NewImageNuance -- the company behind Siri's speech recognition -- has unveiled version 3 of its Dragon Dictate speech recognition software. The software will be available via Digital Download on September 13 with the physical box shipping on September 24.

Dragon Dictate 3 increases accuracy, speed, control of third-party applications, and support for transcription from digital voice recordings -- a feature that will be useful for many professions.

Nuance Communications, Inc. today announced Dragon® Dictate for Mac 3, the most powerful, accurate and personalized voice recognition software for the Mac available on the market today. With increased accuracy and significant feature updates, Dragon Dictate lets people quickly and easily create and edit content, and command and control their favorite Mac applications by voice – anytime, anywhere.

Dragon Dictate harnesses the power of the renowned Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice recognition technology to let Mac users simply speak to see their words instantly captured in real time on their screen. Dragon Dictate for Mac 3 is the most robust version of Dictate yet, with a 15 percent increase in accuracy, new Smart Format Rules and new correction capabilities for a personalized experience, wideband Bluetooth support, the ability to transcribe recorded audio files from a single speaker, and much more.

Dragon Dictate for Mac 3 is available for $199.99 as a digital download, a $199.99 physical box with a USB headset, or in several other configurations of varying prices.

Top Rated Comments

theanimaster Avatar
171 months ago
From the pricing alone one would think Nuance was in the business of making as much money as they can before the features that already come with OS X puts them out of business.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
171 months ago
Um, you get more for the boxed product, for the same price? Nice work, Nuance.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sandiegotim Avatar
171 months ago
Upgrade prices!

I've been using version 2.0 (now updated to v2.5.2) for about a year now, and I was totally floored just now to learn that Nuance wants the full $150 upgrade price, even though I'd only be upgrading 1 step in the development!

Seems crazy that their upgrade price is so high! Especially if you consider they will likely want the same amount in coming years with future upgrades.

Further, they just told me that my version (2.5.2), is not supported by Mac OS Mountain Lion (I haven't upgraded yet, is this true?).

What a way to keep your customers happy, Nuance! :mad:

As for me, I'm abandoning ship, and won't be paying such high prices to upgrade. I'll use this version while I can, then I anticipate other, more open developers (e.g., Google) will have dictation solutions that will not only be more reasonably priced, but will likely work better as well.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
171 months ago
Knowing that the mic is central to a good voice rec experience, I don’t care for the digital download costing the same with no headset/packaging/backup media/manual as the physical version does!

I’d still choose the download to save waste, but a discount for the $35 headset (http://www.nuance.com/for-individuals/by-product/dragon-for-pc/dragon-accessories/index.htm) would be fair. (Or a free-with-shipping headset even.)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Analog Kid Avatar
171 months ago
I do wish Apple would buy these guys or create their own. Apple has proven that well integrated speech is valuable, but I really don't like having it uploaded to a foreign server for processing. I have to believe that even the iPhone has enough power to do it, but there's clearly no excuse on a desktop.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lwhobbs Avatar
170 months ago
Don't Buy It

I bought it, hoping it would be an improvement over 2.0, which is worthless, and for which I can get no support. I was lured in by the 90 day guarantee.

After downloading, I was advised I need iOS 10.7 or higher, which I don't have on my networked computer. So I tried to cancel with online help, and was told that I needed to call. Seeing as how the World will end in 3 months, I decided against that, since I don't want to spend the rest of my life on Nuance customer service.

Bottom line: they'll make it very difficult to get a refund.

Here's my chat with the so called "customer service" representative:

Please wait while we find an agent to assist you...
Hello, welcome to Nuance Chat. Please briefly describe your goal or question and I will connect you with the best resource to meet your objectives.
Thomas Green: Hi, how may I help you today?
Customer: i need a refund. just tried to update, and am told, after I download, that I need iOS 10.7 or greater. It would have been nice if that was somewhere in the advertising
Thomas Green: Our support department will be able to help you. In North America, you can reach our customer service team anytime between 9 AM and 6 PM Eastern Time, Monday to Friday. They can be reached by calling 1-800-654-1187
Customer: oh for God's sake. I don't want to call
Customer: and hold
Customer: i've tried using your so-called customer service before
Thomas Green: I understand what you are telling me, however, my role is to direct you to the best resource for your situation. The Customer Service Team will be best able to resolve your issue and they will be happy to assist you. You can contact them through the channels listed above.
Customer: I'll just cancel it through my credit card.
Customer: and review the product online, wherever I can
Customer: that would be a better use of my time
Customer: I almost didn;t buy due to prior bad customer service, but decided to do so based upon the 30 day guarantee
Thomas Green: I understand your concern however as I mentioned I above, my role is to direct you to the best resource for your situation. The Customer Service Team will be best able to resolve your issue and they will be happy to assist you. You can contact them through the channels listed above.
Customer: thanks for your help. they ought to change the box that says you can get help through chat, since it appears you probably only can help to sell
Customer: Is there anything you can do besides sell?
Thomas Green: As I mentioned above my role is to direct you to the best resource for your situation, I am only the operator.
Thomas Green: Our customer service department will be glad to assist you with your original inquiry
Customer: "I only work here?" Sorry to be an ass; I realize it's the company you work for, and not you, that I should complain about.
Thomas Green: Is there anything else I can help you with?
Customer: Apparently not, but thanks for asking
Thomas Green: Thank you for taking the time to chat with Nuance and have a great day!
Customer: i suppose you can pass on my disdain to your supervisor, for what that's worth
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year

Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest. Apple often...
iOS 26

Apple Continues to Prepare iOS 26.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Expected

Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
maxresdefault

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak. Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
LG UltraFine 6K Display TB5

LG UltraFine 6K (32U990A) TB5 Display: Pre-Orders Open September 30

Monday September 29, 2025 6:21 am PDT by
Pre-orders for LG's new UltraFine evo 6K display (model 32U990A) with Thunderbolt 5 support will begin on September 30, according to a major U.S. retailer listing. LG first revealed the 32-inch display at CES 2025 in January, teasing its status as the first monitor to support Thunderbolt 5. At the time, LG only provided high-level specs, but left pricing, availability, and full technical...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent 1

Samsung Confirms Plan to Make Foldable Displays for Major American Company

Monday September 29, 2025 6:54 am PDT by
Samsung Display president Lee Cheong has confirmed plans to make foldable smartphone displays for a major American company, which is widely believed to be Apple. As reported in Chosun Biz, Cheong last week told journalists in Seoul that the company is accelerating preparations for mass production of OLED displays designed for foldable smartphones to be supplied to a "North American client."...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

iPad Mini 8 Rumors: Everything We Know So Far

Monday September 29, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is likely to arrive next year, so here's what to expect. The current iPad mini came out in 2024, with the main upgrade over the previous version being the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence support. The previous generation introduced a complete redesign and the A15 Bionic chip. In August, Apple mistakenly shared code that revealed key information about ...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...