There is a Professional version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, but what exactly are the differences?
Dragon NaturallySpeaking comes in three versions, each tailored to a different use. While the various editions are each compatible and capable of filling your needs, they are each tailored to one specific purpose.
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Whether you choose the premium, professional, or home version of the software depends greatly on your individual needs and how much you have to spend on the program. Here is a quick overview of the software to help you decide which version you need.
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Individuals: NaturallySpeaking Home Edition
- The home edition of NaturallySpeaking is ideal if you intend to be the only user of the software.
The Home version is the least expensive of the different editions, but comes at the cost of having less functionality overall. Home does not allow you to export your profile to other computers. As a result, if you intend to use the software on another machine, you will have to perform a full install and set up your user account anew.
The primary reason that the profile is bound to one machine is to prevent piracy. If you are planning of using NaturallySpeaking only for yourself and not as part of a larger business, you can save some money by choosing the Home version of the program.
Small Businesses: NaturallySpeaking Premium Edition
- Premium is one step above and beyond the Home edition, but at a slightly increased price.
Premium is targeted toward small business owners or individuals whose needs require having speech recognition software on multiple computers. Premium’s biggest advantage over Home is the ability to export your user profile and data to your computer’s hard drive, thus making it easy to transport your data from one machine to another. There is more in the way of compatibility with other programs as well. Premium still does not fit all the needs of a large business or hospital, but does offer more than Home. If you will be using multiple machines with this program, you might want to buy the Premium edition.
Business Users: NaturallySpeaking Professional Edition
- The most expensive of the NaturallySpeaking versions, Professional also offers the widest range of features.
Professional offers all the same functionality of Premium, but expands the list of programs the software can be used with to include Excel, Lotus and other popular programs. There are more vocal shortcuts available in Professional, as well as the ability to edit a document using voice commands. This allows you to cut out some things you may have said if your dictation went off topic.
Professional is best suited for businesses or hospitals that can afford the product and have a need for the best in speech recognition software.
Ultimately, there are three things that determine what level of NaturallySpeaking you should choose – your financial situation, your business needs and how widely the software will be used. If you are using the program on a small scale or have a limited cash flow, the Home or Premium editions provide inexpensive and serviceable speech recognition. If you have a large amount of money or many employees who need the software, the Professional edition is the way to go.
