| Voice recognition software for the Mac OS X | | | | very usable and practical solution popular with |
| operating system has been available for quite a | | | | many users. |
| few years now, but the performance of the Mac | | | | With the withdrawal of IBM's ViaVoice software |
| applications has not been as good as the | | | | for the Mac, MacSpeech became the primary |
| equivalent PC applications until quite recently. A big | | | | voice recognition software supplier for the Mac. |
| advance became possible when Apple adopted | | | | The quality of the iListen product continued to |
| the Intel chip, and now Mac users are no longer at | | | | evolve but could never quite match the speed |
| a relative disadvantage. | | | | and accuracy that was being experienced by |
| The development of voice recognition software | | | | Dragon users on the PC. |
| for computers was a popular goal that proved to | | | | Part of the difficulty that MacSpeech had in |
| be a big challenge for software suppliers during | | | | matching the performance of the Dragon |
| the 1980s. It took a long time to evolve into | | | | software was related to the technology |
| efficient and reliable systems that were | | | | differences between the PowerPC chip used on |
| sufficiently practical to gain a large following of | | | | the Mac and the Intel chip used on the PC. When |
| users. | | | | Apple chose to switch to using the Intel chip |
| By the late 1990s there were two primary | | | | technology in the Mac, MacSpeech produced, in |
| suppliers in this market for the Apple Mac | | | | 2008, a new version of its software called |
| computers. They were IBM with their product | | | | MacSpeech Dictate. This version was able to use |
| ViaVoice, and a small start-up company called | | | | similar technology to that employed by Dragon, |
| MacSpeech with a product called ListenDo! In 2000 | | | | and closed the gap between the performance of |
| IBM produced a Millennium version of ViaVoice and | | | | the voice recognition software applications |
| MacSpeech launched iListen, both of which were | | | | available for the PC and Mac. |
| significant advances in performance that worked | | | | Today, Mac users are no longer at a disadvantage |
| well enough to win over a growing market. The | | | | compared to PC users when it comes to voice |
| two products shared the Mac market around half | | | | recognition and dictation software. Speech |
| each. | | | | recognition software enables worthwhile |
| Meanwhile Windows PC voice recognition software | | | | productivity gains, and gives access to computers |
| users were presented with a choice between | | | | to those who have difficulty using the usual |
| IBM's ViaVoice and a product produced by | | | | keyboard and mouse devices to input data and |
| Dragon. Dragon Naturally Speaking emerged as a | | | | commands. |
| stronger offering and by 2003 IBM announced | | | | MacSpeech Dictate now comes in versions for 13 |
| that it was withdrawing from the voice | | | | different English speaking regions and |
| recognition software market for both the | | | | demographics, and for French, German and Italian |
| Windows PC and Mac markets. | | | | languages. There are also specialized technical |
| Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition and | | | | vocabulary versions in English for the medical and |
| dictation software came to dominate its sector of | | | | legal professions, which facilitate more accurate |
| the market for the Windows PC. The quality of | | | | dictation using the many very specific technical |
| this software continued to evolve and is now a | | | | terms and phrases used in these professions. |