Jump to content
Macro Express Forums

Controlling Macro Express with Cortana


Recommended Posts

I have not. I messed with it for a spell but found I couldn't get it to work. There are APIs for them in the Windows.ApplicationModel.VoiceCommands Namespace, but only for UWP apps and I haven't messed with UWP yet. I think one would be better off with Dragon. Let me know what you find.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Cory, I'll keep looking as I don't have Dragon. I know there is some info on getting Dragon working with MEP, but I was hoping I could use what's built in to Win10 if possible. I was trying to close Office apps with Cortana and discovered that it can't be done. Incredibly, MS allows you to OPEN apps with voice commands, but not CLOSE them. Utterly bizarre!

 

Alan

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've tried to do things with Cortana and gave up on it. Most annoying is its insistence on using certain apps. If I ask it to start an email, it opens Windows Mail and not Outlook which I use. It looks good in the marketing material, but in real life it's a disappointment most of the time. 

 

Maybe you could use Windows dictation to type into a MEP box. The shortcut in Windows is Win+h.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Cory. I've actually decided to switch Cortana off. It was intermittently popping up even when I had my microphone physically turned off. I agree, it kept wanting to open Edge if it didn't understand my commands. More trouble than it's worth. I'll stick to typing apart from if I want to dictate a longish document.

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Dragon is the only serious speech recognition product for Windows. The learning curve to become proficient is steep, but that's not the fault of the software. Driving a computer by voice instead of by keyboard/mouse is as different as revising a document with a word processor versus revising it via typewriter. The logic of doing things by voice is different. If a user applies the logic of a keyboard/mouse to Dragon, many tasks become dizzyingly complicated and error-prone. But if a user understands and applies the unique logic of speech-centric interaction, many tasks become piece of cake.

 

Google has incorporated a variety of speech engines in its products, and in many ways, Google has surpassed Nuance (the makers of Dragon). But Dragon still has one advantage over Google’s products: you can use Dragon to (almost) totally control a PC by voice. You can't do that at all (or not easily) with any other product: not Cortana, Windows SR, Siri, Google Voice, Google Live Transcribe, and so on.

 

For years I have used Dragon to control aspects of Macro Express, as well as using Macro Express to control aspects of Dragon. The two programs get along nicely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that Acantor. My feeling is that I probably don't need voice interaction often enough to justify buying additional software. However, if that changes, I will look into Dragon again. I appreciate your time and reply.

 

Alan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...