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I need/want to learn Instant Text - CMT

Posted: Jan 29, 2013

I have never used anything but QuickCorrect and now AutoCorrect as an expander along with AutoText for larger saves. I'm thinking I need/want to learn Instant Text now. Is it hard to learn? Will I love it once I learn it? Does it significantly increase production? I guess I'm just looking for pros and cons, if there are any cons. Thanks in advance!

Instant Text - me

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I have this and seems very complicated, but I do not have much time to spend and switched to Speed Type. They have entire forums for Instant Text, and I did not like it when I tried to transition to it. To each their own though...

Same here, had a trial for a while and gave up. - Autocorrect-type expanders for me

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Now if I was just starting out, I think I wish I had done IT from the beginning, but I'm too set in my ways now with having my own system for creating expansions. Also, I wonder how useful it would be with VR editing? Maybe the macro-type functions would be helpful, but I can make those in other ways.

I use it a great deal - Ayn

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I use InstantText very heavily, and I like it. I came from AutoText/AutoCorrect to InstantText. I never liked AutoText/AutoCorrect much. InstantText just makes more sense to my brain. I did not find it hard to learn. I use it at work, and they did not purchase a package with all of the features included, but I ended up purchasing it for myself for home/personal use. I would say that if you have the full version and utilize the full features, it is wonderful!

I did not find it particularly hard to learn once I got going on it and got my own entries entered into it. It did take me some time to build my own library. However, during that time of learning it and building my own library of entries, it did not slow me down at all. I remained at my usual speed and slowly increased. I don't think it made a drastic change in my production, but I would say it definitely helped and it is just more user friendly for me.

All that said, right now I am working straight transcription and no speech wreck. As poster above mentioned, with speech wreck/editing, I'm not sure any text expansion program is going to be as effective. Not that it is a bad thing or a useless thing, but maybe just not as useful. I can't say for sure as I haven't started speech/editing yet, but I can see where it would be less effective in that application.

I believe you can go to the Instant Text website and download a "trial." I would suggest giving it a try and seeing for yourself if it is something you would find helpful.

I had purchased the full version several years ago - due to everybody saying how great it was

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I hated it from the minute it was installed on my computer. It has a system that "docks" with your Word program, mostly at the bottom of the screen, but i guess you can put it wherever you want to, although I never got that far with it. It has its own prebuilt "library" of commonly used medical words and abbreviations. Whenever you start to type a word that may be in their "library", the bottom portion opens up and you are given a multiple choice of listings of various versions of whatever you were trying to type, and you choose which multiple choice you want...a, b, c, etc. You can add your own words and phrases to this library as well. to me, I found the whole system to be cumbersome and slow, and ANNOYING! I could type on my own far faster than having to choose which version of whatever word I was trying to type in the first place. I hated it. still hate it, and the whole CD program just got tossed into the garbage, along with my other useless programs and no longer up to date programs that were clogging up my cabinet space. It was $200 just thrown out the window. I felt it was a useless program, hindered my work production, and was NOT worth what it cost. I now use Shorthand for Windows v.10 and love it. I wish you luck in your choice, but I would not recommend IT to anyone. JMO.

Tried it years ago...SM - Old Anon

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I hated it right away. I was used to PRD and autocorrect-type expanders. The company gave me a refund after I signed off that I had deleted it from my PC. I now use SpeedType.

CMT, Shorthand/SpeedType has a very short learning - curve and is infinitely better than

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AutoCorrect. Promise! I chose it originally because at that time I could use the non-letter characters in short forms in SH and couldn't in IT.

IT's great, too. It'll make entries for you, based on what it sees you type repetitively--a very considerable benefit. It took me years to build mine, so if I were starting now I'd probably choose IT for that feature (even though now I'd never give up SH and my custom ones for IT); but if you don't want to invest a bit more time getting up to speed, at least dump that mickey-mouse little AC for Shorthand. Both it and IT are for pros.

HOWEVER, I understand a separate program (don't remember the name) can be used to build dictionaries for SH/ST, should you wish to later on.

As for getting faster? On accounts I'm familiar with, so have shorts for all the names and usual phrases, etc., it doubles my typing speed. You know, your WPM x2? Which is why I'm always surprised to learn some people aren't using one.

BTW, that "annoying" window you're supposed to choose words from for the expander to type? SH/ST's can be open or closed, so I imagine IT's can too. I made all my shorts to patterns so I only have to remember the pattern to know what the short will be. (Pronouns, connecting verbs, etc., are given the shortest abbreviations, though, not even long enough to have a pattern, because they're so common, so h is her, k is she, wb is will be, etc.) Mine's always closed so my eyes can keep scanning the page without distraction. The most commonly used shorts (hundreds of them) become muscle memory after a while, anyway. You don't think about them any more than you wonder where the M key is.

Enjoy.

LOVE IT - had no problem learing

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I have been using Instant text for years, and have no problem with it. I did not think it was hard to learn at all. The fact that you can have many entries of the same shortcut name is a plus and you can put them in the order of importance according to your need on that particular account. I also like the fact that it saves all formating (tabs, bold) with each template you create is nice too. I would get the trial and play around with it. It really was not that bad. If you have a problem learning, feel free to ask for help. Best $200 I spent.

IT - Thank you all sooo very much for your input!!! nm - CMT

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Instant Text 7 ripoff - S99

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Instant Text is a good program, and I have used it for years. That being said, it's not worth the price or the new "downloading" scam they have going.

If you pay $189 to download IT PRO 7 - they will not give you a disk to ever reload the program or a software key. You get a ONE-TIME activation code period. If your system crashes you are SOL and have to BUY the program AGAIN. Now, that's pretty lame. If it works for a week and you need to reinstall - too bad, so sad, you have to buy the program again. Their stance on it is - you are not actually "purchasing" their software, but rather "renting it."

They said it was because they had so much pirating. I said, "Well if it wasn't so cost prohibitive people would pay you for it. If you sold it for $49 more people would pay you, but here's what you can know - I've bought 3 versions of your program. I am offended that you want to treat me like a software pirate and penalize me for that by stealing from me! If I buy your software I feel I should be able to install it at will, afterall I've paid for that use.

Since it is your company policy to pirate your customers and recharge for something already paid for I will not be purchasing anything else from your company.

AMEN!!! - sickofIT

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I've had the very same experience with them and they were less than friendly. I hate this company and will never purchase IT again.

Did you notice they now have an even bigger rip off? You can purchase different packages now as far as duration, but if I suddenly feel I can't live without the permanent license, the 3 month subscription I just purchased doesn't get deducted...I still have to pay full price.

No thank you IT, your product is okay, but your customer service really, really sucks.

They are just doing it wrong! - S99

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The company putting out Instant Text will learn as they all do - you cannot alienate your customers and expect to continue in business. Customers are what make your company a success.

If they wanted to make more money and prevent pirating the way to do that is to do as the antivirus software makers do - you charge a nominal yearly service agreement and maintain it for a year. You certainly do not overcharge for it, treat your long-term customers like thieving gutter trash and hold them hostage to repurchasing your program when their system crashes.

Until they revamp that, I will not be purchasing anything from them. No way.

Yep...pure arrogance - sm

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Hopefully one day they'll realize they're not the only show in town and start treating their customers with some respect. I stopped using their product years ago and use SmarType now. I've never been happier.

That wasn't my experience - IT Lover

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I downloaded IT Pro 7 and got the key, no problems. I wanted to download it to my other computer, emailed them, they sent me another key, no charge. I have had no problems with it whatsoever. I just keep the original email with the purchase number and give them that number if I need to reload for any reason. I don't understand what has changed. It was a few years ago, so maybe a lot has changed, but that was not my experience with them.

Happy IT user.

IT - Thanks for the additional info on the company as well. nm - CMT

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