[bksvol-discuss] Re: I have got to try this!!!

I have been reading for hours and it would be a good fit for me since I could 
take their PDF file and run it through any of my OCR softwares.  From what I 
can 
tell the lost year was spent making it more sturdy.  For my space, need and 
budget, it would be  a good fix. None of the DIY setups looked ergonomic enough 
for me and there was still the lack of a cradle, further worsening handling for 
me.  Still, if you want inexpensive and are handy, it could cost less.
 Valerie


Keep up with Nichole's recovery:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/nicholemaples




________________________________
From: Judy s. <cherryjam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sun, January 8, 2012 6:04:49 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: I have got to try this!!!

Thanks for posting about this Valerie!  I hadn't heard about the Ion scanner. I 
went out and looked at it, and then googled for reviews.  I don't want to sound 
too unenthusiastic because I love the idea. However, unless I'm reading the 
reviews of the beta models wrong (it still hasn't shipped a year after being 
announced), the Ion scanner only has primitive text conversion OCR software.  
It's really intended for creating image-based PDFs.

This is really timely for me, though, as a few months ago I found the website 
for an entire group of geeks who call themselves the "do it yourself book 
scanners." They've been experimenting for several years now with the technique 
the Ion scanner uses. They use two cameras, one for each page of an open book, 
and simple lighting, over a book that's held in a cradle. They've got full 
plans 
of several different do-it-yourself designs to make one, even plans for one you 
can make out of a cardboard box! This technique can only be used, I would 
guess, 
for sighted users as you would need to set up the focus for the cameras 
manually 
at the start of every book scan.

The group has also developed open-source OCRing software, but I haven't looked 
at it to see what it can do, and don't know if it runs on a Mac. Some of the 
stuff I read, though, says what many of the DIY crew does is take the images 
with these cameras and then use standard OCRing software on their PCs and Macs 
after they've photoed the entire book to then OCR it. They claim it's much 
faster to photo a book this way than getting an image of a page using a 
standard 
flatbed scanner, and you get better images as you can get the pages to lie flat 
easily without cutting the book apart or damaging its spine.

Here's the link to their site: 
http://www.diybookscanner.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

I'd sure love to talk to someone who has actually done this to see how well it 
really works! smile.

Judy s.

Valerie Maples wrote: 
The latest in digitizing books: 
>
>
>http://www.ionaudio.com/news/press-releases/ion-announces-book-saver-book-scanner
> 
>
>
>
>more information, a picture, and embedded video at:
>
>
>http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2011/01/scan-a-book-in-15-minutes.html
> 
>
>
>
>It is not small, but looks VERY easy to use!  Best part, it looks like I could 
>then OCR on my Mac as easily as a PC.
>
>
>On another note, someone posted on MobileRead about the mother of all book 
>scanners. I am not sure if you can read this without an account, and it may 
>have 
>been found by our new fearless leader since the poster is named Alisa, but if 
>Bookshare is looking to spend serious bucks:
>
>
>http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23135 
> Valerie, who would love to do ALL her work on a Mac!

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