Eclipse vs. Case Catalyst????

[Dawn Davila]

Hi Everyone.....I'm sure all the Eclipse users love their software and so do the Case Catalyst users, but those darn sales people are way too good! They keep confusing me. I am going to upgrade and switch over from Open Stenocat and am in need of some first-hand advice from others who have made the move from one software to another, especially from Stenocat to Eclipse and Case and how easy the transition was, also if you switched from/to Eclipse and Case and the reasons why and your experience, love it or hate it. Anyway, ALL comments would be greatly appreciated.

[Dawn Davila]

Thanks for taking the time to leave comments!

[Alice Clark]

I love Eclipse, and changed from Cheetah to Eclipse probably four years ago. All CAT software is complex these days, so expect to feel brain numb the first day you train. It shouldn't take a lot more than one or two jobs before you will be pretty much back to up and running. I would recommend sitting down with a reporter friend, one at a time, on each system you are considering, and having them show you what they like about the software. Pick reporters who really like their software. I say this because you have to have learned enough about your software that it's working well for you. Otherwise, you could be hating it because of not understanding some aspects of the way it functions. It's also of great help to have a reporter friend on the latest release of what you but to answer quick questions. Eclipse support is great. It does get backed up sometimes. They can put you to the top of the queue for a good reason, like you are on a job and need a question answered or you're brand new and you're having a problem you can't work around. I started a users group just so in our area we can get together a few times a year on a Saturday and work on an aspect of the program I haven't yet taken advantage of. That's been really useful. Good luck in your choice!

[Dawn Davila]

I'll see what I can do to get them to agree to a video and let you know. Thanks for the comments.

[Glen Warner]

Dawn --

Good idea ...!

I am working on something similar for ol' http://www.cheapandsleazy.net called "Cat Wars," where I plan to have working reporters tell prospective buyers why they use the CAT software they use. Unfortunately, despite the crappy economy, both my Eclipse writer and my Case Catalyst writer have been very busy of late ... and Mark Kislingbury, who will be writing the digitalCAT piece, has this little venture called "Magnum Steno, which, I hear, keeps him very busy as well!

I don't suppose you'll be able to video your demo ....? That would be great to see ... and I'd love to host it on ol' Cheap and Sleazy!!

--gdw
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"For a Good (steno) Time ...."
http://www.cheapandsleazy.net

[Dawn Davila]

Thanks for your comments. Let me know how you like Eclipse in comparison to Case. That's the kind of feedback I'm looking for, someone who has experience with both.

[J Leone]

I use Case on the job. I am not a big fan of it. I never actually used Eclipse but have read the documentation and have seen it used at a local school. I love Eclipse. I am buying it for my personal use. It looks better works better and the support is great. Case's online help is the pits. So I would go with Eclipse. I would say Case is like a real nice Ford and Eclipse is more like a Camaro convertible . Happy motoring!!!

[Dawn Davila]

Thanks for the info. I checked out the discussion and there was really no conclusion! Think I'll set up a demo side by side and let the gloves fly!

[Glen Warner]

Dawn --

Not sure, but I think there's a similar discussion going on in the Software section over on Depoman.com. Hopefully, though, that thread wasn't started by you! :o)

--gdw
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"For a Good (steno) Time ...."
http://www.cheapandsleazy.net