Gadgets for Writing
Windows options:
• Windows 7/Vista Speech Recognition (built into Windows 7/Vista; go to Control
Panel > Ease of Access)
• E-Speaking for Windows XP (free 30-day trial; $14 to buy; speech recognition)
• Dragon NaturallySpeaking Premium 12 ($199) - the gold-standard for speech recognition in
the consumer market.
• Ginger (free advanced spelling/grammar checker)
• eType (free word prediction software - it tries to guess the word based on each letter you
type; great for poor spellers or slow typists)
• Read & Write GOLD – Writing Features - phonetic spell-check, word prediction, mind
mapping/graphic organizer, etc
• FreeMind (free mind-mapping/brainstorming software)
Mac options:
• Dictation (built into Mac OS X Mountain Lion; System Preferences > Dictation &
Speech > turn it On. Press Fn twice to bring up mic and start dictating; Press Fn
once when done)
• Dragon Dictate for Mac ($199) - uses the same speech recognition engine as Dragon
NaturallySpeaking for Windows.
• Dragon Express ($49.99; lite version of Dragon Dictate; OS X Lion users only)
• AutoComplete (built into Mac OS X; tries to complete the word you are typing; press
Command+period to activate in TextEdit)
• FreeMind (free mind-mapping/brainstorming software)
Web browser options:
• Google Chrome extension: Voice Note (you can use your webcam's microphone to dictate
into the Voice Note window, then copy and paste the dictated text into any application.
Speak clearly and enunciate your words for best results.)
• Ginger (free advanced spelling/grammar checker)
iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch options:
• Siri Assistant (currently available only on iPhone 4S/5) - Try using Siri to dictate
directly into Google Docs on your laptop; Ask Siri to spell/define a word.
• iPad 3 and 4's built-in dictation - press mic in the lower left corner of the iPad's onscreen
keyboard.
• Dragon Dictation app (free) - No voice training; dictate directly into the app, then copy text to
email, Facebook, Twitter, Notes, etc.
• Voice Dictation app ($0.99; iPhone/iPad) - copy text to another program or dictate to email,
SMS, Facebook, or Twitter.
• iA Writer app ($0.99; ideal for iPad) - Basic, easy-to-use word processor with a
distraction-free layout that helps you focus on writing; unique Focus Mode
allows you to concentrate on only 3 lines of writing at a time.
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iThoughts app ($7.99) or SimpleMind app ($6.99)
StickyBoard app (free)
Dictionary.com app (.99 - $4.99)
American Wordspeller ($4.99) –Phonetic speller