February 24th – What You Need To Know About Equipment (For Scopists, Court Reporters, Proofreaders, And Transcriptionists)
If you want to be great in your profession, you must start with a great setup. Even the most experienced, advanced, and talented professionals will be limited by the adequacy of their machines. With jobs like proofreading, scopistry, court reporting, and transcription, dependence on technology is unavoidable, as our jobs revolve around the use of our machines. With uncomfortable, outdated, or simply inadequate software/hardware, our jobs become much more difficult. Today, I want to share with you what I have learned about the importance of the proper equipment for scopists and court reporters, how you can decide what is right for you, and where you can buy it.
Steno Writers
I have seen a lot of questions surrounding the steno machines available on the market today. Seasoned professionals have a good idea of what brand of machine they want to use, and where they can purchase one. If you’re new to this space though, the following information might be helpful for you.
Student Machines Versus Professional Machines
Upon entering a Court Reporting school, there are varying accounts of professors expecting students to buy a student machine, rent a student machine, or buy/rent a professional one. It depends on the school, the professors, and their expectations.
There is a significant difference between student machines and professional machines. The professional versions have a significant number of features and abilities that a student machine does not. These can be things like loading your dictionary, greater internal memory, and recording audio.
Overall, the quality of the professional machines is better. But bear in mind, you get what you pay for. This means the professional machines will have a much higher price tag attached to them.
Should I get new or used equipment?
A big question when purchasing any court reporter equipment. The difference between a new machine and a refurbished or second-hand machine is sometimes negligible. As with anything you buy second-hand, if it is still in good working condition, then you have found yourself an excellent machine at sometimes a fraction of the cost. Your machines work to the level at which you take care of them. Whether your machine is new, old, refurbished, or second-hand, you should be sending your machine for routine maintenance at least once per year to ensure you are still getting the best quality from your machines.
There are a variety of different machines that you can buy, and you can find a lot of comparisons of the machines on the market today. Choosing the machine that’s right for you depends on the kind of court reporting you are doing, the abilities you need it to have, and your personal preferences. Acculaw has a great comparison sheet where you can see the abilities and functions of some of the most popular machines. Click this link to see that comparison sheet!
Computers
As scopists, proofreaders, and transcriptionists, our equipment does not include steno writers. However, we and court reporters will all rely on a desktop, laptop, or tablet. This is a very saturated market, and there are hundreds if not thousands of options available for people with all kinds of different needs and expectations. This is not a small purchase, and most of us starting in this profession already have some type of computer or laptop anyway. This does not make it less necessary, and it does not mean there are not certain things you need to consider. I was working on a tablet when I first started, and I was forced to upgrade because my tablet was not compatible with the Windows 11 update. This would have severely slowed down my working ability and forced me to use more outdated programs or applications than my competitors.
Tips for choosing the right one
The major things you need to consider are your hard drive, your processor, and your RAM. You need to know how fast your computer can run, how many applications it can withstand at one time, and how much memory it has in order to store all of your necessary information. This will vary considerably, and the difference between laptops and PCs is stark. However, if you’re buying a machine just for your work, you don’t need the setup of a professional gamer (which can reach $43,000 or more!)
I don’t pretend to be an expert on what to consider in computers, but here is a list, and here is a list of some of the most important aspects, and their explanations.
The NCRA offers a great guide with specifications of what you’ll need your computer to be able to accomplish, especially if you plan to do RealTime. You can check out that guide here. There is also a great guide from the Court Reporting Academy that discusses the necessary capabilities of your machine, which I’ve linked here.
Headsets
A headset can be an essential part of the job for most scopists, transcriptionists, and proofreaders. As expected, not all headsets are built equal. This is a device you will be heavily relying on to do your job effectively, so you must pick one that meets your specific needs.
Tips for choosing the right one
There are many different factors to consider when you are looking for the best headset for you. Not only will you need to consider the cost, but you need to consider the different functions that work best for you and how much you’re willing to pay for those functions. The more you want your headset to do, the more you’ll pay.
In my opinion, the most important functions to consider are audio quality and noise cancellation. As a scopist and transcriptionist, audio quality is the most important factor for me. I work in a very isolated area of my home, however, and therefore don’t have much need for noise cancellation.
Other factors to consider are things like wired/wireless, brand, design, style, and how it fits. I am a person with smaller ears, so I don’t need massive headphones to fit over my ears. However, if they fit too tight, it will give me headaches, which causes me to lose productivity in my work. These are things you need to consider so your headset does its job effectively, and you get the best quality for your money.
Monday Road Map has a comprehensive list of some of the best headsets for transcriptionists. This list outlines reviews, functions, pros, and cons. Take a look at that list here.
Foot Pedals
Foot pedals are a tool that is not necessary, but is highly recommended. However, foot pedals provide comfort and ease that you wouldn’t get otherwise. Getting work done faster, more efficiently, and in a more comfortable manner allows you the time to take on more work, and make more money. Speed and efficiency are the name of the game.
Tips for choosing the right one
Foot pedals come in all shapes and sizes. It’s important to consider a variety of factors before investing your money in one. Foot pedals are used by more than just court reporters, scopists, and transcriptionists. This is a music and gaming market as well. So, make sure when picking your foot pedal that you choose one specifically designed for your needs. This will also determine the layout and design of the foot pedal to make sure it accomplishes your specific functions.
Think about connectivity. You need a foot pedal that has the right adaptivity to plug into your computer or other device. Decide if you want USB, or wireless. Look at the capability of your machine and setup before deciding what type of foot pedal will be the most compatible. This includes hardware and software.
You may also want to invest your money in a more high-end foot pedal that allows you to customize the functions. You may be able to change your foot pedal to match preferences and keystrokes. This is all based on your specific needs, and how much you’re willing to pay for a foot pedal.
Flawless Transcription offers their opinion on the best foot pedal for transcriptionists that you may be interested in reading. And Monday Road Map offers four potential foot pedals that may meet your needs.
Ergonomic Keyboards
I will never stop preaching the importance of ergonomics, especially when it comes to keyboards. Studies show that ergonomic keyboards can reduce your risk of and prevent carpal tunnel. When you work a significant amount of time at your desk, typing on your computer, you need to be thinking about how to avoid long-term injuries.
Tips for choosing the right one
Ergonomics is only one factor that contributes to which keyboard you choose. You also need to be thinking about things like size, shape, key width/depth, noiseless, wired/wireless, and your machine compatibility. There is no right or wrong answer to deciding which keyboard is right for you. There are even a myriad of different types of ergonomic keyboards you may want to check out. Don’t overthink it, and don’t pick the first one you see. Think about your specific needs, wants, and abilities, and what kind of keyboard you think will make the best fit for you.
Here is a list of some of the best ergonomic keyboards of 2024. Here is a list from the New York Times about some of the best keyboards for typing, which dives into compatibility with your machine, as well as the different options for size and layout. And finally, here is a recommended list of keyboards best suited for transcriptionists. This list breaks down the keyboard that best fits your needs in terms of price, accommodating high typing speeds, and keyboard shape.
Places to buy
If you follow the links from the sections above, you’ll find that they lead you to similar places when it recommends which keyboards to buy. I personally, do not like buying things off the internet if I don’t have full faith and trust in the website. Therefore, I stick exclusively to a few trusted sites.
Amazon
Surprising absolutely no one, Amazon has a massive selection of all of the aforementioned equipment. Keyboards, headsets, and foot pedals are all available on Amazon at a massive selection of prices. Once you’ve narrowed down the one you want, Amazon almost definitely has it available.
Tech Stores
Similar to Amazon, you can check any trusted tech store or website like Staples, Best Buy, Skull Candy, or Bose when looking for some of this equipment. If you have a local retailer that you know sells the devices you’re looking for, it might be worth your time to go check them out in person. When I bought my headset, I found it was useful to try the headset on and see how it could be adjusted and how it fit my head. I have a big head and little ears, so I need to know I’m not going to be struggling to keep my headset on for hours.
StenoWorks
For Steno writers and foot pedals especially, StenoWorks is a trusted site with a variety of options available. You also have the option of renting, or rent-to-own. On StenoWorks you can also get some refurbished items as well for pretty decent prices.
Stenograph
Stenograph is another trusted site that also offers a variety of new and pre-owned steno writers. You can also sometimes find foot pedals here, but I wouldn’t rely on Stenograph for those accessories.
Facebook Court Reporters Forum
When you’re looking for refurbished and second-hand steno writers specifically, you can also look to this court reporter’s forum on Facebook. They sometimes have options available when reporters are moving on to a new machine.
For computers
If I were to list every possible place you could buy a computer in Canada and the United States, I don’t think I’d ever finish this post. When you are looking for a computer, new or used, make sure you’re using trusted retailers. Narrow down which computer you want to buy, or the specifications you need, and either go in person to a trusted retailer or check out the websites of that name brand. Apple, Microsoft, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Asus, are all trusted names in the computer industry. But do your due diligence and don’t jump on the first deal you see if you can’t verify the legitimacy of a website.
Reviews, Reviews, Reviews!
Check the reviews! It may seem like an obvious piece of advice, but you have no idea how helpful it can be, especially if you are buying online. If you’re looking for specific functionality, you are going to want to check the reviews from people who actually used that device for the functions you desire. Some retailers will advertise their product as having the ability to do certain functions, and in reality, their product cannot meet the needs demanded of it.
If you are buying second-hand, ask the original owner if it has the functions you need, how it worked, and what their experience was like with that product. Oftentimes, people are not selling products because they are defective, but simply because they are upgrading their own equipment.
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It can be overwhelming to find good and affordable equipment that meets your needs. I hope this post helped you figure out how to make an informed decision and lead you to the right places for your purchases. If you liked this post, please leave a comment down below and check back for a new post on the Next Step Scopist blog!
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