Best laptop for Dragon Naturally Speaking – Top compatible laptops (2021)

Not a fan of typing? But is it an integral part of your job description?

The solution to this is simple – voice to text! 

But there aren’t many programs that translate voice to text seamlessly. You may face multiple problems that actually end up reducing your speed instead of increasing it. They may also affect your productivity. However, Dragon Naturally Speaking has emerged as a winner in this space. The software program runs well on most laptops because it does not require a lot of power. Some laptops, though, outshine the rest because they are better in one or more ways. 

In this article we will help you with a buying guide and our favorite picks.

Best laptop for Dragon Naturally Speaking – Buying guide

The main features that your laptop should possess are as follows:

• Storage of at least 256 GB – Anything below this can run out very quickly, forcing you to upgrade and/or buy an external hard drive. 512 GB is more ideal, in fact, for long-term usage.
• RAM of at least 8 GB – If you are a gaming enthusiast or a graphic designer, you may need 16 GB. But 8 GB should be your baseline for optimal performance. 4 GB, in our opinion, is very less.
• CPU: Since the CPU is what powers the laptop, you should ensure that it is good enough. Lower-end laptops may not have the most powerful CPUs. So, make sure you grab one in the mid-range.

Other features such as GPU depend only on usage. So, we shall not go into those details at the moment.

Best laptop for Dragon Naturally Speaking

Let’s go through our favorite options now – we have quite a few for you to choose from.

1. Acer Aspire 5 – Slim Laptop

If you are on a budget, you should look no further than Acer Aspire 5. It is fairly priced and packs a real punch! The 15.6-inch laptop comes with the following features:

• It has a full HD, IPS display and is powered by Intel Core i5 (10th generation).
• You will enjoy an incredibly battery life of 9.5 hours (with light usage).
• The laptop has Acer TrueHarmony that gives you more volume and excellent bass.
• The keyboard has fingerprint functionality.
• It has an 8 GB DDR4 RAM.
• The storage capacity is 256 GB.
• Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6, USB, HDMI, and Bluetooth 4.

The pros

• Affordable
• Excellent Wi-Fi connectivity
• Sleek and light laptop

The cons

• Number pad is not great
• The fan could be loud during heavy usage

2. MSI GF65 – Gaming Laptop

Those who want a gaming laptop that is 100% compatible with Dragon Naturally Speaking should definitely purchase the MSI laptop. It is our favorite option overall due to the following features:

• It is a full HD, thin IPS laptop with minimal bezel.
• It has a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU with 6 GB storage.
• The laptop is powered by Intel Core i7 and has a storage capacity of 512 GB.
• It has an 8 GB DDR4 RAM.
• Its battery life is around 7 hours.
• The machine’s thermal solutions will keep it cool even during heavy usage.
• Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, and HDMI.
• The manufacturers are offering a 1-year warranty at the moment.

The pros

• Top features with optimal performance
• Great SSD bootup
• Fairly priced

The cons

• Touchpad does not feel great during usage
• Only 2 USB 3 slots

3. Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Laptop for Dragon Naturally Speaking

Dell is quite an amazing pick for Dragon Naturally Speaking and it is trusted world over for its reliability. So, why not pick it up? Before you do that though, check out the features it will shower you with:

• It is light, rigid, and stable at the same time because it is made of magnesium alloys.
• This is a full HD IPS, 15.6-inch laptop, powered by the 9th generation Intel Core i7 processor.
• Its drop-hinge design caters to overheating problems that many laptops currently face. It also has adaptive thermals that ensure it stays cool.
• The laptop has a fingerprint reader.
• Its NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card makes it a great gaming laptop.
• It has a 256 GB SSD and 8 GB DDR4 RAM.
• It has features such as CinemaColor, CinemaStream, and CinemaSound that can transform your movie watching experience.

The pros

• Good build quality
• Multiple USB ports
• Excellent movie playback

The cons

• Not great battery life
• Memory is only 8 GB (could have been more for the price)
• No ethernet port

4. Acer Predator Helios – Gaming Laptop

The Acer Predator series took all of us by storm when it was launched. Each model, in fact, makes us marvel at just how amazing the features are. Let’s explore why the Acer Predator Helios is the right choice for you:

• The 15.6-inch gaming laptop is a full HD machine with a response time of 3ms.
• It is powered by Intel Core i7 and has the GeForce GTX 1660 graphics card.
• The laptop’s 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 256 GB storage make it perfect for gaming and other work-related usage.
• Its 4th generation All Metal Aeroblade 3D Fan takes care of heating concerns even during prolonged usage.
• The Waves MAXXAudio technology delivers superior audio during gameplay.
• This is a VR-ready laptop.
• The Killer DoubleShot Pro allows bandwidth control and prioritization.

The pros

• 144 Hz screen 
• Incredible Wi-Fi speed
• Effective cooling

The cons

• Loud fans
• Blue light is not suitable for night usage

5. Acer Aspire E 15 Laptop for Dragon Naturally Speaking

The Acer Aspire E 15 has quite a few incredible features and is fairly priced. If you are looking for more storage and average memory capabilities, you will be happy with this one. Let’s find out more:

• The 15.6-inch laptop is powered by the 8th generation Intel Core i8 processor.
• It has a 6 GB RAM (dual-channel memory) with 1 TB HDD.
• Its battery life is longest on the list at 13.5 hours.
• It is powered by Acer TrueHarmony to deliver superior audio.
• The laptop has USB 3 and USB 3.1 ports along with HDMI.
• It has 8X DVD, which not many may want today but is a good add-on.

The pros

• Very easy access
• Good battery life

The cons

• No SSD. HDD is slow.
• Only 6 GB DDR3 RAM

FAQs

Let’s round this article off with a few FAQs about Dragon Naturally Speaking.

1) Does Dragon Naturally Speaking work with OneNote?

It does but it won’t be as seamless as it is with Microsoft Word.

2) Can Dragon Naturally Speaking be installed on two computers?

If you are a licensed speaker, you will be able to create multiple voice profiles and store them on multiple computers.

3) Is Dragon Naturally Speaking worth it?

If your work involves a lot of typing and you really don’t like it, the software is worth the investment. 

4) What is the latest version of Dragon Naturally Speaking?

Version 15 is the latest as of November 2020.

Conclusion

By now you may have realized that the best laptop for Dragon Naturally Speaking is determined by what else you want to use your system for. If it is just for the software, you can simply choose the budget options but we know you will have multiple purposes. So, we advise you to go with the one that checks all your boxes.

Should you need any more assistance, please feel free to speak to us via comments.