Hello. I have just started my first MT job and am getting ready to purchase a word expander software program. I am wondering which programs are recommended and used mostly. Please help. Thank you!

Hi macaronnie,

If you are working for a service they might already have one built into their platform--just pointing that out in case you aren't familiar with their software.

That being said, you are smart to buy an expander program as opposed to using auto correct. Auto Correct's capacity is much smaller than expander programs and while it can be saved, it is much more complicated than an expander program. It can corrupt easily also.

The expander programs that immediately come to my mind are Instant Text, Shorthand, and Shortcut. Instant Text is very powerful but has a longer learning curve than the other two. It is also more expensive.

There are others also that have come into the market in the last 5 years or so but I'm not as familiar with them because I worked at a hospital where they used Shortcut so I didn't keep up with latest expander products.

You might try googling "best word expander programs" (without quotes would probably be fine)to research other possible programs. There are some programs that allow you to download a 30-day trial to see if you like it.

To newbies: An expander program will pay for itself very quickly. The advantages are: Saves your hands from having to typing so many key strokes, cuts down on typos, and increases your production significantly. Again, if you work for a large service, an expander is usually built into their platform.

If you need more information let us know!

Thank you so very much for the information! I will look into Shorthand and Shortcut and google any newer expander products. I appreciate the response!