Hi Joe,

This is not an easy call. Version 12 is very out-of-date. It probably won't integrate well into programs designed for Windows 10 and 11.

But if Version 12 does what you need it to do, and you don't notice incompatibilities, I would say you will get a bigger bang-for-your-buck by investing in a good microphone than by paying for the upgrade.

There's no doubt Version 15 is more accurate than previous versions. It also gives better results with less-than-stellar microphones, and is more usable by people who have speech difficulties. If your accuracy with Version 12 is 95%, you might squeeze another percentage point or two with Version 15. That's a noticeable improvement, but it may not be significant. It depends on how much you use Dragon. If you use it for an hour per day, the difference won't be as pronounced as it would be if you use Dragon for six hours a day.

The best way to improve Dragon's accuracy is to improve one's dictation habits: positioning the microphone properly, minimizing background sounds, speaking with confidence, speaking clearly and distinctly, dictating long phrases, etc. Newer versions of Dragon are good to have, but won't make much of a difference if you, for example, dictate short, choppy phrases or have music playing in the background.