are you ready for this?) SIXTY character activation key. I made no attempt to do this online; based on my efforts trying to get a serial number, it hardly seemed worthwhile.

Once THAT has been entered properly, the program will run. It will then walk you through a series of tutorials and training exercises, all of which I skipped because I want the software setup for my son, not for me.

Despite the lack of training, after a minute or two of talking, it worked surprisingly well.

I need to test this with my son for a while to see how useful it will be. For now, I would give it an F- for pain of installation and time required. If I had simply had this sent to him at school, I do not think there is any way he would have successfully installed it.

Using the above notes, it should be possible to complete the installation process about an hour.

Keep in mind that the installation is apparently tied to the exact configuration of your computer. If you do something that Nuance interprets as "evil", like add memory or delete the recovery partition (thus changing the apparent size of your hard disk) you will have to go through the activation process AGAIN. If you purchase a new computer, you have to go through the entire process again - if they let you.

I would rank Nuance on a par with PTC (Paranoid Technology Company), the publishers of MathCAD for unspeakably evil installation procedures. They expect us to trust them that the product is useful (despite the usual shrinkwrap license that says it is probably NOT), but they clearly do not trust us at ALL.

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Product Description:
Use speech to create documents, emails andinteract with applications and devices... allhands-free! Be more productive by creatingdocuments 3 times faster than with typing.Students and staff with learning or physicaldisabilities can use speech to enhance theirlearning and control their computers.

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TextAloud With AT&T Natural Voices (Windows Software) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this program in early September 2006 because I'd come down with a vision problem that made me temporarily partially blind in one eye.I love to read (mostly fan fiction on the internet, but I love to research things too) and was really annoyed that I couldnt read to pass the time while I was waiting for my eye to heal.

I downloaded the free version and liked how it worked. Listened to the samples of the Natural Voices, and decided to get the full version. Totally loved the full version. The Natural Voices sound almost perfect. Sometimes they dont get the pronunciations right, and if the program cant figure out what a word is, it'll spell it, but the full version allows you to edit the pronunciations so that you can teach it how to pronounce the words right.

My eye is starting to heal now, and I can read almost normally, but I'm still using the program because it's fun to have. Plus, I've been using the program to proof read things that I write so that I can catch mistakes in my own work.

From what I've seen this program would be great for the visually impaired, dyslexic, and for people who have other reading problems. It works a lot better than the text-to-speech software that currently comes free with most Windows based computers.

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Product Description:
TextAloud 3 uses the power of computer voice synthesis to speak aloud documents, web pages, e-mail and more. Text is converted into spoken audio you can hear on your PC, or save to MP3/Windows Media files for easy playback on portable devices like iPods, PocketPCs, and CD players. Premium ATT Natural Voices (tm) 16kHz Mike and Crystal voices are included. A batch file converter lets you convert audio files quickly from any number of documents. A new improved interface with support for skins handles multiple documents with ease and includes voice, pitch and volume adjustments on the main window so you can customize voices while TextAloud is speaking. Change voices within a single document to simulate conversation or multiple speakers. You can open Word, PDF and HTML files directly in TextAloud, and there is also an Internet Explorer toolbar plugin to make reading web pages a breeze. A unique Proofread function helps make anything you write mistake free.

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Learn to Speak Spanish Deluxe Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Before you spend hundreds of dollars on other Spanish learning programs, give this one a try.I've tried demos of the more expensive programs, and considering their prices, they did not impress me.Learn to Speak Spanish Deluxe offers similar content as the other more expensive programs, but at a fraction of the cost.This is an excellent program that is easy to follow, shows your progress, rates your accent, has vocabulary drills, conversations, cultural movies, and two CD-ROMs you can listen to. The main program is on a DVD and installs easily on Vista. I highly recommend this program.

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Product Description:

Learn to Speak Spanish Deluxe

Faster Learning. Better Communication.

Trusted by Millions of Customers Worldwide!

Whether you are planning a vacation, traveling for work, or learning for the first time, Learn to Speak™ helps you achieve language fluency in less time.

The Fast & Easy Way to Learn Spanish!

The #1 Leading "Affordable" Brand of Immersion Learning!

The fastest way to learn is by visiting another country! Learn to Speak™ is the #1 leading "affordable" brand of Immersion Learning. The Flexible Immersion System™ places you into real-world scenarios where you interact with native speakers to learn more quickly. No other brand offers more personalization or tailors your learning objectives to your specific needs. You'll learn exactly what you need for travel, business, or school, right when you need it.

Interact with characters in real-life scenarios based on the most common, everyday situations.

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NCH Audio Suite Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For the novice or professional audio engineer needing multi-track recording...the combination of WavePad Audio Editing Software, Switch Audio File Converter, MixPad Multi-track Recording Software (Record and mix multiple audio channels), RecordPad SoundRecording Software, and Zulu DJ Software (audio mixing) adds up to over 200 dollars if you were to purchase each software program separately. I would spend more than 60 dollars just for MixPad. It has more functionality than a 64 channel recording console I used many years ago without the hassle of figuring out the `rats nest' of patches. MixPad is the digital replacement of using a multitrack recorder and mixing console.

MixPad will accept clips previously recorded or accept live recording through a sound card. The number of channels you can use is only limited by your imagination. Each track can be muted, soloed, paned left or right, have individual volume adjustments, set audio options, clips placed at different times, and my favorite...applying effects like amplify, chorus, compressor, distortion, echo, flanging, high-pass filter, or reverb. You can apply effects live before you commit them to your tracks for quicker and greater ease of use. You can also transfer a tracks to WavePad and back to MixPad for additional audio editing and functionality. MixPad also comes with a built in CD ripper and burner that makes it easy to create remixes and give them to your friends.

MixPad Features from MixPad's Help File:

* Driver support for ASIO, DirectSound, MME.
* Unlimited tracks.
* Pan and volume envelope automation.
* Intuitive, simple graphical interface.
* Independent volume, pan and effects for each track.
* Independent audio input and output routing for each track.
* Supports a large number of file formats including wav (multiple codecs), mp3, ogg, flac, vox, gsm and many more.
* High accuracy for precise mixing.
* Drag and drop existing files straight into the work area.
* Includes a CD ripper to load audio directly from an audio CD.
* Includes a high quality sound recorder which supports autotrim and voice activated recording.
* Integrated with Wavepad sound editor so you can conduct advanced editing on your files without having to save your files in between.
* Solo and mute feature on each track.
* Add multiple chained effects to each track.

System Requirements from NCH Software's website:

* Works on Windows Vista 2000/XP/2003/2008/7
* For earlier Windows versions (98, ME) please click here
* Mac OS X 10.2 or later
* Sound support on your computer
* CD burner [optional]

For the easy to use interface, features, price, and overall huge value, I give Audio Suite by NCH Software the highest marks.

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Product Description:
From simple audio recording, to complex manipulati

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Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 Preferred with Headset - complete package Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I recently purchased Dragon Naturally Speaking 10, Preferred Edition.Installing the software turned out to be a headache.The Windows installer took a long time and finally exited with an error code (Error 1722).I looked up the error code on Nuance's website (Nuance is the publisher of Dragon).The guidance from Nuance led my on a wild goose chase, changing settings in Windows that made no difference.It took several hours to figure out the problem, but it seems as if Dragon is incompatible with Comodo software.I had used Task Manager to make sure that NOTHING was running except for Windows itself when I installed Dragon, but that wasn't good enough.I had to completely uninstall and delete Comodo from my hard drive. After I did that, the install process for Dragon went smoothly.

I now have Dragon Naturally Speaking installed and I have used it to write several reports.It works fairly well.Nuance claims that Dragon Naturally Speaking can achieve up to 99% accuracy.That seems like a pretty big stretch to me.I am getting about 85% accuracy.Nonetheless, 85% accuracy is good enough to be helpful. I will continue using the program.

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Product Description:
This award-winning voice-recognition software is easy and fun!Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred gives small business and advanced PC users the power to create documents, reports and emails three times faster than most people type - with up to 99% accuracy.Includes a free headset microphone with noise canceling technology.

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MacSpeech Dictate Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Version upgrade info:Here is info from 1.5 press release: Anyone who registered MacSpeech Dictate on or after April 1, 2009 is eligible to receive a free upgrade, and will be notified automatically via email.so you get version 1.5 if you buy this.

This is a review of version 1.5:
Okay here we go this is a review of MacSpeech 1.5 I will not be correcting any of the errors while I dictate this review. I have done all of the training as of now as to make its recognition the best possible.

One thing to note you cannot use an internal mic on a Mac computer with this version you need to use an external mic. Now I feel this is horrible and needs to be corrected as it makes it way more inconvenient to use. I feel you should at least be given the option.(note:While Speech Recognition software works "best" with a good mic, reading the mac speech forums you find many users were satisfied by the results of their internal mac mics.Now that it is dropped with out the option of using inter mics, leaves users high and dry)

Up to this point in the review I'm amazed at how perfect it has captured all of my speech. I have been using speech recognition for many years so I understand speaking in word clumps, which is essential for speech recognition software.

Now I haven't tried setting up custom words in their new editor, but will at some point if I come across a word that I use like LOL, wow it even got LOL if he doesn't understand something I go back and type it in by hand.

As you can tell the software is spot on!

Here I will repeat the Gettysburg address:
Four score and seven years ago our fore fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met here on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dictate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
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Pretty much spot on this program is 98% accurate by my accounts that is really awesome. E

my setup is a tabletop mike running to a mixing board that runs into my Mac. I'm sitting about 8 inches from the Mike and it's picking up perfect recognition I'm using a high-quality mic ( $70 XLR)

Enjoy!

Also send the company some e-mails requesting they add back the option of internal mics is the one serious flaw in this otherwise great program.

---

-Version 1.1 to 1.4-
I have been a dragon date the user (DragonDictate user) on and off for years. And Dragon dictate was very good, and I think that MacSpeech picks up there. This review will be unedited so any words that are wrong or words that MacSpeech has gotten wrong.

I use a desktop microphone since I am disabled facing the hassle up putting on a headset is daunting. I think the principle reason many people fail with speech recognition is that you need to speak in Word clumps, and pronounce each word clearly.

With this in mind I sit about 6-8 inches away from my microphone and get almost perfect recognition. I also make it a habit to do all the training that is available, this way the program understands what I sound.

So as you can see from this review, MacSpeech did a rather well job of capturing everything that I want to say.

The only real complaint I have, is where is the health (help) section. Hopefully they improve this in future releases, not having a PDF manual to look at is kind of annoying. And also I have not found a way to train specific words as I save them (say them) this needs to be remedied ASAP.

Thanks for reading and I hope that this review helps you.

Charles Bittner
[...]

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Product Description:
Welcome to MacSpeech Dictate, the premier speech-recognition software for the Macintosh. With MacSpeech Dictate, you're free to focus on what you have to say--just think it, speak it, and create it. Instead of typing, use your voice to input text; rather than clicking your mouse, just speak commands. MacSpeech Dictate executes it for you. What could be easier? Written from the ground up for the Mac, MacSpeech Dictate's accuracy and capabilities make it as fun, productive, and intuitive to use as the Mac itself.


Premier speech-recognition software for the Macintosh.

Accurate

Amazing Accuracy
MacSpeech Dictate will astound you with its accuracy rate--near perfection with up to 99% accuracy. You simply talk and leave the recognition to MacSpeech Dictate. MacSpeech Dictate never misspells a word--typos are a thing of the past.Even Greater Recognition
MacSpeech Dictate boasts robust Phrase Training capabilities, allowing it to learn as it goes based on your voice input. Even more, MacSpeech Dictate recognizes and understands 13 distinct English dialect variations, nine with U.S. spelling and four with U.K. spelling.


Minimal Training Required
MacSpeech Dictate provides astounding accuracy and productivity. With just minutes of training, you'll be using MacSpeech Dictate's superior capabilities.


Recognizes 13 distinct English dialect variations such as American, British, Australian, and more.

Powerful

Essential Command Capabilities
Instead of using your mouse to select menu commands or your keyboard to type shortcuts, just speak a command. MacSpeech Dictate executes it for you. What's more, MacSpeech Dictate understands key commands. With the 'Press The Key' and 'Press The Key Combo' commands, you can enter specific keys and even keyboard modifiers like Command, Option, Shift, and Control. That makes you more productive and MacSpeech Dictate more intuitive. What could be better?


Document Freedom
MacSpeech Dictate works great with most text documents, even those it didn't create. MacSpeech Dictate can read a document's contents, or a portion of it, that you can then navigate and edit.

Compatible

Works with the Apps You Already Have
Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXPress, and more. And MacSpeech Dictate works great with Apple's applications as well, including iChat, Mail, iPhoto, and Keynote, among others.


MacSpeech-certified, noise-cancelling microphone headset included.
Make Your Move
You don't need a keyboard or mouse to move around in your documents. MacSpeech Dictate lets you move your cursor forwards, backwards, and much more with just your voice. It helps make editing your documents a breeze.


Spelling a World of Words
MacSpeech Dictate's spelling mode lets you easily spell words, names, and acronyms with either natural language or the International Radio Alphabet. You have complete control over every aspect of your speech recognition input.


No Hidden Costs
MacSpeech Dictate includes everything you need to be instantly productive as soon as you start using it, including a high-quality headset microphone.


Equipped with the world-renowned Dragon speech-recognition engine by Nuance.

Built for Mac

Built Especially for the Mac
Mac users expect only the best from the applications they use on their Macs. MacSpeech Dictate was built from the ground up to ensure the ultimate experience on Mac OS X.


Exceptional Online Help
For those times when you need a little assistance, MacSpeech Dictate boasts a complete online, searchable help book. It's convenient to use, easy to understand, and all just a mouse click away.

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Anime Studio Debut 7 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)So, I read some of the other reviews. And, obviously they are from people who really know and understand computer animation.
Not me! I know absolutely ZIPPO about computer animation. What I DO know is that this program is a blast! It's very simple to use, intuitive, and makes ME feel like I understand how to create animation!
I would go much more into detail, however my 12 yr old granddaughter saw this and took it home with her! She sat down with her laptop in my living room, and within 10 minutes was creating much better animation that I had done. She absolutely LOVES it! This would make an awesome gift for a teen.
It's not a professional program, nor is it meant to be. But as an introduction to the joys of computer animation, it completely succeeds.

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Product Description:
The fun, quick, and affordable way to create animations, Anime Studio is the ideal solution for first-time animators, hobbyists, and digital artists. The new Beginner's Mode helps you start animating immediately.
The Beginner's Mode helps you start animating right away. Easily toggle between the Beginner's Mode and the regular Tool Palette.
Record your own sound clips with integrated Audio Recording and make your characters talk with built-in Lip Syncing.

Easily Create Animations in Minutes

Create Your Own Art or Import Content to Get Started Fast
Make your own characters and objects with intuitive vector-based draw, paint, and fill tools. You can also easily import artwork from popular graphics programs and use pre-built content.
Use the Bone Tools to Quickly Animate Your Characters
Point-and-click to attach bones to your characters for easy manipulation and reduce production time over traditional frame-by-frame animation. Anime Studio's unique bone rigging toolset allows you to create a skeleton that can be easily manipulated to animate characters, simple drawings, or objects in your animation.
Easily Organize Projects with the Timeline, Keyframes, and Layers
Anime Studio moves your character naturally along the timeline with keyframes, creating smooth animations. Use multiple layers to edit your animation, and add sound, special effects, and more. Quickly make your characters talk with built-in Lip Syncing.
Share Everywhere
Export to the most popular Web and video formats, or upload and share on YouTube or Facebook directly from within Anime Studio.

Anime Studio Debut Gets You Started Right Away!

Free Characters
Anime Studio includes Jace, Thorn, Liz, Anime Boy, and many other exclusive, royalty-free, vector-based characters you can use for your own animations.
Free Tutorials
Tutorials and sample files show you how to maximize Anime Studio's powerful features and get you animating right away.

Quickly animate your characters with Anime Studio's unique bone rigging system.
Organize and access your content with the new Library. Anime Studio is packed with ready-to-use content.
Bring Photos to Life
Give life to your favorite photos. Import digital camera images, attach bones, and easily turn your photographs into animated movies.
Import Your Art
Import your own illustrations or create unique characters for your cartoons. Animate anything within the reach of your imagination.

Features

New! Beginner's Mode
Start animating right away. The Beginner's Mode displays the key tools used in Anime Studio, and includes feature rollover descriptions and video tutorials to quickly get you familiar with the program. You can easily toggle between the Beginner's Mode and the regular Tool Palette.
New! Integrated Audio Recording
Record your own sound clips right within Anime Studio, and adjust the pitch from high to low to fit your animated characters. Recordings get saved and then automatically added to your timeline for quick lip-synching.
New! Content Library
Keeping all of your Anime Studio content organized has never been easier. Quickly browse through existing content or save your own content to the library. Add content to your scenes with a simple drag and drop or search for items by keyword. You can even browse for additional Anime Studio content available on Content Paradise right inside the library. 


A variety of customizable brush styles make creating original artwork a snap.
Import and animate your own video and artwork.
New! Toon Image & Video Filter
Apply a cartoon-style effect to any image or video with a couple of mouse clicks. Fine-tune and customize the toon filter settings by adjusting the saturation, lightness, edge level, and more.
New! Brush Styles
Choose from a variety of customizable brush styles and pattern brushes when creating your own artwork in Anime Studio. Adjust the angle and spacing of the brush style, and see a real-time preview of your customized brush before starting your drawing.
New! Image Masking
You no longer need other graphics applications to cut yourself out of a photograph to create cut-out animations. Easily select and remove unwanted background colors from your images using the Image Masking tool.
New! Follow Path Tool
You can select any character or object to follow and bend along a pre-drawn path, making animating along curves easy. In addition to bending along the path, you can also choose to have the object automatically orient itself to follow the path it's been assigned to.
New! More Ready-To-Use Content
Anime Studio Debut provides an extensive content library with hundreds of pieces of ready-to-use content including fully rigged, vector-based characters like Jace, Thorn, Anime Boy, and Liz, as well as props, scenes, action words, stock video and images, sound effects, and more so you can start creating your own animations right away.
New! Gather Media
You no longer have to worry about broken images or missing files in your Anime Studio project file when moving any of the included assets (audio, video, images) to a different machine or location on your hard drive. The Gather Media function collects all files (audio, video, images) that are part of your animation project, and then creates folders for the collected media.

Easily apply a cartoon-style effect to any image or video.
New! StuffIt Connect
Easily share your Anime Studio projects with friends. The integrated StuffIt Connect feature allows you to create an archive of your project within Anime Studio and then seamlessly upload it to the Web. You can then create email invites for friends that you want to share your content with. This serves as a great alternative to an ftp client, since your friends can access the download link from any browser. A free one-year subscription to the StuffIt Connect service is included with your Anime Studio purchase, offering 2 GB of storage and 4 GB of bandwidth per month.

Built-in tutorials and sample files get you up and running quickly
Easily make your characters talk with built-in Lip Syncing
Combine and mix animation with audio and video using the Sequencer
Quickly animate your characters using the Bone Tools
Motion Tracking lets you attach animated objects to target points in your video and have them automatically track throughout the clop
Import Quicktime or AVI video
Pen tablet support lets you draw naturally with a pen tablet and recreate the sensation of drawing on paper
Import audio files such as WAV, AIFF, or MP3
Special effects like motion blur and shadows
Export animations in SWF, AVI, or MOV format
Upload creations to YouTube and Facebook directly from within Anime Studio
Render in popular formats and sizes

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