Despite the new version, Speak A Message's interface is still a little old-fashioned. Even so, it does the job well and has plenty of configuration options, allowing you to change the appearance of the tool, choose from web or POP-based email, send photos with voice commentary and even add a small range of special effects to your messages. It also comes with comprehensive help.

Version 5 of Speak A Message isn't noticeably different to previous versions. The Vista version (available to download from the website) has a speech to text function, and there seems to be improved support for adding comments to photos, slideshows and presentations, but other than that no huge improvements are obvious. This is disappointing, especially with regard to the appearance of Speak A Message, but even so, it remains a sweet program that is especially suitable for the elderly or those with reduced mobility.

Speak A Message won't rock your world, but is a useful program for those with problems typing.