Windows 11

Voice access, built into Windows 11 from version 22H2 For the computer, this is where to start before paying for dictation software. Microsoft built it so the whole PC can be run by voice: opening and switching apps, browsing, reading and writing email, and composing text, all without touching a keyboard or mouse. It works without an internet connection, so a flaky router does not lock you out of your own laptop. Long-form writers who dictate all day may still outgrow it, but for running a desktop and answering emails it costs nothing and needs nothing installed beyond an up-to-date Windows 11.