Court reporters' machines - how do they work? (1 Viewer)

[Jon_Are]

This had bugged me for years, every time I see a courtroom scene in a film.

There are always shots of the court stenographer pounding away on a little machine that can't have no more than a dozen or so keys.

What's the deal with so few keys, and how can that work?

(or are there actually 26 keys? I dunno, it sure doesn't seem so)

Jon

 

[MartinTeller]

As usual, The Straight Dope has the answer:

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcourtre.html

 

[Francois Caron]

Another site with some legal background.

http://www.depo.com/sklo.htm

And another.

http://liad.gbrownc.on.ca/crtrpt/aboutthe.htm