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 OD-90228                         SUGGESTION                       "PRIDE"-IF
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 MAY 12, 1997                   RELEASE  1.2.0                        PAGE  1

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 REQUIRED DATE- OPEN          USER PRIORITY WEIGHT-  75    RANKING-  0024
 DATE RECEIVED- APR 22, 1997  REQUEST STANDING  - REVIEW   AS OF- MAY 12, 1997
                              TYPE- MOD/IMP

 DESCRIPTION-

        The Merlin voice dictation capability should be extended and
        made fully "practical" by giving it the capability of
        transcribing from standard dictation micro-cassettes.

        I imagine that a standard tape (or RAM) dictation device could
        simply be plugged into the input jack on the system sound card.
        Beyond that, it should be easy to adapt Merlin to convert voice
        to text from the tape instead of from the microphone.  If Merlin
        was to be given control over the tape itself (i.e. rewind,
        replay, etc.) then a dedicated plug-in card and/or cassette
        player (depending on the controls/capabilities of the dictation
        device would be necessary.  It seems likely that any such
        hardware would be quite ordinary and inexpensive, rather than
        exotic and costly.

        BENEFIT$

        The benefits and attraction should be obvious.  IBM advertising
        has already shown professionals dictating to their computers
        using Merlin.  But most dictation opportunities take place when
        the desktop computer isn't available:  in the car, on airplanes,
        "on site" at meetings, etc.  We need a way to enable those tapes
        to be "typed up" by Merlin.  This would be great for those who
        don't have secretaries.  Those who do, could employ their
        secretaries in editing and converting Merlin's "drafts" into
        final copy.  Big time-saver.

        Naturally, the relative slowness of Merlin's dictation feature
        would become completely moot if the dictation could be done as a
        background, off-hours, or scheduled job.  That might or might
        not require the extra hardware mentioned above.  But if that
        could be arranged--just use your imagination.

        Can't you picture the incredible ads that could be developed
        around this feature?  And talk about interesting a whole new
        (and vast) group of potential Warp buyers.  How many people use
        dictation recorders or personal memo devices each day?  Of
        course, the system could just as well be used to type up
        answering machine messages, etc.

        ATTRIBUTES:

        MEDIUM Value
        Desired NEXT full release

        Submitted by:

        Leigh Engelhart
        Duke University
        Durham, NC, USA
        engel003@mc.duke.edu

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