Some of the things that are foremost on our minds as professionals and business people are the cost factors of what this new technology of remote scoping could cost us. No matter how good and how state of the art something is, you still want it to be cost effective for you. We would like to discuss some costs that would be expected to be incurred using remote scoping, and also how you will be actually saving money using this technique to accomplish your ultimate goal of delivering a finished transcript to your client in the fastest, most feasible way possible.
Cost Factors:
Additional Software and Hardware Costs:
PCAnywhere (Windows95)—Approximately $150
LapLink for Windows95—Approximately $130
Close-Up—Approximately $130
Modem (28.8-56K)—Approximately $100-$300
Savings:
The scopist does NOT have to have the same CAT system as the reporter because you are using the reporter s CAT software remotely. As a matter of fact, the scopist does not even have to have *any* CAT system on her computer at all; but, of course, should know how to use the reporter's CAT system, since that will be what they are working with.
No travel time or expense to and from the courthouse or deposition site.
(No pantyhose required, either!)
If you are remote scoping with someone in the same town, it will not
cost anything for the phone call. If you are modeming long distance, however, there are many services that offer a 10-cent-a-minute rate,
24 hours a day. So, for example, if you are taking six hours of
testimony, the most it will cost you is $6 an hour or $36 for the day.
That certainly is a lot cheaper than having your scopist fly out and having to pay for accommodations, etc., or taking up the time of one of your other reporters.
The following are some frequently asked questions:
Q. Do I need to have more than 8 megs of memory on my computer?
A. No. If you are using a DOS program or Windows 3.1 for connecting,
8 megs is sufficient.
But if you are using Windows95, 16 to 64 megs of ram is recommended.
Q. Do I need to be on Windows95?
A. No, because there are DOS versions of the remote control software available.
Q. Do we each have to have the same CAT system on our computers?
A. No. That is one of the big advantages of remote scoping.
Q. What if the lawyers also want a laptop set up for them while we're doing the remote realtime?
A. That can be a little tricky, depending on how many com ports the reporter's computer will support. Obviously, you will need a minimum of two serial ports to do remote scoping. If you are hooking up attorneys, you will need at least one additional serial port and/or a digital sharing device or multi-line block.
Q. Can I hook up if I'm on Windows95 and my reporter is in DOS or Windows3.1?
A. It depends on whether the Windows95 version of the remote control software is compatible with a DOS version of the same product.
