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New computer recommendations
Submitted by yve609 on Sat, 07/23/2005 - 10:58.
I'm going to pass my 3-year old computer on to my husband. I'd appreciate any recommendations for a new system, any make. I'm a fiction writer (have WORD, but prefer WordPerfect 10-12) and use DNS 8.1 SP1 Preferred for non-technical dictating of text with satisfactory results.
Presently, I'm using an HP 760n computer with XP Home. It's a 1.8 Pentium 4 with 512 Mb memory and 120 gig hard drive. My microphone is an Andrea ANC 700. Occasionally I use an Olympus DS-3000, but results vary--my fault, I'm sure. I don't know what sound card I have--just whatever came with this Pavilion.
Should I go with a gig of memory and perhaps XP Pro?
Many thanks.
Yve
Re: New computer recommendations
Yve,
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Presently, I'm using an HP 760n computer with XP Home. It's a 1.8 Pentium 4 with 512 Mb memory and 120 gig hard drive. My microphone is an Andrea ANC 700. Occasionally I use an Olympus DS-3000, but results vary--my fault, I'm sure. I don't know what sound card I have--just whatever came with this Pavilion.
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Your current computer has almost enough horsepower to accomplish your tasks. All it would need is an additional 512 MB RAM to bring it to 1 GB.
Your so so performance is likely related to:
1. The onboard sound chip. HP's are known to not be shielded and thus introduce unwanted electronic noise. Simple and cheap work around is to add an Andrea USB sound pod to the ANC-700.
http://www.emicrophones.com/microphones/prod_details.asp?prodID=003
2. Although the DS 3000 is a good recorder, few people attain the accuracy of dictation directly into the computer.
3. If you are not enunciating every word distinctly and clearly that will also affect accuracy. Listen to the 3 sound files on How to sound and How not to sound in the Links/Articles section of our web site at:
http://www.emicrophones.com/articles/index.asp
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Should I go with a gig of memory and perhaps XP Pro?
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1 GB RAM should be adequate for what you do. XP Pro is not necessary except for use on a business network server.
--
Martin Markoe, eMicrophones, Inc.
The best microphones for Speech Recognition
See us at: http://www.eMicrophones.com/index.asp
Read, "Key Steps to High Speech Recognition Accuracy" at:
http://www.emicrophones.com/docDetails.asp?DocumentID=38
New computer recommendations
For three and a half years I had an HP Pavilion laptop n1512 (I think that was the number), 900 MHz AMD Mobile 4, 512 Mb Ram (cannot remember the level 2 cache but I think it was 128 Kb), Phillips Speechmike USB, 20 Gb disc, Win 2000 Professional SP 4 and XP Home (dual boot). Never had a problem with either ViaVoice Pro USB 10 and 10.5 or DNS 7.3 Preferred.
Due to age and eyesight, decided to upgrade to a wide screen Acer, and gave Pavilion to wife. Have been trying to get her to agree to sit down and teach her how to switch the computer on! If I get that far, it will be one giant step for man... .!
Quentin
Ditto
Marty - thanks for saying everything I was planning to say.
Happy trails. ///// Richards /////
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New computer
XP Pro is the cream of the crap in MS.
Look at getting a USB adaptor to put electrical and sound conversion outside of the case.
You didn't say desktop or laptop.
I'm overall really please with my Siemmens/Fujistu/ABS (depending on planet locale) Desktop replacement (heavy = 10 Pounds with AC adaptor) Athlon 64 notebook. I made a video movie yesterday while on the road for a friend for use at LinuxWorld.
The 64-bit part of the CPU is currently being ingored and not seeing a cost to that as I would with an Intel chip. 64-Bit XP is NOT ready for prime-time.
DNS 8.1 rocks on the $1600 laptop. Well, so does everything else!
Truely a desktop replacement. My biggest complaint from the road?
My (MS) desktop 19" LCD monitor (extending the desktop left to right) died on the 3rd week on the road. Cannot complain about the ABS I bought at NewEgg. Quiet, (hot heavy) but really blows many desktops out of the water with the ATI 9700 GPU with 128 MB of ram on the video. Part of the weight is it needs its own fan seperate from the Athlon 64 CPU !
HTH
Tcat
New computer recommendations
I had a look at a Desktop replacement. Beautiful machines. But you need a very strong back to carry them in a back pack or you could use a shoulder bag if you have one shoulder higher than the other, and want to permanently lower that shoulder!
I had to compromise, since the roller bag which I was given given by my children as a birthday present will not take more than the 15.4 widescreen.
Quentin
New Computer
Thanks all for the replies. They really help.
I neglected to say my computer is a desktop and that I already use the USB hub for the Andrea microphone. I've bought HP for a number of years, but am looking at Dell now, for no particular reason. How can I determine if my sound chip is shielded? Ask, of course, and hope the person on the other end knows what he's talking about.
I don't need or use a business network, still I think I will go with XP Pro. I've had remarkable luck with XP Home. Have never to reinstall in three years.
Again, thanks much.
Yve