maikii
01-06-2004, 08:04 PM
Anyone compared the two? Tried both?
I tried the trial version of Fonix. I didn't have much time during the trial period to try it much, but a pretty nifty application. Since there is no trial version of the Microsoft app, I haven't tried it, just read about it here.
Last time I looked, the Fonix app cost $10 less, $29.95 as opposed to $39.95 Microsoft.
Besides starting apps with voice commands, etc., the Fonix app has some nice text-to-speech functionality built in. (Perhaps speech-to-text also, not sure.) For instance, if one starts Inbox with a voice command, there are commands to have the app read your e-mail to you. It works pretty well. Then you can reply by voice. (In that case, I'm not sure if the reply will convert what you say to written text (speech-to-text), or just record a voice message to attach to an e-mail.) (As I said, I didn't have a chance to try it very thoroughly.) I assume it also handles other applications with text in a similar manner, such as Microsoft Word. (Reading you the document out loud.)
Does the Microsoft app have any such text-to-speech properties?
In reading about the Microsoft app, it seems to have a certain integration with Windows Media Player PPC, with voice commands for going to a certain playlist or song, Play, Pause, Stop, etc. I could be wrong, but I don't think the Fonix app has that, other than starting WMP.
Anyone actually tried both, and could compare the two?
I tried the trial version of Fonix. I didn't have much time during the trial period to try it much, but a pretty nifty application. Since there is no trial version of the Microsoft app, I haven't tried it, just read about it here.
Last time I looked, the Fonix app cost $10 less, $29.95 as opposed to $39.95 Microsoft.
Besides starting apps with voice commands, etc., the Fonix app has some nice text-to-speech functionality built in. (Perhaps speech-to-text also, not sure.) For instance, if one starts Inbox with a voice command, there are commands to have the app read your e-mail to you. It works pretty well. Then you can reply by voice. (In that case, I'm not sure if the reply will convert what you say to written text (speech-to-text), or just record a voice message to attach to an e-mail.) (As I said, I didn't have a chance to try it very thoroughly.) I assume it also handles other applications with text in a similar manner, such as Microsoft Word. (Reading you the document out loud.)
Does the Microsoft app have any such text-to-speech properties?
In reading about the Microsoft app, it seems to have a certain integration with Windows Media Player PPC, with voice commands for going to a certain playlist or song, Play, Pause, Stop, etc. I could be wrong, but I don't think the Fonix app has that, other than starting WMP.
Anyone actually tried both, and could compare the two?