BRIDGE (free realtime software for all CAT systems from Advantage)

[Marla Sharp]

I'm very curious about Bridge. I've downloaded it to my computer but haven't had a chance to play with it yet. I think it's just amazing that they've created a free realtime software for everyone.

Has anyone used it? If so, how is it? Is it easy? So any CAT system can use it; it's just that Eclipse is the only software that will refresh the screen after you've made updates, right?

[Marla Sharp]

Elise, the Bridge software is for the attorneys. So it should be loaded onto the attorney's laptop or on a spare laptop you've brought for him. No need for a "bridge" laptop - just yours and the attorney's. You just need to tell your software what com port your outputting from (user settings, realtime tab, add output format, com port setup), then tell Bridge on the atty's laptop which port to receive it from (setup, devices).

[Marla Sharp]

Lauren, the USB-serial adapters are using COM ports. So you have to go into the device manager to see which port your adapter is in, then put that number in the "device" box in user settings in Bridge.

But if I'm reading your post right, you are trying to run Eclipse AND Bridge on your laptop, right? I'm not sure you can do that or why you'd want to. Bridge should be ran on a spare laptop you're giving to an attorney or on the attorney's laptop. You can download it from the Internet or give it to them on a flash drive. If you need more help, let us know. I'm sure someone here can help.

[Lori Byrd]

May I project a couple things here? I was talking to tech support about Bridge a few weeks ago, and they are (as always) planning a major upgrade for the not-too-far future. I am thinking they may have to start charging for the Bridge software someday. I don't blame Eclipse one bit, but I have been SO HAPPY that we reporters can offer this software - I'd like to keep an eye on the progress of these upgrades, and encourage Eclipse to keep a free "basic" version and just charge for the "enhanced" version, when that comes to pass. (Wow, looks like I'm starting a political campaign!) What do you all think about that?

I believe the reason it's not as popular as the paid-for realtime versions is the too-good-to-be-true mentality. Nobody believes it. We do have to market it, I think. I offer it at every opportunity, and carefully explain that I only charge per-page for the output, and NOT for the software. Let's keep realtiming REAL! Lori

[Tim Floury]

Lori, you are so right! I can't tell you how many times Bridge has come in handy. I offer it to every attorney regardless of the software they already have, i.e., LiveNote, Summation, and they usually let me. I took deps Last week Friday and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week on the same case. When I was sent to the first day, my office told me to "bring a realtime cord if you don't have wireless." What the heck does that mean? What's the attorney got? Anything? Well, come to find out, he had nothing and had never used realtime before.

Anyway, prepared as always, I have a travel router and plugged that in, signed on to the router, signed the attorney on to the router, downloaded Bridge to his computer and started it up. Within a couple minutes he was getting a realtime feed wirelessly. He was thrilled to pieces. Each day from then on was less than 30 seconds and we were hooked up and running.

At the end of the last witness, he thanked me for "the technology" and that he'd be calling me for the rest of his work.

Everybody happy: Attorney got all set up for realtime and I got over a thousand pages in 3 1/2 days and a client for life.

Thanks Advantage!!

Tim

[Elise Alvarado]

Tim, what settings did you have to make with the attorney's laptop to have his wireless feature on to pick up Bridge? Were the settings all inside the Bridge program on his laptop, or did you have to mess with XP, Vista?
-Elise

[Marla Sharp]

Tim, please share with the class here how you do it wirelessly. Keith Vincent just touched on this in the ESP Vegas convention. He brings his own router as well. And even if you don't have an Internet connection, you can apparently all sign on to your network (which is just your IP address or something??) through your router, right? Where do you tell Bridge to look for the hookup?

I was going to buy the StenoCast X7 RED, which is $400 plus $100 for each wireless receiver. But if I can do it with a travel router, that sounds cheaper.

By the way, last night I brought my spare netbook (Costco for $350) to this arbitration I've been on and ran Bridge flawlessly. The attorney loved how easy it was to work with. I had had trouble hooking up to them with LiveNote earlier in the arb and found one of my serial-USB adapters was going bad. So instead of bothering them with schlepping a laptop, worrying about it not working, I just brought mine. They were impressed with my effort.

[Debbie]

I have downloaded Bridge on my computer and if I don't have it on a flash drive to load on the attorney's computers, can I use the download version on the Eclipse site?

Also, what if the attorney has LiveNote and I want to use Bridge? Is that possible?

I went into the Bridge software and tried playing with it, but when I click on new, nothing happens.

[Kyung]

Yes. But you still have to download to the attorney's laptop.

Yes, you can use Bridge instead of LiveNote.

[Cindy L.A.]

I use Bridge every day for my judge. I love it.
There are a couple of little things to know. You can only TYPE in, not global, for the judge's computer to see the changes. You will still obviously job global for yourself, but only the first one seems to show up. Speaker ID's don't show up either after the fact, at least not through the whole job file. And you must be on eclipse to do so - with your settings set to Bridge and the standard Bridge/baud output. If another reporter might be coming into my courtroom, I have to be sure to change the Bridge settings on the judge's computer to Caseview to match the Caseview and Caseview/baud output from the reporter who is mostly likely not set to Bridge but Caseview as a default.
Cindy L.A.

[Susan Gunelson]

I have a dual port PCMCIA card for my computer and have been able to simultaneously realtime to Bridge from one port and LiveNote from the other port. I carry the Bridge program on a thumb drive and also drivers to download it to XP, Vista & Windows 98 for the attorney's laptop.

Susan

[Debbie]

Me Again.....I have a real time job on Thursday and the attorney said he would be using Bridge. I have Stenocat software. Is there anything I should know, considering I know nothing, ha, and haven't output to Bridge before.
Wondering what settings will connect my software and the Bridge software. Hope I am making sense.

[Debbie]

Today is my real time job hooking up to the attorney who is using Bridge. I got no replies, boo hoo. I guess I will wing it!