13 replies to this topic

[Chris Wiebe]

I am going to try the soft talk module.  Any recommendations about what kind of headset/microphone I should get?

[Warren Ducote]

I gave up on Soft Talk. Sorry, I can't help.

[Verlin Klassen]

I can tell you my experience so far with Soft talk.

Like Warren I tried it in the past and gave up. I have taken on a job drawing shop drawings and layouts for a company doing a wall system using rigid insulation and steel. It is quite repetitive work, but involves a lot of clicking and navigating from tool to tool. I realized that voice recognition, if it worked, would really speed things up. First I downloaded a program that uses voice to control the mouse and keyboard. I posted about it on this forum. I soon realized it was conflicting with SoftPlan and freezing it up. SofPlan tech support has told me in the past that Soft talk is controlled by windows, not Softplan, so I got to thinking that maybe with Windows 10 it would work better. I have been trying it since, altho I am not real busy at the moment, so haven't given it a fair work out. It seems like it will work good enough to be usable, altho I find that it seems to work really well for awhile and then stops recognizing a lot of the commands. 

As far as a headset, it is very important to have a good one. I am using a Logitech headset that I think cost approx. $40. Have had it for a couple years. I find that I can speak in quite a normal voice. The downside to it is that it gets uncomfortable wearing for extended periods of time. I have considered using desk top mikes, but a good one is a couple hundred dollars and I have a hard time believing that it will actually pick up as good as a mouth piece close to your mouth. Yesterday I purchased a blue tooth adapter for my computor and a Plantronics Voyager Legend headset upon the recommendation of a friend who really liked it for his cell phone. The cost was just over $100.00 and the results were disappointing. It does not pick up nearly as well as my Logitech headset.

If you can get it to the point that it will indeed pick up most or all of your commands, I believe that you will be able to draw faster than using keyboard shortcuts. Having said that, i think that the next best is to have a double right click menu with most a lot of the tools you use.

[Verlin Klassen]

I gather from the lack of comments on this thread that SoftTalk is not used by many of you. After my last post I also stopped using it again. I found that it would work just great for awhile and then quit. 

Do any of you find that it actually works for you?

[Tom Rogers]

I had bought it and tried it but my problem is more of a hassle in the fact that 1) I like to listen to talk radio and music and 2) interruptions and phone calls that consistently makes you have to stop.  It just didn't work for me. 

[Dennis Asher]

Well I have to say I am a little disappointed in soft talk so far.  There seems to be a pretty steep learning curve! lol

[Sam Morgan]

I may end up having to try it sometime.  I'm getting terrible tendinitis in both arms and nothing docs have done yet has helped.  Just ordered a really expensive mouse that is supposed to help but we shall see.

[James Ryan]

Sam

I switched to a Evoluent mouse, it keeps my hand in almost a handshake position rather than a laying flat position and I haven't had any hand, wrist or arm issues since. I've been using it for a year now

[Sam Morgan]

Thats the one I ordered.  The strange thing is I have pain in both arms....more so in my mouse arm but its pretty consistent in both

[Verlin Klassen]

I also use the Evoluent mouse and am very happy with it.

[Ben Ginther]

I have also been using the Evolent mouse and I like it. But, I have had 2 of them each one lasts about a year. Is it working better for the rest of you?

[Verlin Klassen]

I have had mine since about the middle of January, 2014, and it is still working fine. I haven't been overly busy this past year, so it probably hasn't been worked as hard as yours, Ben. I have had trouble sometimes when starting the computer that it doesn't pick up that mouse till I restart a couple times or I unplug it till the computer boots up and then plug it in. Being a lefty there was only one model to choose from when I ordered mine. Right handers could choose from a couple sizes and between chorded or wireless

[James Ryan]

mine is roughly a yr old and its running fine and I have not had any issues at all, i have the wireless model

[Sam Morgan]

Someone smarter than me will need to tell me how to program the buttons.  I've tried to set them up for softplan and no luck.   No clue what I'm doing wrong