Far From Shorthanded

Time again for the Eclipse Software Professionals (ESP) Network convention. This annual event is pretty exciting and informative stuff for the court reporter community. Before I tell you about the convention, though, what exactly is a court reporter?

Often called "the silent man (or woman) in the court room," court reporters are the professionals in charge of quickly and accurately recording everything said during a court proceeding. Their documentation is the official word. Sometimes called Stenographers (after the brand of machine), their documentation is recorded using a machine called the shorthand writer or stenotype.

The shorthand writer has been the tool of court reporters for decades, as well as for CART and closed captioning services (any time you've ever watched a live TV event with captions, like sports for instance, you were likely reading the work of a stenographer). In the right hands, these complex machines produce the quickest human-generated recordings in the world via shorthand abbreviation and codes. The shorthand writer simultaneously resembles an electronic typewriter and a set of piano keys, and they create words and phrases from hotkeys and "chords" of simultaneous keystrokes.

 

Mastering the shorthand machine also means mastering the way reporters mentally process speech. Court reporters need to record words and gestures just as quickly as people speak. It takes most people years of training before they're able to pass certification tests, the minimum of which require 225 words-per-minute (WPM). More experienced users can achieve even more amazing speeds in the 260-300+ WPM range. It's said that the equivalent typing speed using a standard QWERTY keyboard would only produce about 60 WPM with the same amount of keystrokes, so it's easy to see why the shorthand writer is so well respected.

I know, that's a lot of information about stenography. Maybe more than you needed, but I find this stuff pretty fascinating. The career can be closely compared to professional language translators, only in a legally official capacity, and all the while they're working with machines which are so complex, they're literally allowing humans to encode phrases in a different language. Learning and maintaining that skill takes some strong dedication and constant upkeep.

...which leads me back to the ESP Network convention! Many virtuosos of this craft use Eclipse software, and the ESP Network convention is an annual training expo where both new and experienced users go to brush up and chat with fellow stenographers.

The software itself records audio and synchronizes it with the shorthand documentation while it's typed on the machine. It then translates the shorthand to whole phrases in real-time, so the conversation can be checked and referenced immediately by others (like while in the middle of a court case). Very useful stuff.

The catch with this is that Eclipse is a Windows-only program. I know what you're wondering: "can it be used in a Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac virtual machine to run within Mac OS X?"

Why, yes... yes it can.

Like so many applications, Eclipse runs just as well within Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac as it does on a normal Windows PC. Our SmartMount feature even allows a virtual machine to automatically recognize the USB device that stenotypes use as a security key, then automatically connect it to Windows when it's plugged in.

For Eclipse users who love their Macs, Parallels' own David Spackman will be attending the ESP Network convention in Las Vegas this weekend (May 29, 30 & 31) and presenting alongside Mr. Keith Vincent. David will also be at Booth #4; he'll have some box copies of Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac to give away, and it will be a great opportunity to learn about the additional ways virtualization can benefit Mac users in the legal profession.

And now, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I shall reproduce this entire blog in machine shorthand:

     P   R               L  T

  A      

  P          F   B    L

KP                      L

SK                           T

... just kidding. I have no clue what that says.

Happy Anniversary Windows 3.0!

Oh Windows 3.0, I hardly knew ye.

Actually... I didn't know ye at all. When Windows 3.0 released in 1990, I was still rocking Zug the Megasaurus on my Tandy 1000, which used MS DOS Shell. Those were good times... spelling words like "Pteranodon", drawing pictures in 16 colors, and making the computer repeat swear words with its text-to-speech capabilities.

Getting to the point of this blog: today, May 22nd is the 19th anniversary of the Windows 3.0 launch! Its successor, Windows 3.1, happens to be the earliest version of Windows able to run within a Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac virtual machine. Not too shabby for legacy support, right?

This event urges computer users across the world to stop what they're doing and wonder for a moment about what our lives would be like had Windows 3.0 never launched at all. For one thing, panda bears would no doubt rule the skies, leaving the Human race confined to Earth's caverns. We'd all look a bit like Gollum from Lord of the Rings. That's just how alternate realities work: the smallest difference (like a harmless OS release) can dramatically change the outcome of the future. On the plus side, I'm thinking there would be a whole lot more Macs floating around instead of PCs.

And I mean literally floating around. To battle the pandas, our scientists would need to develop anti-gravity devices instead of silly things, like segways and digital cameras, which for the most part perform horribly in caves.

That's not how things turned out, obviously, but the next time some PC user raises an eyebrow at you and your MacBook, remind him or her of the terrible price Mac users paid to keep the pandas at bay... then go ahead and show off how much more flexible a Mac running multiple operating systems can be, running not just OS X but Windows and Linux as well... at the same time! Quite impressive, compared to their oh-so-fragile and limited netbooks (wouldn't shield against the force of a panda attack even if you had two of them stacked on top of each other).

Parallels Bulletin on Latest Mac Update

We just wanted to let Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac users know that they can update to Apple’s new release – 10.5.7 for all Macs with OS X (10.5 Leopard) – in safety.  Some may have been concerned by reports that VMware is encouraging certain Fusion users to not update their computers as it may result in "slow performance, ...incorrect rendering, and even crashes, when you run your 3D applications." 

To make certain our users are not vulnerable to similar problems, we tested 3D applications using Fusion and the new Apple update and unfortunately experienced the crashes and artifacts in the rendering they warn of.  We ran the same tests using Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac with no such problems.  We've tested multiple systems, double-checking this scenario, and everything is spot on. 

If for some reason you prefer not to use Apple Software Updater, the 10.5.7 update can be found HERE, along with the release and change notes.

If you do experience any problems of any kind with 3D graphics, be they related to the update or not, please do let us know – we’re committed to delivering the best possible 3D graphics rendering possible in a virtual machine and all feedback helps us with that.

All in the Family

I wish my family had multiple Macs while I was growing up. Alas, it was not meant to be. I think my Mom used an abacus for figuring out the bills. Not exactly tech savvy. By the way, happy late Mother's Day, Mom (I'll print and mail this to her later)!

For cool families, however, Parallels is happy to offer the Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac 3-user Family Pack! Many parents out there love how Macs bring the family together, and this package deal is perfect for that. With Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac, everyone in the house can equip their Macs with the flexibility to run both the Mac and Windows software that's important to them.

That means “the folks” can utilize the office software they need, like Microsoft Outlook, little Lindsey can play Half-Life 2 Deathmatch and Grandpa can post on the UFO abductees anonymous forums using whatever Internet browser he trusts the most.

The Family Pack offers a $40 saving from the normal price of buying 3 separate products. The official promo page is HERE. Introduce a little harmony to the household while saving a few bucks in the process. It means you can improve your wonderful Macs, get that science project out of the way, and still afford the extra-large popcorn on movie night (I hear the new Star Trek is good).

Apple Eats Bird

You'll never believe this, but I found another rumor on the Internet. Gasp! Do you need a moment? No? Then I shall continue:

Apple plans to buy Twitter, or so this rumor went, for $700 million dollars. Twitter, the popular social networking tool, has been the target of quite a few of these stories lately, including supposed purchase offers from both Google and Facebook. All these big companies want to give us the bird, but Biz Stone and Evan Williams, the co-founders of Twitter, have already laid the latest gossip to rest, stating during an interview on The View: "No. We are not for sale." Once again, Barbara Walters shines truth where before there were only dark whispers and deceit.

You have to hand it to the two gentlemen for holding on to their baby, especially when in many people's opinions Twitter itself has very few options for ever generating a decent income. Does that matter? Well, surely Twitter requires money to keep operational, and even with private investors they must eventually expect some kind of return. More than once I've heard people comment how Twitter needs some kind of "exit strategy" as if they're in dire need of some sort of escape.

Imagine you had a great invention you thought would change the way people communicated across the Internet, but the more it grew, the harder it was to control. Would you hand the stick over to someone you didn't know, who had more resources, or would you hang on to your original ideals and go down with the ship?

I give them more credit than that, of course. These guys were smart enough to make Twitter the beast it is today without any large corporation stepping in, and I don't doubt for a second that they have their own plans to keep Twitter going strong in the future. Aside from a few server hiccups due to the ever-increasing mass of accounts, everything is hunky dory. In fact, Twitter continues to improve their service! As of yesterday, the e-mail notifications you get will show the pictures for your new followers, plus the number of followers your new followers have, and how many people your new follower follows... I wonder how they’ll follow that.

Now come follow us.

New Windows 7 RC on Parallels Desktop for Mac

The Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) was released yesterday. Because it's shiny and new, and I knew a bunch of people would be wondering about it, I gave the new build a test run of my own within Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac (build 3810). Installation was smooth, not much to say. Windows 7 RC started up, Parallels Tools were installed and after a reboot we commenced with what I like to call "Good Time Happy Fun Installation & Test phase" (or GTHFIT phase for short).

 Notice the excellent wallpaper? It's included with Windows 7, and chosen in this case for its capacity to horrify select coworkers of mine.

GTHFIT phase began by installing and setting up a few of my favorite Windows programs, including Google Chrome, Windows Media Player (which of course comes with Windows 7) and a game or two. For those interested in playing Mevo and the Grooveriders while listening to Gorillaz and studying a map of Figi, here's what that experience would look like:

 Google Chrome, Mevo and the Grooveriders and Windows Media Player

Overall, Windows 7 RC ran very well. Everything looks nice, and I personally like the minimalist feel Windows 7 brings by representing open programs in the taskbar with just their icons, plus the ability to drag the order they appear on the taskbar (as if they were tabs in an Internet browser). I've got to say, I’m fairly psyched about the retail release.

The only snag I ran into with the entire process was an unrecognized sound source. It's funny because I had nearly the same experience at home on one of my PCs, natively running Windows 7 beta, trying to use my Creative X-Fi sound card. While I wasn't able to work that out at home, we have found a solution for use in Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac. There's an Intel sound driver which is compatible, and Windows 7 RC recognizes it, so hopefully this helps anyone who runs into a similar issue:

Intel 82801BA/BAM AC’97 audio driver

Update #1: Many AC’97 based drivers seem to work. For those unable to find this or another suitable driver, Parallels e-mail support can provide you with one.

Update #2: It looks like Microsoft has included a compatible AC’97 driver in one of their updates. Make sure you look under “optional” downloads in Windows Updater.

We're officially leaving Windows 7 compatibility in "experimental" status for the time being, so keep that in mind when installing it in Parallels Desktop for Mac. Have comments or questions? Just reply to this blog post, feedback is appreciated!

Beta, Beta, Best for Windows 7 Virtualization

Occasionally people tell us that this blog can be too focussed on Macs so here’s a little something for the PC users out there (we hear there are still a few of you around!)...

Parallels has opened the sign up for the beta test of its virtualization-based Windows 7 migration and integration solution.  There’s lots of buzz around Microsoft’s upcoming operating system, probably because the reports from early beta testers are that it’s "what Vista should have been."  That said, experts predict that many users who upgrade will encounter compatibility issues preventing them from running popular existing applications like Roxio 2009, AOL Instant Messenger and many custom business applications.  

Parallels is addressing this compatibility challenge with a fantastically exciting new product that leverages our high performance adaptive hypervisor, as well as our award-winning, patent-pending technologies such as Coherence and SmartSelect: innovations that enable our users to seamlessly run differing OSs and their applications side-by-side. Customers will benefit from our recognized industry-leading capabilities in 3D graphic support, USB compatibility and unmatched performance. The solution also integrates Parallels’ easy-to-use migration tools, such as Parallels Transporter, allowing users to quickly transfer applications and data from older Windows operating systems such as Windows 2000, XP or Vista to a new Windows 7 machine.

For more information on the beta program, or to sign up, go here.