Hi, Lori. Yes, you can edit rtf files in Openbook. In fact, you'll find that using rtf feels very much like using Openbook's ark format. Once you download your file, Openbook will open an rtf file just like when you download and open an ark file. Openbook will keep the page breaks, and your reading commands will work normally. If you're concerned about messing up, you can always keep a copy of the file you download in another folder so you have something to refer to. I did validation in Openbook for over a year before moving to Word and then Kurzweil. Each program has its strengths, and you'll do best with software you feel confident in using. If that's Openbook, go for it! (smile)
There is one issue regarding rtf files that you may need to know about, and this affects both Openbook and Kurzweil. Rtf files made by people using the stand-alone version of FineReader 8 and 9 seem to include section breaks instead of page breaks. Openbook and Kurzweil don't seem to interpret these correctly, and these files need to be edited in Microsoft Word. Books submitted by Carrie Karnos are the ones I notice this situation in the most, and it's not her fault or that she's doing anything wrong. It's just an incompatibility in software packages. It's a shame because she produces excellent scans with equipment in the Bookshare office. What I do is use word to fix the section breaks and then finish proofreading in Kurzweil. I could just as easily finish validating in Word, but I like the Kurzweil interface and the way it reads to me. Since rtf files are new for you, I would suggest going with files made by someone using another scanning package, files by people like Shelley Rhodes, Jane Dickison, Jim Pardee, Mayrie ReNae, Jim Rawls, or Jamie Yates. Once you get comfortable with how Openbook handles standard rtf files, you'll be in a better position to handle files with special issues.
I hope this helps you and Mike. Please post if we can help you as you're branching out into rtf files.
Monica Willyard
