An Overview Of Dragon Professional Individual For Mac
In October 2018, Nuance announced that it has discontinued Dragon Professional Individual for Mac and will support it for only 90 days from activation in the US or 180 days in the rest of the world. The continuous speech-to-text software was widely considered to be the gold standard for speech recognition, and Nuance continues to develop and sell the Windows versions of Dragon Home, Dragon Professional Individual, and various profession-specific solutions.
I bought Nuance Dragon Professional Individual for Mac (v.6) about a month ago. It crashed immediately after installation. Tech support provided a patch to 6.0.8. It has crashed continually since, multiple times per day. Called tech support today and was informed a) that tech support for this product runs out in a month; and b) that they'll no. Dragon Professional Individual for Mac (v. 6) - box pack (upgrade) - 1 user overview and full product specs on CNET.
This move is a blow to professional users—such as doctors, lawyers, and law enforcement—who depended on Dragon for dictating to their Macs, but the community most significantly affected are those who can control their Macs only with their voices.
What about Apple’s built-in accessibility solutions? macOS does support voice dictation, although my experience is that it’s not even as good as dictation in iOS, much less Dragon Professional Individual. Some level of voice control of the Mac is also available via Dictation Commands, but again, it’s not as powerful as what was available from Dragon Professional Individual.
TidBITS reader Todd Scheresky is a software engineer who relies on Dragon Professional Individual for his work because he’s a quadriplegic and has no use of his arms. He has suggested several ways that Apple needs to improve macOS speech recognition to make it a viable alternative to Dragon Professional Individual:
- Support for user-added custom words: Every profession has its own terminology and jargon, which is part of why there are legal, medical, and law enforcement versions of Dragon for Windows. Scheresky isn’t asking Apple to provide such custom vocabularies, but he needs to be able to add custom words to the vocabulary to carry out his work.
- Support for speaker-dependent continuous speech recognition: Currently, macOS’s speech recognition is speaker-independent, which means that it works pretty well for everyone. But Scheresky believes it needs to become speaker-dependent, so it can learn from your corrections to improve recognition accuracy. Also, Apple’s speech recognition isn’t continuous—it works for only a few minutes before stopping and needing to be reinvoked.
- Support for cursor positioning and mouse button events: Although Scheresky acknowledges that macOS’s Dictation Commands are pretty good and provide decent support for text cursor positioning, macOS has nothing like Nuance’s MouseGrid, which divides the screen into a 3-by-3 grid and enables the user to zoom in to a grid coordinate, then displaying another 3-by-3 grid to continue zooming. Nor does Apple have anything like Nuance’s mouse commands for moving and clicking the mouse pointer.
When Scheresky complained to Apple’s accessibility team about macOS’s limitations, they suggested the Switch Control feature, which enables users to move the pointer (along with other actions) by clicking a switch. He talks about this in a video.
Unfortunately, although Switch Control would let Scheresky control a Mac using a sip-and-puff switch or a head switch, such solutions would be both far slower than voice and a literal pain in the neck. There are some better alternatives for mouse pointer positioning:
- Dedicated software, in the form of a $35 app called iTracker.
- An off-the-shelf hack using Keyboard Maestro and Automator.
- An expensive head-mounted pointing device, although the SmartNav is $600 and the HeadMouse Nano and TrackerPro are both about $1000. It’s also not clear how well they interface with current versions of macOS.
Regardless, if Apple enhanced macOS’s voice recognition in the ways Scheresky suggests, it would become significantly more useful and would give users with physical limitations significantly more control over their Macs… and their lives. If you’d like to help, Scheresky suggests submitting feature request feedback to Apple with text along the following lines (feel free to copy and paste it):
Because Nuance has discontinued Dragon Professional Individual for Mac, it is becoming difficult for disabled users to use the Mac. Please enhance macOS speech recognition to support user-added custom words, speaker-dependent continuous speech recognition that learns from user corrections to improve accuracy, and cursor positioning and mouse button events.
Thank you for your consideration!
Thanks for encouraging Apple to bring macOS’s accessibility features up to the level necessary to provide an alternative to Dragon Professional Individual for Mac. Such improvements will help both those who face physical challenges to using the Mac and those for whom dictation is a professional necessity.
It’s been over 2 years since Dragon 6 was released but it still has bugs. As with previous Dragon releases the speech recognition is excellent but the stability is problematic.
My suggestion is to stay with Dragon version 5 if you own it. It strikes the best balance between accuracy and stability. However, if you are running the latest version of Dragon for Mac 6, here are some tips on how to get it working with the least amount of spinning beach balls.
1. Try a different version – version 6.0.7 may be better with Mac OS Sierra (10.12)
Open .oft file on outlook for mac. In Dragon 6.0.8 and High Sierra the ‘scratch that’ command doesn’t always work and the correction window doesn’t always work.
I am now running 6.0.8 with High Sierra and unfortunately I can’t tell whether it is High Sierra or Dragon 6.0.8 that is causing more crashes. Either way, 6.0.7 with Sierra was better.
Prior to 6.0.7 I found the most stable version to be 6.0.5.
2. Use a new profile.
Delete your old profile and start again. The recognition is so good in the new version that you won’t really need your old profile anyway. It seems to have more problems when you import your old voice data.
3. Delete the old version of Dragon.
When you install Dragon it tries to use your old preferences, but in this process some of the preferences can get corrupted. See this post on how to do this: http://nuance.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6851/kw/uninstall
4. For stability purposes, do not dictate into ‘supported Apps’ like Apple Pages and Microsoft Word.
In previous versions it was OK to mix a combination of speaking and typing but version 6 doesn’t cope as well with that. When dictating into Apple Pages Dragon crashes almost every time I try to do something other than straight dictation. The correction in version 6 seems to be buggy still. Other Dragon Articles Dragon 6 review Dragon 6.0.1 review Dragon 6.0.2 review Kudos to you for trying to help out for people that as you say, made the mistake of purchasing Dragon for Mac 6. The reality is that when I that you can sum up your post by saying that “the new version doesn’t work with anything that you might want it to, and on the rare occasions when it does work, that only happens under limited circumstances.” I can’t believe that I gave reached this point, however quality dictation is so important to my work that I am switching back to PC after many happy years with a Mac. I had hoped that the new version would make it possible to avoid that. Most annoying of all is that this is a victory for Nuance as i will have to purchase yet another version of their software. Thank you for posting this information. I am dictating using my Mac, and unlike Dragon 6, it doesn’t crash. What software are you using? I use Pages, and Dragon has never worked properly with it for the past several versions. Another problem I found is that I cannot dictate into some programs. I am going to make a new profile this weekend, and its such a pain because I have to enter a lot of unique terms into the program. I first used Dragon 3 on the PC about 18 years ago (it was very bad, back then), and I wish DNS 6 was as good as Dragon 8 for the PC from the past. If I can’t get DNS 6 to work, I’ll roll back to version 4 till future updates fix the problems. I rarely jump into new versions, but I thought that DNS 6 would have been refined since version 5. Not. Dragon is being a pain in the arse this morning. Trying to dictate into MS Word led to several crashes and loss of data. Switching to Dragon Pad has produced a whole heap of gobbeldegook while trying to get it to capitalise a word. The cost benefit of using Dragon is leaning very firmly in favour of cost at the moment. Dictating to computers must be the way ahead but this is just not working. I have been persevering with Dragon for >10 yrs thinking that it is bound to get better soon, but there are still few signs. Come on Nuance – get it sorted. A most formidably awful programme is Dragon for Mac version 6. I also run Dragon on my PC version 15. It is amazing and I dictate 35 page reports with almost no problems. on the Mac it’s a nightmare. I am really at a loss as t heMac is my main computer. I am shattered that Nuance did not transfer the technology from the PC platform to the Mac platform in a way that could keep the competence of the PC platform. I have had more than Dragon 6.0 crashed more than 50 times in the last month while using Microsoft Outlook and Word. I have had more than 10 communications (verbal and email) with Nuance and technical support. I have followed all of their suggested “fixes”, even when they sounded very stupid (can you reinstall Microsoft Office). The program is unusable and the technical support is not support – the company does not willing to acknowledge there are issues and not interested in solutions (or unable to provide) Tools is buggy shit for years. sadly, no alternative I have been using 6.0.1 and experienced a nightmare when upgraded to 6.0.2. Fortunately, I was able to reinstall 6.0.1 from a Time Machine backup. Since then, I have had no trouble using Pages or TextEdit but have been unable to use word 2011. Also seems to work in Apple Mail. I am tempted to upgrade to 6.0.5 but hesitant given the nightmares that everyone seems to be having with previous upgrades. Any suggestions? My Dragon 6.0 crashes whenever I want to add a new word in vocabulary. Using a new profile it works only for some limited time, then again it crashes. I reinstalled the program several times, useless. I just tried to use Dragon 6.0 for a long dictation into a Pages document on my Mac Book Air with OSX.10.11.6. It crashed after about 45 minutes. Since then I have been unable to start the program again. I have rebooted with no luck. (I have also had problems with the “crazed cursor.” Based on the suggested fixes above, it is infuriating that Nuance can’t make a product for Mac users that works with the programs that are almost universally used by professionals. I purchased it 12/27/16. How do I get my money back? If I had read the comments above I would have been warned – so I experience the same problems crashes all the time and now no start at all. How can we get our money back?? My advice is if you use Pages for Mac, and have upgraded your Lion OS to El Capitan (v.10.11.6), Dragon Dictate WILL NOT WORK AT ALL. I had to buy a new Dragon Dictate license, having previously used it for >5 years, because older versions are not compatible with Mac OSX El Capitan. Dragon Dictate 6.0.x stalls during dictation, randomly shuts down, causes the cursor to ‘scramble’ etc as described elsewhere. I tried loading Dictate upgrades (6.0.1, 6.0.5 etc.). In the end, Dragon’s tech advice was to go back to 6.0.0 and switch off auto updates because they make the problems worse. I’m now using Mac’s built-in dictation software (which is free!!), it’s far more stable than Dragon Dictate, and is compatible with Pages for Mac. PS if you’ve recently ordered Dictate, you only have 30 days to return and refund, as i learnt to my cost. I’m currently going over some older versions one by one to see which is the most stable. Currently I’m testing 6.0.3. It was a Version that was almost stable before the latest version started crashing again. Just purchased Dragon and to make sure I’d have no problems [I had not seen this site] purchased a new MacBookPro will all the bells and whistles meeting all of Nuance’s requirements. I too have a constant problem with the program crashing. It also has started inserting just a few letters into previously written text. Inside of Excel I have far fewer problems. When working with Word the program is almost unusable. Dragon for Mac v6 is hopeless. Really truly dire. It is completely reliable on Windows, but my everyday ‘in the rucksack’ machine is a Mac. If it doesn’t work with Word, then it’s a pretty pointless application. However, I have started using Document Writer Pro (free) to transcribe text and this seems to work well. HI Folks, Since the last update, Dragon for Mac continues to crash. It dies straight after showing the startup icon. I have sought help from the online resources – alas, nothing is working. Help please. Have you tried a completely fresh new installation? Wayne, Yes I have that problem too. Dragon things that you want to correct some earlier text, and it jumps back and tries to find it. I don’t know of any way to disable that. Once a good program. Now worse than worthless. They ought to be ashamed for marketing such a flawed program. I installed this yesterday. I should have left version 4 there. It doesn’t work and Dragon is unresponsive. Has anyone had any luck with this? It is junkware as far as I can tell. Fixed: I got two updates yesterday. 6.0.8 works with High Sierra. Works fine with MS Word, Outlook, etc running. Has been running for over 12 hours without a glitch. Recognition is super fast. It really didn’t need a graphics card, but the BIOS would not boot without one. Processor Graphics Processor Manufacturer.Very close to mgi g55-mdde32f low-power on-board graphics mhi a proper server motherboard. See all 6 brand new listings.Uploader:Date Added:13 August 2014File Size:54.36 MbOperating Systems:Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/2003/7/8/10 MacOS 10/XDownloads:60106Price:Free.Free Regsitration RequiredAbout this product Description This cost-effective graphics card brings the reliability, stability, and features of the proven Millennium G product line to Mgi g55-mdde32f Express systems. Mgi g55 mdha32db drivers for mac. Grafikkarte MATROX MGI GMDDE32F F – GmbHWith support for using 2 monitors at a time and reliable passive cooling a heat sink with no fanthis product is ideal mgu a variety of mission-critical professional applications, including computer-aided dispatch, security monitoring, and process control.Very useful graphics card I mgi g55-mdde32f to turn an old desktop into a NAS server. Yes 6.0.8 is quite stable. Does the ‘scratch that’ command work and does correction work? Scratch that and correction works in notepad and dragonpad. Every where else it is broken. It’s been quite stable. I’ve had a few times where it behaves erraticly in notepad. I set up some commands to copy some text box to notepad for dictation and editing, then another command to transfer it back. Annoying, not ideal, but workable. It really does suck. Tempted to go back to windows for this alone. :( This is dreadful! I bought DNS for my Macbook Air last year, and it was unusable. After a lot of chasing around a very obtuse web site, I got a refund. Then I bought an Imac, and thought I’d try again, so bought an on-special half-price version of Dragon Professional Individual 15. I can’t even get it to start! It loads OK, and puts up the icon. But if I speak, or click on it, it just shuts down. I lodged a service request with Nuance, no response! Why is this not fraud! I have the exactly same problem as described above by Malcom Macherson on a brand new Macbook air (days old) and Dragon for Mac v6, it just keeps crashing. If anyone who knows how to get around this, please post that solution. 6.0.8 update fixed the crash problem. In 6.0.8 – creating creating a new profile seems to eliminate the problem of constant crashes. I also had the problem of constant crashing on startup when I turned on the microphone. Reboots would usually solve the problem for a short while. However, this posted solution seems to work for me. I created a new profile and selected it, then deleted the old profile. In the past, I have had one other problem, and that is that after a couple of days Dragon application no longer begins recording text when I turn on the microphone. Sometimes I would have to wait up to 30 seconds of talking before it would register anything I said. Let’s see if the fix for crashing also solve that problem I have 6.0.8 and today it stopped working. Kept crashing, so deleted my profile and created a new one. Now it won’t listen at all! Training crashes every time I tried. This is so frustrating! I rely on this software since I have no use of my arms and typing with a mouthstick is slow and eventually causes sores. Why can’t a company release fully functioning software? Especially when I paid $300! I spoke with Nuance’s tech support today and received the following information: 1) Technical support for Dragon for Mac v.6 ends in December So… anyone who purchased Dragon software is pretty much out of luck. Despite this, they continue to list and sell Mac products on their website! I will never, ever purchase anything from Nuance again. I am disabled and absolutely love my Mac air for the features and ease of use (trackpad) for my crappy hands, BUT dragon just does not work! In the same way Siri is not a serious productivity tool. Sure you can dictate a bit of this or that for 5 minutes, but if you want to do corrections forget it. This is a probram that is either flawless (PC) or just works a bit, and then therefore looses all productivity and workflow benefits. Its so bad in 2018 apple doesn’t have its own version of dragon especially considering the efforts they make for accessible features or nuance a dragon can make a program that works! Think of all the features, software and hardware that apple has produced for the disabled but it can’t work around the keyboard and handle speech recognition? Apples own native version is a pile of crap as well, what the hell? Its 2018! Dragon has always been second rate on Apple computers. It’s hard to know where this will lead but my hope is that Apple will take this opportunity to put some kind of working speech recognition into OS X. If they don’t we’re stuffed because Dragon had a monopoly! As nice as it is to work in the Mac ecosystem I am noticing that Apple seem to be moving away from that approach that everything needs to be able. in fact I have written some articles on this website about how Google seemed to be winning the synchronisation battle. I have wanted to share some files with co-workers and it’s far easier to share them using Microsoft Word with dropbox, or Google Docs. iCloud sharing with Pages was the hardest option. I am an Apple fan but I’m wondering whether in the future the change to using a Microsoft computer might not be so big as it was in the past as we become less reliable on our local computer and more in the cloud. I guess what I’m saying is (sadly) that moving across to Dragon on a Windows computer could be a good option. But I agree Apple have better accessibility options. Can you hold out for a year and see if Apple do anything to fill the gap that Dragon left? I know I’m very late to this thread but I wanted to offer some input. I work in IT at a major University and have been troubleshooting Dragon crashing issues for two weeks now and it’s been a roller coaster of emotion and sweat. Nuance no longer supplies links to updates for the app and the internal check for updates command is broken. In fact Nuance offers next to nothing as far as Mac support in any regard and it’s absolutely ridiculous. My client, a professor, had to jump through 15 hoops to get the University to get this purchased for her and the software was essentially DOA. The default install from their website, which is also hard as hell to find, is 6.0.0. For anyone wondering, that address to get it is http://www.nuance.com/esd . From there you can download the app as long as you have a serial number. The 6.0.8 update, which fixed 90% of my crashing issues, can be found at this address: http://nuance.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/26574/~/information-on-dragon-professional-individual-for-mac-6.0.8 Or directly: https://dnsriacontent.nuance.com/dpifm/EN/6.0.8/Dragon_14812.zip Replace the application in the Applications folder with that updated one and it should help. Also, I’d like to add that Apple announced that the new macOS “Catalina” is apparently supposed to have an overhauled dictation system built in. Hopefully this will eventually replace Dragon. Nuance is a wonderfully awful company. Best of luck to all of you! Martin, thank you so much for your advice! Mine had been crashing as soon as I opened it so I’d completely stopped using it. Seems to be working well now (for the first time ever). Much appreciated!5. Try not to do too much clicking with the mouse.
6. Try not to do too many corrections when you are dictating.
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I had similar problems with the old version of Dragon (4.02) which was using many years ago. Till today, after so many years, Nuance seems not to be able to fix such a common software problem. For me not understandable.
Has just crashed twice in one dictation.
I see that I’m not alone, but it doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better.
Since this is clearly not a new problem, I think it’s dishonest for Nuance to keep selling this product.
I’m sure they’re trying to fix the problem, but in the meantime it appears that we deserve a significant rebate. This will be bad publicity when word gets out.
Yes, thank you. This past summer I re-downloaded Dragon + recently downloaded the update. (Re-loading means having to re-input all auto-texts!).
The biggest problem, really, is that the cursor will sometimes jump to an earlier part of the dictation. If I’m not watching the screen, I’m suddenly dictating in the middle of a prior page!
Also, not infrequently, if I dictate “correct xxx” the cursor will jump to a prior part of the dictation where the word xxx exists.
I don’t know if you have a patch that’ll fix this.
Thank you,
R Grelsamer, MD
says:September 7, 2018 at 11:16 am
2) Nuance will no longer be making Mac software
I am very reluctantly going back to a pc to get Dell Xps or something. Its such a shame that nuance/ apple can sort this out.Leave a Reply