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Author Topic: iListen is dead  (Read 2671 times)

Offline sandbox

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iListen is dead
« on: January 16, 2008, 11:59:35 PM »
MacSpeech drops iListen, launches Mac version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16117/53/

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Offline Xairbusdriver

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iListen is dead
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2008, 10:12:44 AM »
Just cleaning out a too full closet this AM and one of the things I decided I had to get back to our MUG is an iListen box with headphones included. I didn't get anything but a blank page with you link but I'll check with Safari later. I might be able to swap the old sw for a copy of the new on! :Greedy: yum.gif smile.gif
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THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes:

Offline RHPConsult

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iListen is dead
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2008, 10:58:18 AM »
What?

I'm on my way down to MacWorld this morning, for, among other things, a chat with the MacSpeech folks on mic selections.

My unopened box of iListen sits on my desk. This will be an interesting conversation . . . especially in the light of the touted December (as I recall) appearance of an iListen's executive in a show-and-tell at the SF Apple Store. This will be an interesting conversation.

PS: I also got nothing but a blank (web?) page, SB.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2008, 10:59:07 AM by RHPConsult »
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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iListen is dead
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2008, 11:48:09 AM »
Please give us a report on your conversation.
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THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes:

Offline sandbox

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iListen is dead
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2008, 12:49:51 PM »
I'd pay to be a fly on that wall.  toothgrin.gif

The site is called ITWire.com try going through google or use FireFox,

http://www.itwire.com/
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16117/53/

If you can't get there from here, the story's out there on a Mac site.

Good Luck!
« Last Edit: January 17, 2008, 12:56:05 PM by sandbox »
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Offline Mayo

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iListen is dead
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2008, 12:55:04 PM »
Great News! I can't wait to give the new software a try...

Anyone want to buy a well-used keyboard cheap?
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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iListen is dead
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2008, 07:51:27 PM »
Just one of the reasons I hate detest dislike sites with ads! eek2.gif If there is something about iListen on that collection of junk called iTWire, I don't intend to spend my time trying to find. So, I went to the <"horses mouth"> to see what all the fuss is about. smile.gif
« Last Edit: January 17, 2008, 07:52:30 PM by Xairbusdriver »
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THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes:

Offline sandbox

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iListen is dead
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2008, 11:02:37 PM »
Copied from ITwire link using any browser on OS 10.3.9

QUOTE
MacSpeech, the leading supplier of speech recognition software for the Mac has canned its long-running iListen product and has launched a Mac version of the top selling Windows speech recognition product, Dragon NaturallySpeaking through a licensing agreement with Dragon's developer, Nuance Communications.

More apple news

For users of iListen, MacSpeech is offering reductions on the retail price ($US199) of the new product, MacSpeech Dictate when it goes on sale on 15 February. Any registered user will be able to buy the new product for $US99, those who have bought iListen in 2008, for $US29.

The most recent version of iListen, 1.8, was released only on 30 November 2007 at an upgrade cost of $US39.95 and according to the few comments posted on VersionTracker,   was a significant improvement on earlier versions. So there may well be a few customers now regretting forking out $US40 for that upgrade because that purchase gives them no additional discount on the new product.

MacSpeech claims that MacSpeech Dictate is a great improvement on iListen. "Now for the first time, Mac users can begin dictating straight into their applications with very little time spent training the software to recognise their voice." It claims that training MacSpeech Dictate up to a 99 percent accuracy level,generally takes less than five minutes and that the product "performs at the highest accuracy level on the market today...Using the new MacSpeech Dictate, user-spoken commands are recognised separately from dictation, liberating the user from the need to tell the software to change modes, simplifying the experience."

The product is not targeted only at those who for whatever reason find keyboard use difficult. MacSpeech Dictate is "designed to simply make computer input easier for anyone. Whether composing email, writing a report or even a novel, MacSpeech Dictate makes the computing experience more comfortable," the company claims.


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Offline RHPConsult

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iListen is dead
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2008, 01:11:21 AM »
I had a very polite conversation this afternoon with a pleasant operative at MacWorld from MacSpeech's "Customer Service".

I noted that I have the "latest" (last) version of the app – in an unopened box – sitting on my desk which I had purchased it in good faith from The Burlingame Apple Store, largely because an executive of the firm (I think it was the president) was a featured presenter at the SF Apple Store a mere 2-3 months ago. I opined that it was unlikely that development of the new, extra crispy iListen had been conceptualized and hatched only since then.

I was informed that if I called the company next week (when "they" were all home from SF) they would work out the deal mentioned, I now see, in the PR docs cited above by ABD and SB.

MacSpeech had a very "vigorous" booth at MacWorld, with theatre seating, to demo the "new" app "based on the Dragon engine". It did look pretty cool in that demoi, including being able to correct errors with verbal commands.  The "command" technique, however, did remind me somewhat of using the phone in OnStar!

We'll see . . . won't we?
« Last Edit: January 18, 2008, 01:14:48 AM by RHPConsult »
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Offline sandbox

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iListen is dead
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2008, 02:53:12 AM »
That's great Dick, I hope it works out for you.

I did notice that they're continuing to sell iListen on their site.

Since I have an older version 1.6.8 that I upgraded in Jaguar, there is no DEALS for me, but you should be able to just pay the difference, whatever that might be and start with Dragon. When I upgrade my hardware I'll look into it again, I have both Dragon (for PC) and iListen, so there may be a 2-4-1 DEAL or a universal package to look forward too. wink.gif
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