How NaturallySpeaking Runs in the Background - dummies

How NaturallySpeaking Runs in the Background

By Stephanie Diamond

NaturallySpeaking uses several windows at once. Normally, you launch an application, you get an application window, and you work in that window. End of story. Not so with NaturallySpeaking, and for good reason: You want to be able to use voice input in lots of different places, not just in a single window.

The core of NaturallySpeaking — the basic program that turns your speech into text or actions — actually runs in the background. It is hidden:

  • This hidden program puts its text into whichever application window you are using at any given moment.

  • If you give a menu command, such a Click File, the command goes to that application’s window, too.

To be technically precise, NaturallySpeaking works with whichever application is active at the time. An application is active if its title bar is darkened. Click on an application’s title bar, or anywhere in its window, to make it active.

One item from the NaturallySpeaking DragonBar is always available to you when NaturallySpeaking is running: the microphone. Without it, you’re talking to yourself.

The microphone box is in the up position (at a slight angle) when it’s on. Click it to switch between on and off.

You can use the + (plus) key on the numeric keypad (at the far right end of your keyboard) as a microphone on/off button.