Stenotype

A stenotype or shorthand machine is a specialized keyboard or typewriter used by stenographers for shorthand use. A trained court reporter or closed captioner can type speeds of approximately 225 words per minute at very high accuracy. Many users of this keyboard can even reach 300 words per minute.

Related Topics:
Keyboard - Typewriter - Stenographers - Shorthand - Court reporter - Closed captioner

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The keyboard looks more like a compact piano than a regular keyboard. Multiple keys are pressed simultaneously (known as "chording") to spell out whole syllables, words, and phrases with a single hand motion. This system makes realtime transcription practical for court reporting and live closed captioning.

Related Topics:
Piano - Syllable - Court reporting - Closed captioning

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The first stenotype machine was built in 1868. An American stenotype machine was patented in 1879 by Miles M. Bartholomew. A French version was created by Marc Grandjean in 1909.

Related Topics:
Miles M. Bartholomew - Marc Grandjean - 1909

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Most modern stenotype keyboards have more in common with computers than they do with typewriters or QWERTY computer keyboards. Most contain microprocessors, and many allow sensitivity adjustments for each individual key. They translate stenotype to English internally using user-specific dictionaries, and most have LCD displays. They typically store a full day's work in non-volatile memory of some type, such as RAM, diskette, or flash card. These factors influence the price, along with economies of scale, as there are only a few thousand stenotype keyboards sold each year. Top-end models sell for approximately US$4,000 each.

Related Topics:
QWERTY - Economies of scale

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