Just before my accident both a barrister friend and a conference participant had triggered my awareness. They'd both raved about their efficiency gains from using the product. (Each version, and the product is up to Version 13 now, apparently gets even better.) So, with arm in plaster and my typing speed significantly reduced, I decided it was time to check it out.
The ravers are right - the product is amazing.
This article for you was written with no hands on the keyboard, except for the occasional correction. I talked, words just zipped across my screen, and the more I practiced the better the experience became.
For an extra $150 you can add a wireless headset, rather than having to be tethered to your computer. You've also got the option of including a digital voice recorder which can be downloaded when you're back at your computer. For example, you finish a meeting and there are notes to be typed. If you have the recorder in your pocket you could speak a first draft into your handheld voice recorder and then later on, once plugged in to the computer, your voice can be turned into written words.
Of course you still have to check that it has recorded correctly but the desk time can be spent focusing on content and correct expression of your thoughts instead of typing and spelling. Even though I am a pretty fast typist, the words still flash across the screen at least three times faster than I could type them. Also, Dragon gets more accurate over time as it learns your word choices and writing style.
It only takes a few hours to train the software to your way of speaking. If you're wondering about all the technical terms in your industry, relax - you can easily add specific industry terms and any other frequently used unique phrases.
But it's far more than that. Without sounding too dramatic, the tool can be a life-changer for some people! Dyslexics, low self-esteem people from terribly dysfunctional homes, quadriplegics .... The list is long and grows day by day.
Less dramatic but just as life-changing for busy professionals - you can do a myriad of time-saving things with this software. Just one example - the conference delegate I mentioned above has trained the programme to open his regularly-used Word and Excel templates on command. He then sits at his desk and tells the computer where to put the new information. Everyone who's gone the Dragon way says it saves them hours per week.
If you have to put words on a keyboard and would rather be working on different activities, if you'd like to get home at a decent hour instead of spending ages getting words on paper, you may well find this is a very useful investment.
Robyn Pearce (known as the Time Queen) is the MD of GettingAGrip.com, an international time management and productivity training company based in New Zealand. Get your free report 'How To Master Time In Only 90 Seconds' and ongoing time tips at www.gettingagrip.com 
