Eclipse or Case CATalyst? That is the question. I've been on E for quite a while, but I wanted to give CC a look so I could make sure I'm on the best software for me. I had a few issues with E, and at the same time was hearing interesting things about CC, and then a friend of mine also converted and had good things to say, so I ponied up and bought it.

After going through the built-in training and paying for an additional several hours of personal training, I really liked what I saw! CC has a much more logical--to me--user interface. Also, except for the process of assigning speakers and accessing dictionary entries, the CC basic features seem to come more naturally to me. Also, I love the fact that CC is so close to offering refreshable realtime on iPads, which I'm seeing more and more attorneys bring to jobs.

But fast-forward to realtime features. They are very different between the two software programs, and I'm finding I much prefer E's! Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please, but here's my experience:

In E, I can edit from the writer via macro commands to make globals IN BETWEEN taking down testimony. In other words, if the speakers start speaking again but I haven't yet completed my global (say I'm in the middle of fingerspelling some long specialized term on a realtime job), I just switch to taking down the proceedings and I lose no progress with my global. At the same time I'm taking down proceedings, my global dialog stays open, awaiting my next command. Then at the next breath the speaker takes, I finish my global and get back to taking down proceedings. So I can just switch back and forth seamlessly between proceedings and globaling, both functions being done from my writer.

In CC, if I'm editing from my writer and I'm in the middle of a global and the proceedings start up again, I have to actively escape from the global and get back to taking down what they're saying. I lose any progress I had made in the global and have to start over at the next pause, hoping/gambling that pause is long enough for me to complete my global.

Alternatively, I could edit from the keyboard and, with split screen, keep alive whatever progress I've made in a global. But that's only possible with editing from the keyboard. It's not possible with editing from the writer. To me, editing from the writer is hugely preferable because your hands are already there. There's no movement or time wasted in switching from the writer keyboard to the laptop or portable keyboard.

I would love for CC to offer this!