MAC, CAT tools on virtual machines and software recognition software
Thread poster: halifax
halifax
halifax
Italian to English
+ ...
Mar 15, 2019

Hello everyone,

I am a MAC user and I regularly work with SDL Trados 2017 and (to a lesser extent) MemoQ, both running on a virtual machine.

Unfortunately I have been experiencing some severe shoulder/back troubles due to typing lately, so I am considering the use of speech recognition software (Dragon Naturally Speaking or anything else). I couldn't find much information about compatibility of DNS & co. with CAT tools running on a virtual machine on a MAC.

... See more
Hello everyone,

I am a MAC user and I regularly work with SDL Trados 2017 and (to a lesser extent) MemoQ, both running on a virtual machine.

Unfortunately I have been experiencing some severe shoulder/back troubles due to typing lately, so I am considering the use of speech recognition software (Dragon Naturally Speaking or anything else). I couldn't find much information about compatibility of DNS & co. with CAT tools running on a virtual machine on a MAC.

Has anybody ever tried and/or adopted this solution? Any information may be helpful. I don't want to take the plunge if I'm not sure this may work.

Thank you!
Collapse


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:14
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Try Mac Dictation first Mar 18, 2019

You should try Mac Dictation first. It comes free as part of the OS and, being fully integrated with the OS, works extremely well although, in my experience, you need a very good microphone. You'll find it in System Preferences. At first it may not be particularly accurate but over time as it learns your pronunciation, it gets better. And it does a very large range of languages.

Screen Shot


Dan Lucas
Jan Truper
 
Jan Truper
Jan Truper  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:14
Member (2016)
English to German
... Mar 18, 2019

halifax wrote:

Hello everyone,

I am a MAC user and I regularly work with SDL Trados 2017 and (to a lesser extent) MemoQ, both running on a virtual machine.

Unfortunately I have been experiencing some severe shoulder/back troubles due to typing lately, so I am considering the use of speech recognition software (Dragon Naturally Speaking or anything else). I couldn't find much information about compatibility of DNS & co. with CAT tools running on a virtual machine on a MAC.

Has anybody ever tried and/or adopted this solution? Any information may be helpful. I don't want to take the plunge if I'm not sure this may work.



I use Mac > Parallels > memoQ.

In 2016, I bought "Dragon Professional Individual 15" for this setup, and it did not really work. Nuance customer service told me that DNS was incompatible with this environment, so I got a refund for the software.
I have been using Mac Dictation ever since, and I am quite happy.


Somewhat off-topic:
I have used DNS on a straight Windows system a couple of times, and comparing both dictation setups, I came to this conclusion:
-The advantage of DNS is that you can train it for specific terms you might use a lot (Mac Dictation does not offer this feature).
-The advantage of Mac Dictation is that you can mingle keyboard input and dictation input without any problems (DNS does not like it when you type-dictate-type-dictate without switching it off, because it thinks you're trying to train it).

[Edited at 2019-03-18 08:33 GMT]


 
halifax
halifax
Italian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Mac Dictation Mar 18, 2019

Thank you so much for both your inputs, Jan and Tom.

I knew MAC OS comes with Mac Dictation, but I thought this software recognition software would only work in the MAC environment, meaning it wouldn't work when you switch on a virtual machine with Windows in it and try to dictate anything. Can you both confirm that this can actually happen? If so, Mac Dictation would definitely be an option, even though the unability to train it for specific words puts me off a little bit.
... See more
Thank you so much for both your inputs, Jan and Tom.

I knew MAC OS comes with Mac Dictation, but I thought this software recognition software would only work in the MAC environment, meaning it wouldn't work when you switch on a virtual machine with Windows in it and try to dictate anything. Can you both confirm that this can actually happen? If so, Mac Dictation would definitely be an option, even though the unability to train it for specific words puts me off a little bit.

Any other suggestions would be much appreciated!
Collapse


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:14
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Never tried Mar 18, 2019

halifax wrote:

Thank you so much for both your inputs, Jan and Tom.

I knew MAC OS comes with Mac Dictation, but I thought this software recognition software would only work in the MAC environment, meaning it wouldn't work when you switch on a virtual machine with Windows in it and try to dictate anything. Can you both confirm that this can actually happen? If so, Mac Dictation would definitely be an option, even though the unability to train it for specific words puts me off a little bit.

Any other suggestions would be much appreciated!


I've never tried it - why not give it a go?

As for specific words, I find that Mac Dictation is very good at recognising very unusual, complicated words like "autocthonous". It does learn.


 
Jan Truper
Jan Truper  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:14
Member (2016)
English to German
... Mar 18, 2019

halifax wrote:
I knew MAC OS comes with Mac Dictation, but I thought this software recognition software would only work in the MAC environment, meaning it wouldn't work when you switch on a virtual machine with Windows in it and try to dictate anything. Can you both confirm that this can actually happen?


It works without a hitch in Parallels, in regular mode as well as in coherence mode.


DZiW (X)
 
Erik Freitag
Erik Freitag  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:14
Member (2006)
Dutch to German
+ ...
Which language Mar 18, 2019

Jan Truper wrote:

halifax wrote:
I knew MAC OS comes with Mac Dictation, but I thought this software recognition software would only work in the MAC environment, meaning it wouldn't work when you switch on a virtual machine with Windows in it and try to dictate anything. Can you both confirm that this can actually happen?


It works without a hitch in Parallels, in regular mode as well as in coherence mode.


Jan,

This sounds interesting - I've never actually bothered to check Mac Dictation after learning that DNS wouldn't work with Parallels. Are you using it in English or German?


 
Jan Truper
Jan Truper  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:14
Member (2016)
English to German
... Mar 18, 2019

Erik Freitag wrote:

Jan,

This sounds interesting - I've never actually bothered to check Mac Dictation after learning that DNS wouldn't work with Parallels. Are you using it in English or German?


I'm using it in German for translation work, in English for emails.

You can switch languages on the fly once you have set them up (in MacOS 10.14 under System Preferences > Keyboard > Dictation).


 
halifax
halifax
Italian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Mar 19, 2019

Jan Truper wrote:


I'm using it in German for translation work, in English for emails.

You can switch languages on the fly once you have set them up (in MacOS 10.14 under System Preferences > Keyboard > Dictation).


Thank you again for this additional info. I wouldn't use German, but I may give it a try with Italian. One more question: can you tell me what version of Windows you are using? I think this may be relevant as well. Compatibility issues scare me so much...


 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

MAC, CAT tools on virtual machines and software recognition software






Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »
CafeTran Espresso
You've never met a CAT tool this clever!

Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer. Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools. Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free

Buy now! »