Saturday, May 3, 2008

Voice Recognition is my friend, Vista is not

I was excited to discover Voice Recognition software on Vista for Windows. Using the bundled software I had to correct words in every sentence. But since that was all I had , I thought it was great.

However, my wonderful DH knew there was something better out there. He insisted we invest in the premier voice recognition software. It came Friday. So excited, just like a kid at Christmas.

I loaded it onto my new laptop. My lovely new, Vista run laptop could not get through the first paragraph of tutorial. Hours later, much frustration and disappointment, I concluded I just didn't have an expensive enough computer.

Again DH to the rescue. He suggested I get out the old laptop and loaded in, just to see if it would work. Amazing success! Older, and apparently wiser, the Vista lacking laptop is working like a dream.

I can hardly wait to see how fast I finish Blind Fire. Currently I have two completed manuscripts waiting for contracts. That has never happened to me before. I usually don't write fast enough to have a manuscript finished before the last one is contracted.

I have another problem with the Vista computer that I can't seem to find an answer for. The icon for the mouse disappears from the screen for no particular reason. Sometimes it won't work all day. Sometimes the first time the computer goes to screensaver a mouse was gone and I have to restart the entire system to get it back. Has anyone seen this before?

Another Vista problem, the automatic backup partition. It's full because it's only 6 GB. I cannot find how to overcome this problem. I've backed up the computer on an external hard drive and that seems to make it work a bit better but still, the internal backup is full and it has a difficult time saving. Anyone ever dealt with this problem before?

I have joined the long list of people who find Vista more trouble than it's worth. All that is new and improved is the innovative new ways they have found to make me crazy.

So here I am with Old Faithful, happy as a clam. The lovely Vista computer is sitting on the shelf. Apparently that's its best thing.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Give your wonderful hubby a hug for me(I've met him show this should be okay), now that you are writing faster it means more books YAY!

As for Vista, I have heard very very few people who like it! Is there a wya you can take it off the computer? This is one of the reasons we've held off on the new computer and are just keeping our fingers crossed this one holds out longer.

Kelly

Anonymous said...

Gail not to be offensive or anything but Vista SUCKS! It has so many bugs in it you could probably start your own entymology store. Sometimes new is not always best. And sometimes buying new laptops at top electronics stores isn't always the best way to go. If you have a local shop who works on computers you might want to investigate having them build a system for you that way you can have whatever OS you want on it I stopped buying computers from the big electronics stores after a mother board failure ina brand new computer. No way that should have happened. For anyone out there who is investigating buying a new puter from one of the big boy electronic stores investigate your local computer shops. They usually give you what you want and you have a better computer in the long run.
Lucy

Anonymous said...

Buy Apple or load XP pro on your new laptop and delete Vista.Yes you can do it because my daughter did and it works like a dream.but you need to find the drivers for you hardware first.