Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:24979 comp.society.futures:896
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!pacbell!ames!ncar!gatech!ncsuvx!ece-csc!jnh
From: jnh@ece-csc.UUCP (Joseph Nathan Hall)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Real Time Handwriting Recognition
Keywords: Typing
Message-ID: <3882@ece-csc.UUCP>
Date: 11 Jan 89 16:27:24 GMT
References: <83242@sun.uucp> <7801@boring.cwi.nl> <1059@ns.UUCP> <3871@ece-csc.UUCP> <1124@netxcom.UUCP>
Reply-To: jnh@ece-csc.UUCP (Joseph Nathan Hall)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Lines: 36

In article <1124@netxcom.UUCP> dmcintee@netxcom.UUCP (Dave McIntee) writes:
 In article <3871@ece-csc.UUCP> jnh@ece-csc.UUCP (Joseph Nathan Hall) writes:
 >Longhand is by far the slowest way to transcribe speech or text--no more than
 >20wpm in general, although there are shorthand-like methods ("speed writing,"
 >etc.) that can be useful but which are not generally legible.  I'd say 10
 >wpm is average.
 >
 >A slow, inexperienced touch-typist can do 25-40 wpm.  60 wpm is adequate for
 >secretaries who don't do a whole lot of typing.  80wpm is a nominal speed for
 >secretaries (but probably optimistic).  Professional typists can do 90-120
 >wpm.
 >
 >Human shorthand speeds range from 40-120 wpm, but this will vary a LOT
 >...
 >Machine shorthand speeds range from 80-100 wpm to over 200 wpm.  Court
 
 And how fast do people speak?

Around 100wpm, but that varies a whole lot.  Speech can sound normal (not
artificially fast) at 150 wpm, and on the other hand, your Texas oilman who
has all day to dictate a letter may drawl it out at 60 wpm.  

There is dictation equipment available that can slow down recorded speech
(to a manageable 60-80 wpm) without significantly altering its tonal
qualities and pitch.  Of course, most secretaries still use the machines with
start/stop/rewind pedals.

Someone else mentioned he knew or had heard of a secretary with a recorded
manual shorthand speed of 200 wpm.  Pretty impressive.  I had never heard of
anyone transcribing at that speed without a machine ...

-- 
v   v sssss|| joseph hall                      || 201-1D Hampton Lee Court
 v v s   s || jnh@ece-csc.ncsu.edu (Internet)  || Cary, NC  27511
  v   sss  || the opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my
-----------|| employer, north carolina state university . . . . . . . . . . .