My question is two-part. First, what is the name of that thingy that court reporters use to type transcripts? Secondly, how does it work with only five or so keys? Anyone who could explain this strange appliance to me would be very helpful.
my understanding is that the person is a stenographer, the machine is a stenotype, and it’s a method of shorthand.
And you can learn stenography here.
http://www.courtreportingonline.com/training_kit.html
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Board, jconklin. Here’s a member of the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board, SDStaffVeg, on How does a court reporter machine work?. Please remember to check the archives before asking a question.
And court stenographers make GOOD money, too. If you ever get a chance to take the training, go for it, and stick with it. Then you can have your pick of jobs.
The really big money is in the transcribing.
So, how much do court stenographers make?