Book excerpt: Now it's easier than ever to write better and more quickly by letting your voice do the typing. This completely updated version of "Dragon NaturallySpeaking 13 & Professional Individual 15 Handbook for Writers" now includes evaluations of the three free speech recognition programs as well as new Dragon programs. Also, the author has broadened the scope of this informative book to make it useful to anyone who has a computer. Included are techniques for becoming skilled at dictation, pros and cons of different types of headsets, and the many benefits of using a compatible digital recorder. Let this book help you decide if "voice typing" software is for you and whether a free or commercial program will serve you best. The author, Keith Connes, has been using different versions of speech recognition software for the past 20 years and as an independent journalist, he impartially describes the pros and cons of all the programs that are currently available -- including one of the best that has been discontinued by its producer but is still on the market, at fire-sale prices! You're sure to find a goldmine of useful information and ideas about this exciting technology, right here in this book.