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Category Archives: Guest Posts

Lessons Best Buy Can Learn from the Apple Store

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Ben Stevens Posted in Guest Posts 2 Comments
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guest postThe following Guest Post is from Ware Cornell: 

On March 3, 2011, Best Buy sent a letter to its suppliers. It acknowledges their economic difficulties and discusses its support for proposed federal legislation to require online merchants to pay state sales taxes in states where it does not maintain a physical presence.

The idea in addressing this letter to its domestic suppliers is apparently to enlist their support for what Best Buy terms a “fairness” issue. Against the backdrop of the entry of Borders into Chapter 11 and the losses its suppliers will take, Best Buy projects the image of a retailer undercut by unfair competition.

The unnamed villain in its letter is Amazon, which does not have to pay sales taxes in many states. Amazon, in fact, is fighting two states California and Texas over millions of dollars of sales taxes attributable to distribution centers in those states.  So ignoring for now the question of whether the Congress will vote to raise taxes on consumers, why is Best Buy pushing this agenda just now?

Two years ago Best Buy was blessed with the loss of its principal national competitor, Circuit City. Rather than gain market share, Best Buy has actually lost share in the profitable high end electronics market, and not just to Amazon, but also to Walmart and Costco. Both Walmart and Costco customers pay state sales taxes.

Best Buy’s performance shows that it is not a nimble merchandiser. Go into a Best Buy store and you will see some of the reasons why:

  1. It still devotes vast amounts of expensive retail space to low margin items-namely CDs and DVDs.
  2. Its sales force is not that knowledgeable about the products it sells. This is also true at Walmart and Costco, whereas Amazon largely relies on consumer reviews from its customers to move product.
  3. Best Buy sells products like vacuum cleaners, air conditioners and stovetops among the home theaters.
  4. The stores are huge, and stores that big have to have rapid turnover on a massive scale to be successful. Both Costco and Walmart meet this challenge by offering limited choices from top manufacturers. As an online merchant, Amazon can sell everything, but doesn’t have to warehouse massive inventories as does Best Buy.

My mother used to tell me, “the world doesn’t owe you a living.” Best Buy’s problems are more the result of its own poor choices than Amazon’s supposed sales tax advantage. One has to look no farther than Apple to see how a real merchant can profit even in a down economy.

  1. Store size :: Apple Retail Stores are many times smaller than Best Buy, Costco and Walmart. However its sales per square foot figures are off the charts. In 2009 an Apple Store in Manhattan had sales of $35,000 per square foot, while Best Buy’s national sales per square foot total was $930 for the same year.
  2. Selection and service :: Apple Retail Stores devote most of its space to high end electronics, and to free technical advice (the Genius Bar). A trip to the Geek Squad at Best Buy will produce an encounter with someone who wants to sell you something. That someone isn’t much of a geek in any event. The compact size of an Apple Store enable it to move out non-performing items quickly and replace them with things that sell.
  3. Intelligent product selection :: Apple is the largest music vendor in the world and a huge movie retailer, but other than iTunes gift cards, you can’t buy music or movies in its retail stores. Not one foot of retail space is devoted to music or movie sales.
  4. Coordination :: Apple Retail Stores coordinate with the Online Store. If they don’t have what you want, you can order to pick up in the store or have it delivered to your home.

Finally Apple does all of this while paying the same state sales taxes Best Buy does. Apple and Amazon, and for that mater Walmart and Costco adopted better business models that the folks at Best Buy. Charging Amazon customers sales tax, and I am one, will not draw me back into a Best Buy. To paraphrase my mother, we don’t owe Best Buy a living.

Source: G. Ware Cornell Jr. is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer in Weston, Florida where he primarily practices employment law with the firm of Cornell & Associates P.A. He is a graduate of Emory University, the University of Georgia School of Law, and served as the first senior law clerk for United States District Judge William M. Hoeveler in the Southern District of Florida upon his investiture in 1977. Mr. Cornell is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyers’ honorary society.  By way of full disclosure, he is also an Amazon Vine reviewer, though that was not a factor in this Guest Post.

Guest Post :: Apple’s “Walled Garden” – Unsustainable Model or Certificate of Quality?

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Ben Stevens Posted in Guest Posts, Mac vs. PC, Security, Technology 4 Comments
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I am proud to exclusively present the following Guest Post from Mariana Ashley:

Apple is one of the most recognized brands around the world, and, at least according to a recent Barron’s survey, one of the most respected. Still, not everyone is Apple crazy, as an earlier post about why people love to hate Apple indicated. Apple is always in the news, so I knew something was up when I saw the phrase "Mac-lash" being bandied about on the Internet over the past few days.

Several news outlets used the term "Mac-lash", so let’s look at one such article, published in the UK newspaper The Independent. The thrust of this and other related articles is that the Apple business model may be unsustainable in the long-term. Experts cite a growing discontent from not just developers and publishers, but customers, too. Quoting UK journalism professor Paul Bradshaw, The Independent article notes:

"I’ve been a consumer of Apple products for a while and I’ve very definitely decided not to get an iPad. Apple is increasingly closed and controlling and I think with the iPad they’ve crossed a line to a place where the usability that Apple is so famous for is being undermined by the lack of adaptability. There are so many things that you can’t do with content on an iPad that it makes for quite a poor user experience if you are anything other than a basic user."

Basically, the argument goes that Apple products differentiate themselves by (1) portraying itself as something of luxury item, (2) portraying itself as an "alternative" or "rebellious" product, (3) justifying higher prices by delivering a generally higher quality product , (4) being a closed system in which everything is designed to get you to buy more Apple products.

With the iPad, Number (1) became less relevant, as prices of many of their products fell such that way more people can afford them, in the process losing some of the snob appeal. Same goes with Number (2); now that too many people own Apple gizmos and gadgets, their iconic 1984 commercial seems laughably ironic. Number (3) still holds, and Number (4) is what is angering a growing number of people.

Those who argue that the closed, rigid, some would say almost "old school" business tactics, in which collaboration is insular and products don’t adapt across different platforms, puts Apple at a disadvantage with its competitors like Google. And Number (3), the idea that Apple products are still superior, easy to use, secure, and are generally of a higher quality is what Steve Jobs says makes Apple better.

Jobs noted in a statement last October that open systems aren’t always better, and he attributes his products’ superiority precisely to the way he runs his business, despite it being somewhat reactionary in a climate in which "open" is the hottest buzzword. Detractors say that Apple’s success in terms of delivering hot, in-demand products, is largely attributed to Jobs’ creative genius itself, and that once he goes, Apple will go down with it.

What do you think? Is Apple’s future secured, or will it have to change in some ways to keep up with the competition?

Source:  Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.

Guest Post :: Safari Productivity Tip – Open Multiple Tabs

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Ben Stevens Posted in Guest Posts, How Do I ...?, Software 1 Comment
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The following guest post is from Karl Burns with KB3 Solutions.  Mr. Burns is a Mac consultant based in Charleston, SC, and his business focuses on consulting with small and medium sized law firms:

When in Safari have you ever wanted to have multiple pages open at once? Do away with the frustration of having to open/close different web pages to view. In Safari, go to View/Customize Toolbar.

Open Customize Toolbar and left click hold, drag/drop the New Tab button to the right of the forward/back button. There are more Customizable options in Customize Toolbar that you may want to implement, just left click hold, drag/drop them to the toolbar. Click Done in the bottom right when finished.

You can just click on it to open a new tab/web site. You can then open multiple web pages at once and just click on the tab of the site you want to view.

Open Bookmark Tabs all at once: If there are multiple sites that you want to have open on a regular basis, just create a Folder. In the Toolbar, click Bookmarks/Add Bookmark Folder. Name the Folder, drag/drop all the sites that you want to have open into that Folder while in Bookmarks View. Then left click drag/drop that Folder into your Bookmarks in your Safari Toolbar. 

Then, just right click on that Folder in the Bookmarks Toolbar and select ‘Open in Tabs’. All of the Bookmarks that you have dropped into that folder will open at once in Safari, try it!

Thank you to Mr. Burns for this Guest Post.  You can contact him by clicking here and you can find out more about KB3 Solutions by clicking here.

Guest Post :: Useful Mac Tips For Getting More Reading Done

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Ben Stevens Posted in Guest Posts, How Do I ...?, Mac OS X, Technology
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Reading is an essential task for keeping up with the latest trends and news in the constantly changing legal environment while also learning how to be more effective with the business side of the legal profession. However, busy schedules can make it difficult to make time to read the documents, law blogs, and books that you want. Here are three tips for utilizing your Mac to get more reading done.

1. Mac’s Text to Speech Feature

Macs have a built in text to speech feature so that you can have your Mac read your documents or text out loud without having to buy any additional software. This can be turned on by going into System Preferences and Speech. In the Text to Speech section check the box that reads “Speak the selected text when the key is pressed”. Then click on the “Set key” button to choose a combination of keys that you want to use to have your Mac read a selection of highlighted text. You can choose multiple voices and adjust the speed of the voice. This could be great for reading documents while you are doing other tasks that don’t require your full attention such as working out or organizing your desk. It also works on PDF documents.

2. Kindle App for Mac and iPod Touch

The Kindle App for Mac allows you to access and read books in your Kindle library. It also syncs with other devices so it knows your location in a book if you recently did some reading on your Kindle device. The Kindle App for iPod Touch and iPhone is probably more useful because you can access your library of digital books when you are on the go to get some quick reading squeezed in while you are waiting in line or have some spare time.

3. Download Audible books into iTunes

If you are not using Audible yet, you could easily double the number of books you read each year with audiobooks. Audible has thousands of audiobooks that are compatible with iTunes and they have an extensive library on law related topics and business books. You can also store audiobooks on your portable devices like iPads or iPod Touch. That way you can be catching up on your reading while you are at the gym or commuting to work. You can also play audiobooks in the background on your Mac to keep you going when you are doing tedious work. Audiobooks can also help you with falling asleep if you listen to an author with a calm voice like Malcom Gladwell, author of Outliers.

About the Author:  Charles Sipe is a writer for Criminal Justice Degree Schools, a free resource site on criminal justice degrees and careers.

Guest Post :: Three Awesome Time-Saving Mac Keyboard Shortcuts

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Ben Stevens Posted in Guest Posts, How Do I ...?, Mac OS X 9 Comments
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The following guest post is from Kenji Crosland, a writer for TeachStreet, a website that provides online and local classes including law classes and mac classes:

If you want to get your Mac black belt, you’ve got to learn your keyboard shortcuts. Knowing how to use CMD + C, V, X, and sometimes Y is a good start, but when you want to graduate to the big leagues you might want to get acquainted with the shortcuts here:

1.  Quick Screenshots :: If you ever need to explain a computer procedure to someone else, making screenshots are a necessity. Macs are pretty cool in that you can use a keyboard shortcut to actually select the area of the screen that you want to save as an image. This saves you all the time it would take to crop the image in an image editor later. All you have to do is type in CMD + SHIFT + 4 and a marquee tool will appear right on the tool to appear on the screen like so:

2.  Save some characters on Twitter :: You really want to put an ellipsis on your Twitter update, but you’ve ran out of room. The keyboard shortcut (OPTION + 😉 will make the ellipsis appear as just one character. Very handy for when you’re running out of room!

3.  Instant word suggestion + dictionary :: If you hit the F5 key in a text editor (when writing an email or blog post like this one), you’ll get suggestions for the word you’re trying to write. Like so:

And CMD + CTRL + D will look up the highlighted word in the system-wide dictionary app. What about you, what are your favorite mac keyboard shortcuts?  Let us know in the Comments below…

Note: The awesome photo you see us taking a screenshot of above is by pardeshi.

Guest Post :: How to Recycle Your Mac Products

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Ben Stevens Posted in Guest Posts, How Do I ...? 1 Comment
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Mac lovers are sometimes hesitant to part with their old hardware, but if you find yourself wanting (or needing) to do so, I hope the following guest post is helpful to you:

Apple keeps churning out wonderful new products, and you may be the type to buy the latest gadget as soon as it comes out. I know I am. After a few years of buying new Apple products hot off the shelves, I had collected a pretty impressive array of Mac gadgets that just sat in my closet or garage collecting dust. Some broken electronics I actually threw away. Only recently did I realize the importance of recycling your old computer and other electronics. Here are a few tips:

1. If it still works, consider giving it away or selling it.

If you’ve simply stashed away your computer, iPod, or iPhone because you now have a new, faster, and better toy to play with, then don’t let your old friend just sit there. Donating old electronics is a great way to put them to use without trashing them. There are several places that accept old electronics, like Goodwill. EcoSquid is a great website that enables you to enter information about your gadget and find offers for cash or local places where you can give it away. 

2. Be sure to erase any stored information before disposing of it.

Every electronic we own stores information that we may not want others to access, so it’s very important that you erase all your data before donating or recycling, just in case. Identity theft is a very real problem that can cause all sorts of hassles. And remember — it’s not enough simply to delete old files. You’ll have to wipe out your entire hard drive, too. For more information, check out this article from Dumb Little Man.

3. Check out Apple’s recycling program.

Apple has a wonderful recycling program that simplifies the recycling process of your old Apple electronics. First, navigate to the Apple Recycling Program web page, where you’ll enter information about your Apple product. You’ll get an initial quote, which will let you know if your product has any monetary value. Then, you’ll ship your product, where a third party, PowerOn, will examine your product and confirm the original quote. Afterwards, if your product does have value, you’ll receive an Apple gift card for that value. Your old computer, phone, or MP3 player will be sold as "used." If it has no value, Apple will recycle it free of charge. 

eWaste is a very serious problem, polluting landfills and causing all sorts of environmental damage, particularly in the Third World, were many of our trashed electronics invariably end up. If we are to justify our need for newer and better electronic products, we must responsibly dispose of our old ones. Do the right thing, and figure out what you’ll do with your old Mac products before purchasing new ones. 

Source:  This guest post is contributed by Kate Willson, who writes on the topics of best online colleges.  She welcomes your comments at katewillson2@gmail.com. 

Guest Post :: Dropbox is Sweeping the World, So We Integrated Rocket Matter With It

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Ben Stevens Posted in Guest Posts, Online Resources, Software, Technology 7 Comments
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The following Guest Post is provided exclusively to The Mac Lawyer from Larry Port about an exciting new development with Rocket Matter:

Earlier this year at ABA Techshow, when talking to The Mac Lawyer and TechnoEsq (Finis Price) in the actual flesh, we asked, what, if any feature, would they want to see in Rocket Matter.

“Dropbox integration,” they both replied.

Dropbox, for those who are new to the platform, is the killer storage app.  Here’s essentially how it works: 

  1. You sign up for a Dropbox account.
  2. You designate a folder on your computer as a Dropbox folder.
  3. Any folders inside your Dropbox folder get automatically backed up to the cloud.
  4. You can connect another computer to your Dropbox.  When you do so, you get a synchronized copy of all of your Dropbox files and folders.

Like any incredible idea, Dropbox is both simple yet amazingly powerful.  In essence, it allows you to keep your files synchronized across machines.  And since it works on both Macs and *gasp*…*sputter*…*retch* PC’s, it doesn’t matter what platform you’re on.  

You can even access your Dropbox from the web or mobile devices via dedicated apps, in case you happen to be away from your normal computers (for instance, in lying on a turkey-induced coma on a relative’s house this holiday season).

Also, consider the implication of using Dropbox from a disaster recovery/business continuity perspective:  your documents are not only secure on multiple machines, but they’re backed up to an offsite location in Dropbox servers, which employes Amazon S3  for storage.

Fast forward to November.  Earlier this month at MILOFest, where people talked about Dropbox so much it became a running joke, we demonstrated functionality of Rocket Matter’s new Dropbox integration, which allows users to associate Dropbox folders with individual matters.

Now, users on the web-based legal practice management Rocket Matter platform can access their documents from the perspective of the cases they’re working on.  Updates happen in real time.  If you add or change a document in a Dropbox folder, you’ll instantly see the change in Rocket Matter.  Everyone in a law firm can examine the same documents, eliminating the need for Dropbox to be installed on each client machine.  The team is on the same page, and the practice is organized and efficient.

Moreover, the need to upload all of your documents into Rocket Matter is no longer required.  By setting your matter to point to a dedicated Dropbox folder, you have an instant view into your documents with no uploading work required.  

So TechnoEsq and The Mac Lawyer, enjoy your new Dropbox functionality.  But you can forget about the Harry Potter Hogwarts Lego Castle you requested.  Ain’t happening.

Larry Port is the CEO and Chief Software Architect of Rocket Matter.  He’s the editor of the Legal Productivity blog and author of the e-book of the same name.

Guest Post :: Implementing the Updated MacBook Air

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Ben Stevens Posted in Guest Posts, Hardware, Product Reviews, Switching to Macs 4 Comments
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The following Guest Post is from one of my readers, John Millard, an attorney in Texas, in which he explains how he implemented his new MacBook Air into his practice: 

MacBook Air and TrialSmart

I bought my new 13′ MacBook Air three weeks ago at a local Apple Store. I opted for the higher end 2.13 GHz processor and 4GB of memory. I also purchased trial presentation software called TrialSmart made by Clarity Legal Software.  In order to display in high definition, I picked up a DVI connector and long HDMI cable. 

Out of the box, everything worked perfectly. In no time at all, I was able to load exhibits (mostly pdf’s) into the software and present them on our HD display.  TrialSmart is simple to learn, and it’s incredibly easy to mark-up and call out portions of exhibits on the fly. 

I had Clarity Legal synchronize a video deposition to its transcript, which they returned in less than a day at minimal cost. I simply put the transcript (.ptx) and video (.mpg) into the public folder of my Dropbox, and Clarity synched everything up and emailed back a synch file to load into TrialSmart. 

Once the synchronized transcript was loaded into TrialSmart, I was able to easily create video clips for impeachment use and strings of clips for a video deposition offer.  When a video clip is called up for presentation, the screen shows the witness testifying with the synced transcript scrolling directly beneath the witness. I have to tell you, the MacBook Air and TrialSmart combo works very well.  

Putting it to the test

I had a chance to try the new system out last week in mediation. Using my trusty Rubbermaid utility cart, I was able to haul a 40” monitor, case file and backpack containing the MacBook Air and cables to the mediator’s office. Setup was super easy, consisting of connecting a mini display adapter to an HDMI cable and then plugging it into the monitor positioned at the end of a conference table. The MBA immediately recognized the monitor as a secondary display.

During mediation, I was able to seamlessly switch between Keynote and TrialSmart. With a few clicks of the magic mouse, I presented and marked-up emails and medical records while making points during the opening session. The ability to zoom in within a document and underline text using TrialSmart’s annotation tools was especially effective. 

I didn’t have a chance to use video clips at mediation, but intend to do so next week when presenting testimony at a hearing. I’ve practiced playing back impeachment clips enough now that I feel comfortable in my ability to pull up and present video excerpts. Because creating new video clips is as easy as highlighting text on the transcript, I’ll be able to create impeachment clips on the fly. This setup is so simple, I’m confident I’ll have no problem operating everything by myself while examining witnesses.

Conclusion

We use PC’s in the office, but have considered going all Mac when it’s time to replace our existing system. For now, the purchase of the MacBook Air is a great start toward the goal of switching to an all Mac office. 

The MBA is particularly well suited for trial and mediation presentation, so even in an all PC office, this laptop would be an excellent addition to your trial arsenal. Because I’ve found TrialSmart to be easy to learn and dead simple to operate, I’m confident I can use this setup by myself during mediation or while questioning witnesses at trial. It was easy to immediately put the MBA to work in my practice in an effective and practical way. So far, I really love this laptop.

John Millard
Law Office of John Millard, PC
One Sugar Creek Center Blvd, Ste 925
Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.millard-law.com
john@millard-law.com

Handling wrongful death, serious personal injury, auto and trucking accidents, divorce, custody and general civil litigation in the Houston and Sugar Land, Texas region. John Millard is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Guest Post :: Initial Impressions of the Updated MacBook Air

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Ben Stevens Posted in Guest Posts, Hardware, Switching to Macs
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The following Guest Post is from one of my readers, John Millard, an attorney in Texas, in which he explains his impressions of the new MacBook Air:

A little bit about myself

I’m a solo lawyer handling mostly divorce, custody and car wreck cases.  I need the ability to quickly and easily present exhibits and video clips on a court projector or our 40” HD flat panel monitor. I’ve tried Windows trial presentation software before, but it was so complicated, I had zero confidence I’d ever be able to operate it by myself. 

I’m in court a lot and rarely have the luxury of an assistant.  Typically, it’s just me and a client, so I require a system that’s both portable and simple to use.  When the revamped MacBook Air debuted this month, I decided it was time to pull the trigger on a new system. 

Impressions about the MacBook Air

My initial impression and thoughts about the MacBook Air are:

  1. It is very fast (I suppose due to the flash hard drive). I was initially concerned about power due to complaints I’d read about the original Airs, but so far I’m impressed with the speed. Startup literally takes seconds and programs open instantaneously;
  2. I haven’t processed video yet, but playing back synchronized video deposition transcripts works beautifully. Playback is immediate with excellent video quality;
  3. The MBA is one great looking laptop, that’s for sure. It’s incredibly light and compact.  It’s perfectly sized for a counsel table;
  4. The MacBook Air is a bit slippery to handle, so caution needs to be exercised if walking around with it. Even though it has an aluminum case, if it were dropped it would likely sustain serious damage (but I guess that’s true of most laptops). I bought a sleeve to give my MBA extra protection while carrying it in my backpack.
  5. The screen has excellent resolution and brightness, but my aging eyes really appreciate how easily you can zoom in the screen by using gestures; 
  6. Battery life is good, but from my very unscientific observation, I haven’t achieved the 7 hour life that’s been advertised (around 5 for me). However, the battery life is much better than on other laptops I’ve owned, and it’s more than adequate for my needs;
  7. The track pad is great. It only took 15 minutes to get used to it and to master gesture commands. Once you’ve used gestures, you’ll wonder how you lived without them. I bought a magic mouse, but I haven’t used it very much. The keyboard is wonderful, although back-lighting would be nice for low light conditions;
  8. I bought the MBA for the specific purpose of trial and mediation presentation.  For that limited purpose, it works exceptionally well. However, I’ve really enjoyed using it around the house (specifically, in bed) for general web surfing and working at home. I really like the iWork package. In fact, I typed up this post using Pages, which is an excellent word processor. 

Later this week, I will explain in a separate post how quickly I was able to implement the MacBook Air into my practice using TrialSmart made by Clarity Legal Software.  Stay tuned…

John Millard
Law Office of John Millard, PC
One Sugar Creek Center Blvd, Ste 925
Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.millard-law.com
john@millard-law.com

Handling wrongful death, serious personal injury, auto and trucking accidents, divorce, custody and general civil litigation in the Houston and Sugar Land, Texas region. John Millard is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

How to Convert PTX Files to Mac-Friendly TXT Files for Free

Posted on November 15, 2010 by Ben Stevens Posted in Guest Posts, How Do I ...?, Software 8 Comments
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I frequently receive inquiries from readers asking how to access and use PTX files on their Macs.  I am pleased to say that there is a fast, easy, free way to do this, as explained below by my friend, John Callis, CEO/Developer of Clarity Legal Software:

When I first opened the doors at Clarity Legal in 2007 and began selling software for Mac and Windows users, migration from Windows to Mac was key for most of my customers. In 2004 the Mac population was around 2%, today it stands at 12% and growing, and many law school professors I correspond with mention a growing number of mac users among their student bodies

Within the first few weeks of 2007, I received questions asking if the Mac OS X versions of TrialSmart and DepoSmart could import PTX files. PTX files are RealLegal‘s transcript format that has been around since the early 1990’s. It’s one of many popular formats for viewing transcripts; others include Summation, LiveNote, TextMap, and still the most popular – ASCII format. PTX files served a useful purpose for many users because ASCII files don’t keep page formatting when printing and don’t contain a searchable word index.

Prior to 2009, RealLegal had a version for Mac OS 9 which was useless to most Mac users unless you had a version of OS 9 and were able to run the viewer in the Mac Classic Environment. In 2010, RealLegal now a part of Thomson West, dropped the Mac OS 9 viewer and Mac support entirely. Despite many promises from Thomson West, a Mac OS X viewer has yet to materialize and I doubt there ever will be one. Most users can open PTX files using Cross-Over, Wine, or some other Windows emulator. However, the process requires several steps and doesn’t always work. Generally, 95% of Mac users I come across don’t want to use Windows software in their Mac practice and try and go Mac only.

One of the side effects of receiving a PTX file is that could also drive up the cost of your deposition. In this recession, court reporters nationwide have been hurt. The software to create RealLegal files is not cheap – yearly costs range from $1500 – $2,250 for the software plus monthly "maintenance." I regularly visit court reporting blogs and many users have dropped RealLegal entirely due to the cost and convert their files online at RealLegal’s site for $30. Many are printing to PDF for their clients now. If cost is an issue, ask for a format other than PTX and you’ll save some money.

In an effort to help my clients, I designed a workaround in 2007 whereby you could import the exported XML file which was cross-platform into the Mac versions of DepoSmart, TrialSmart, and the Clarity Viewer. This was temporary as Mac users still wanted a simpler way.  So, this summer I wrote a script that would parse up to 10 PTX files at a time Clarity Legal (www.claritylegalsoftware.com).  The process is free, runs 24×7 and returns a file to the user within seconds. Each week, I receive hundreds of PTX files that are converted to txt format which users can then use as they choose. The PTX files are deleted on a rotation every 24 hours.

To convert your PTX file to Text format follow these steps:

  1. Go to www.claritylegalsoftware.com
  2. Click on the top header button labeled "Convert RealLegal PTX Files" or visit www.claritylegalsoftware.com/ptxconversion.php
  3. Enter your email address (due to spam blockers hotmail, gmail, and AOL addresses are not allowed)
  4. Add up to 10 ptx files
  5. Click "Convert"
  6. Check your email

The process takes about 20 seconds. I hope everyone finds this service useful. Please contact me if you have any questions, and thanks to The Mac Lawyer blog for allowing me to write this guest post.

John Callis
Developer/CEO
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com

DepoSmart is Clarity Legal’s flagship product for attorneys and law firms which allows clients to effectively manage their transcripts and case exhibits. With DepoSmart, you can analyze, annotate, and print legal transcripts. Importing case materials like exhibits, image files, attachments, and synchronized video is easy. Users can also connect to and import real-time transcripts from a court reporter during a deposition.

TrialSmart, Clarity Legal’s trial presentation software, is one of Apple’s top specialized legal applications. Nothing compares to the look and feel of this program. TrialSmart is compatible with numerous video and image formats, including *.mpg and *.pdf. And because it’s easy enough for attorneys without much technical expertise to use, the software is helping counsel win trials. We’ve added hundreds of new features, including PDF text searching, group reports, saved layering, and resizable video windows (real-time).

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