Spell Catcher 8 - Aug/Sept '02

Spell Catcher 8

Many law offices don’t consider standalone spell checkers because virtually every word processing program contains a thesaurus and spell checker. However, Spell Catcher 8, from Casady & Greene Inc. provides tools that are simply better than any available in your current word processing program.

At $49.95, it’s an exceptional tool for word architects.

A custom install of the program permits you to augment Spell Catcher 8’s extensive base dictionary with additional U.S. spelling databases for the medical and legal fields as well as other fields and in eight other languages. It also installs an alias of the program in your start up folder that launches Spell Catcher 8 at boot. You can elect to make spell checking interactive so the program will flag suspicious words and make suggestions as you type and automatically correct misspellings. This can be annoying, but it certainly works well, and it can be turned off if it becomes too intrusive.

The included thesaurus is accessed from a drop-down menu or by invoking a “Hot Key.” You are provided with a list of alternative words including synonyms and antonyms, and the original can be replaced simply by double-clicking or typing the number next to your choice. Also available on this screen is a “Dictionary” tab, which shows the definition of the work, its pronunciation and usages. The program also includes an elegant “Glossary Expansion.” This feature permits you to type a few programmed letters followed by a space, and the program will expand the letters to the word or phrase you have preprogrammed it to remember. For example, type “iacin,” and the program will replace those letters with the phrase “These interrogatories are continuing in nature.”

My only quibble with this program is it installs an extension to access Spell Catcher’s features and menus in text programs, which could cause some conflicts with existing problems. However, I didn’t experience any incompatibilities. Also, to check spelling when interactive mode is turned off, you must select all the words and choose “Check Selection” from Spell Catcher’s menu. I would rather it started from the beginning. The only other concern is the program isn’t currently Mac OS X compatible.

Casady & Greene Inc.
(800) 359-4920
www.casadyg.com

Price: $49.95

Mac OS 8.6 to 9.x; OS X not currently supported

Reviewed by David A. Saraceno, a practicing attorney and operator of MotionLaw, a forensic animation consulting firm in Spokane, Wash.

Aug/Sept '02 Issue

PROS
Fast interactive spell checker and thesaurus; inexpensive and powerful; great glossary feature.

CONS
No Mac OS X compatibility; interactive feature takes some getting used to.

VERDICT
Good example of what can be achieved when a program does only one or two things exceptionally well. Custom dictionaries for legal and medical alone make it worth the price.