OS X Mountain Lion dictation

Jan 4 2025 Update: This feature has become much more useful over the years. You no longer need an internet connection, it types as you talk, and some computers have a built-in microphone button on the keyboard that you can use instead of the FN-double-tap.

Mac OS X Mountain Lion added built-in support for voice dictation. To activate, insert your cursor where you want to dictate and double tap the FN key on your keyboard. Tap the FN key again to finish.

If the microphone icon doesn't pop up you may need to enable the feature in the Apple menu > System Preferences > Dictation & Speech > Dictation.

While it's not as robust as fully featured dictation software like Dragon, it works pretty well in a pinch. The biggest drawback is that most dictation software will type while you talk, but Mountain Lion's dictation only transcribes after you finish. You will also need to have a live internet connection.