New writer recommendations for Case Catalyst 9

[Margaret Lesh]

Hi, everyone,

My good old Stentura 8000 (and I mean old) is looking like it's on its last legs. Before my depo started today, I couldn't get it to feed to the computer for realtime. Tried my old cable and that didn't work either. So I'm pretty sure I need a new machine and I've been thinking about the Mira, but do any of you have any suggestions or recommendations?

My videographer today talked about the Lightspeed. I don't know anything about it but have started reading up on it. I'm nervous. It sounds intriguing, but I need something right away and don't know enough about it. Any info would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance,
Margaret Lesh

Spread the joy!

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

I use and love the Cybra. If you're using a laptop, you don't need any bells & whistles on a writer. I have audiosynch and always use a digital recorder as a second backup in case you can't connect, which never happens but it could happen. and I bring with me a backup digital recorder too just in case. get a cybra. LightSpeed is great too. I have one. There is a learning curve and I haven't taken the time yet but I will.

[Margaret Lesh]

Thanks for getting back to me, Marge. I'm seriously thinking about the LightSpeed. I have elbow and forearm issues and think it might be a good choice for me for the long run.

[S. Arielle]

The Mira is fabulous == best thing I ever did by buying that. My writing came up so beautiful in realtime and my hands and wrists don't hurt. The touch is very soft.....hardly feels like you are writing on a machine compare to the Stentura 8000.

I wrote 699 pages one day, from 8 am to 10:30 pm and my hands didn't even hurt. Now, that's an amazing machine.

[Margaret Lesh]

Thanks, Arielle.

Wow, 699 pages in one day? I'd want to retire after a day like that.

[S. Arielle]

Oh, that was a crazy day...it was a 3 day hearing and everybody had other plans for the next day, so we had to finish that day. And crazy me, picked up a job for the next day also.....so I was exhausted the next day.....but I made a lot of money for those 3 days :)

[Margaret Lesh]

Now that's just crazy, girl! I would have fallen over the next day!

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

http://www.stenovations.com/lightspeed/

Anything Johnny Jackson is involvevd with is GREAT.

[Patricia Harris Vernon]

I have had the Mira since it went on the market. It is really a great machine. I have problems with my right wrist hurting after a full day because my stretch between that little finger and the thumb are not big enough with also hitting the T/S key on the RS. It does have a really light touch, but nothing compared to the Lightspeed, which I purchased about 3 weeks ago. I'm already writing RT on it, and love, love, love the touch. It is correct there is/are adjustment in your own method of touching the keys instead of pressing the keys. But I'm a very light toucher and not a pounder. Those that seem to have problems more are the ones that have a lot of hand movement when writing. There is a 90-day trial period with the Lightspeed, although there would be a $300 turn-in fee. I have absolutely NO pain in arms or wrists or shoulders with the LS. It is soooo very light to carry, too. I use CC9. The only real problem I have had is a disconnect during RT, and I think that was caused once because I moved the LS and caused a disconnect with the cord coming slightly loose on the connection at the writer end. The other RT crash was caused when I was typing too fast inserting a fix on the fly and caused the keyboard on remote keyboard to jamb. I type 140 wpm on the computer...so it's been operator error for me. It did take some adjustments to not press the keys and just touch them. I acclimated myself by using it on my more simple jobs that weren't RT first. It makes it harder if you try to switch back and forth between the machines because of training your brain on the finger pressures. GOOD LUCK!

[Margaret Lesh]

Hi, Patricia,
I'm about to make the call to order a Lightspeed (fingers crossed), I've heard so many good things about it and I really like the idea of it being easier on the hands and wrist because that's definitely a problem for me. I think I can adjust to it (I've been reporting since '87).

I'm trying to decide what color to get.

When you had your disconnect problems, was it a big deal to reconnect? The reason I need a new writer is my old one has been giving me problems with connecting for realtime so I'm a little nervous about that.

Thanks for the info!

[Patricia Harris Vernon]

No, not at all. I maybe overkilled the process, but I just turned off the LS, unplugged it completely, replugged to computer first, turned on the LS, then plugged into LS. Started another file because I use CC9 with audiosync. All took about 2 mins to do. I didn't restart the CC9 when I did this. I have been more careful with waving the little thing around in movements now. I really enjoy not having wrist pain. I've been reporting since '79...stone ages before computers.