Are palantypists becoming extinct?

Most people have never even heard the word palantypist, so it’s a fair question to ask if they’ll still be around a decade from now.

What is a palantypist?

A Palantype is a British patented machine used to mechanically record speech in real-time by an operator, referred to as a “Palantypist”. It’s basically the British version of the stenograph – Palantype is actually a trademarked name.

A stenographer and a palantypist do the same thing but in slightly different ways; the only difference is the machine they use.

Stenographers and Palantypists

A stenograph machine is an American invention, which is probably why you’ve heard of it, while a Palantype is the British version which isn’t as common.

Both machines are very similar, but each has its own slight advantages over the other.

The biggest advantage of a stenograph is its popularity. There are many places you can find if you want to learn how to use a stenograph, but the Palantype is hardly taught now and machines are becoming less and less popular.

Speed-wise they are both the same under skilled and experienced fingers, but for simplicity, the stenograph has fewer keys – but that means the Palantype has few conflicts and is easier to learn.

Both machines use electronic shorthand keyboard software which is linked to a computer. The computer then converts the shorthand into their proper words.

Using either of these machines is not like typing on a regular keyboard. Keys can be pressed at the same time to give different words, and typically they are both at least twice as fast as a standard QWERTY keyboard, with some experienced Speech-To-Text-Reporters (STTRs) writing up to 180 words per minute.

While STTRs are typically associated with courtrooms, they can be used in a variety of situations, such as live captioning and academic settings.

So is the palantypist going extinct?

In all honesty, yes, probably.

While there are a few dedicated groups of palantypists left, unfortunately the stenograph has taken over.

Palantype machines are no longer made, unless they’re bespoke orders, and it’s difficult to find somewhere to learn how to use them even if you have one.

But, at the end of the day, all that matters is recording speech accurately and at speed, so stenographers are carrying the torch for the old-timers.

If you would like to hire a palantypist or a stenographer, then please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We have spent years building up a team of experts who meet the highest standards set by the appropriate registration bodies.

We take great pride in the fact our stenographers have an almost 100% accuracy rating. We’re so confident in their skills, we offer a no-quibble 100% money-back guarantee.