Becoming a Dictator

Tablet PC's speech-recognition program has two capabilities. You can speak content (or dictate) into a document, and you can speak commands, such as 'Open' or 'Save.' In this section, I show you how to dictate content.

Speech is accessed through the Input Panel. Dictation works with programs that the panel works with. For example, Windows Journal won't accept speech dictation because it doesn't accept entries from the Input Panel, but it can handle commands. Word and WordPad can accept speech entry and commands.

 Tip  Speech voice commands work with all Windows programs.

Knowing what you can (and can't) say

So, you've completed your training and you're ready to try this puppy out for real. All righty, then. Here's what you can say to your computer in dictation mode. You can

• Say words, numbers, or punctuation such as 'comma' or 'period.'

• Use the 'Spell' voice command to force Speech to spell out the letters you speak rather than words.

  I love this feature! For example, if you use the voice command, you can say the letters C A T and Tablet PC spells the word cat, not the words 'see a tea.'

  This is also a great feature if you want to make sure Tablet PC inserts a numeral (like the number 2) instead of a word (the word 'to' or 'too'). See 'What can you do with voice commands?' later in this chapter.

• You cannot spell out something and have it appear as a regular old word (versus individual capital letters). I read the sentence 'I went swimming in the sea' to my Tablet PC and it printed 'I went swimming in the C.' But if I spell out 'S-E-A' with the Spell command, I get SEA, not sea.

  Go figure. . . .

  If you end a sentence by saying 'period,' the next word will be capitalized automatically.

• You can use Speech and your pen or keyboard together. For example, if you want to move to the next line in your document, you can finish your sentence, then tap Enter on your on-screen keyboard with your pen.

  You can write an acronym with your pen and then continue speaking the rest of a sentence. If you have a convertible model, you can use your real life keyboard as well.

Tip: Voice recognition do's and don'ts

Before you start speaking to your computer willy-nilly (reading limericks aloud, doing impressions of your favorite comedian, or whatnot), I've got some advice for you:

• Speak clearly and slowly: Enunciate each word as clearly as possible.

• Step up to the mic: Speak directly into the microphone, whether into a headset or into the built-in microphone in your Tablet PC (your user manual will show you where your built-in microphone is located).

• Find a quiet environment: The Speech feature is sensitive to noises around you, such as a radio playing in the background or a dog barking in the next room.

• Stay slow, steady, and even: Find a volume of speech that seems to work well and keep your voice at that volume at all times.

• Avoid slang: If you use obscure slang expressions (like 'jive mamma') or business-specific acronyms, you might consider avoiding them when using Speech input.

• Be aware of your environment: I don't know if anybody has written a book of Speech etiquette, but I'm going to suggest rule number one: Don't use Speech in settings that will drive other people crazy. Generally, if people can't escape the sound of your voice (in a meeting, on a plane, in a restaurant, or in a movie theater), leave the program turned off. After all, the speech system probably won't work properly anyway, what with all the people around you talking loudly on their cell phones.

Ready, set, talk

To speak content - whoa, what a concept! - follow these steps:

1. Open an application, such as Word or WordPad, enabled for working with Windows XP for Tablet PC.

2. Tap the Input Panel icon to open it.

3. Choose ToolsðSpeech; put a check mark next to Speech to turn it on.

4. Tap the Dictation button.

   The Speech area displays the word Listening (as shown in Figure 6-5).

   
   Figure 6-5: If you say something Speech can't recognize, the phrase Listening will change to What Was That?

5. Begin speaking.

   If you're at a loss for words, start with 'Once upon a time . . .' or simply read these steps.

   If the Input Panel displays the words What Was That? you'll have to repeat what you said, perhaps louder, more slowly, or into the microphone.

6. Continue reading into your microphone, adding punctuation (such as periods and commas) where appropriate.

7. When you're finished, tap the Dictation button again to turn it off.