Brand New and Curious- The Uni vs. Steno/CART Machine

[Emma K. Thorp]

Hi all!

got into steno a few months back and ordered a Uni to practice and learn on. Now I'm a little worried as my long-term goal is to be able to work in the field doing live transcription and hopefully working remote. Would love any general advice, altho specifically- did I mistake investing in the Uni? Will it be hard to switch? I wanted something affordable to learn theory and the basic "alphabet" but worried I should have started w/ an actual machine. Can I use the Uni long-term, especially if I never want to actually be in-person, or will it hinder me?

Sorry if these are dumb questions- I'm really just now getting into it! 

[jo...@qualdan.com]

You'll be fine. Think of it like switching from a regular keyboard to some fancy curved ergonomic one. The first time you switch it'll take a few hours to a few days for your fingers to get used to the new positions, but once you get used to both you'll probably be able to switch back and forth at will. The biggest difference is that the Uni has the thumb number button, while a traditional machine has a number bar above all the other keys. But I think it's easier to switch from the thumb numbers to a traditional machine than the other way around.

--Josh