[bksvol-discuss] Re: Scanners and OCR software. Again. Still.
- From: "Monica Willyard" <rhyami@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:39:21 -0400
Hi Tammy. The OpticBook has a book edge which means that you can slide a
book against it, and it will scan all the way into the binding of a book. It
is very fast and comfortable for working with thick books, books with text
close to the binding, or with hardcover books. Scanning single pages with
the book edge is its strength. You don't need to press down hard on books to
make them scan well. It's a major improvement if scanning on a traditional
scanner gives you shoulder, neck, or arm pain. You can scan small paperbacks
in two-page mode if you prefer. You just can't use the book edge feature in
two-page mode. If you are blind and decide to buy an OpticBook, please don't
waste money on the Plus or Corporate models since those are the same scanner
as the 3600 but have fancier software. Unless you can see or have a lot of
usable sight, the OpticBook software doesn't work with speech. The blind
volunteers who use it do so with either Kurzweil, FineReader, Omnipage, or
Openbook. So if you are blind, buying either the Opticbook 3600 or the
legal-sized version makes sense, but buying the Plus model just wastes your
money. Of course, if you can see, just ignore what I just said. (smile)
I hope this makes sense. I haven't had my morning coffee yet.
Monica Willyard
"The best way to predict the future is to create it." -- Peter Drucker
-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tammy Blaker
Sent: Saturday, April 25, 2009 7:39 AM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Scanners and OCR software. Again. Still.
I use a HP All in One printer, scanner and copier. It was cheap under 100
dollars. I had to buy the full ORC program that came with it to do books,
but it works well. For me living in a small place having just one machine
made the most bet.
I sure will look at the OpticBook, bet it will do two pages at a time.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Shannon" <shannon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2009 5:54 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Scanners and OCR software. Again. Still.
> Monica,
>
> Thanks!
>
> I wasn't lucky enough to find a flat-bed scanner when I went shopping
> today, but I appreciate the suggestions and think I will definitely save
> up some money and buy an Optic-Book. I thought they were more expensive
> than the price you quoted, so it's a relief to know they're a bit cheaper
> than I was anticipating.
>
> Anyway, this was very helpful, so thank you!
>
> Shannon
>
>
> At 03:28 PM 4/24/2009, Monica Willyard wrote:
>>Shannon, I would love it if we could buy any old scanner and have it work
>>well. Unfortunately, that doesn't work because many of the scanners being
>>sold are either optimized for scanning photos or use a type of scanning
>>technology that doesn't work well with books. You can make the latter type
>>of scanners work with some dedication, but they don't work as well for
>>sustained book scanning. I don't know what your lifestyle or budget are
>>like, so please take what I'm saying here with a grain of salt and do
>>what's
>>right for you. I think a scanner is something worth saving up some money
>>for
>>because it really affects how your books come out and how much time you'll
>>spend cleaning up your scans later on. In my experience, scanners from
>>Epson
>>work well, especially the Epson Perfection line and the 4490 scanner. If I
>>were shopping at a physical store for a new scanner, that is the brand I'd
>>go with. They are a very nice balance of price, quality, and speed. If you
>>have the money to get an OpticBook 3600, it is worth considering since it
>>makes scanning books much easier and faster. The OpticBook is working very
>>well for me. It's downside is its cost, around $235 including shipping.
>>Some
>>of the HP scanners work well too, and I don't have any model numbers on
>>those. Maybe someone else does.
>>
>>If you've got to stay at or under the $50 mark, scanners from Canon and
>>Visioneer will work, but they are both somewhat slower and tend to be less
>>accurate with scanning text. The Canon LIde line of scanners worked pretty
>>well for me. I didn't know what I was missing for many years, so I only
>>know
>>about their weaknesses after having used an Epson and Now an OpticBook.
>>Over
>>half of my Bookshare submissions were done with either my Canon or my
>>Visioneer. Mayrie ReNae has created almost flawless scans with a Visioneer
>>scanner before upgrading to an OpticBook. The plus side for the Canon LIde
>>line is that they're very portable, being flat and light enough to fit
>>into
>>a laptop bag. I have kept my Canon and use it for when I travel or when
>>I'm
>>going to use something in a reference library. In fact, the Canon gets its
>>power from your USB port and doesn't need to be plugged into an electrical
>>outlet. That makes scanning much easier while using a laptop, traveling,
>>or
>>while taking classes. In case it matters to you, Canons work very well for
>>scanning photos. My daughter prefers to use my Canon when scanning
>>pictures,
>>even though my dad has a faster scanner she could use in his office.
>>
>>With all these advantages, it may seem odd that I wouldn't choose this
>>line
>>as the winner. These scanners don't produce the clearest possible image,
>>and
>>that means OCR of books will have more errors, especially toward the edges
>>of your books. It means you'll spend more time adjusting settings for each
>>book and will spend somewhat more time proofreading. This difference in
>>quality has something to do with the type of scanner heads in the machine
>>and how these budget scanners don't make a fully 3-dimensional image of
>>pages. Guido explained it to me, and I can't seem to find his post right
>>now. This can be worked around, but Openbook doesn't have enough tools to
>>alert you of trouble before you scan a 400-page book. I used Openbook for
>>18
>>years before switching to Kurzweil, and the difference in scanner needs is
>>huge. Openbook doesn't give you real-time feedback on your scans, so you
>>need a scanner that is very flexible and reliable in its ability to work
>>with text. Openbook lets you scan to your heart's content and then lets
>>you
>>know you've got a problem, making it necessary to rescan pages if your
>>scanner isn't on the ball. Without active, real-time feedback, I wouldn't
>>recommend the Canon, Visioneer, and other low-budget scanners for people
>>using Openbook who like to scan in batch mode.
>>
>>Of course, most of what I just wrote is my opinion. Others may have
>>different experiences to share. Feel free to discard anything here that
>>doesn't work for you. (smile)
>>
>>Monica Willyard
>>"The best way to predict the future is to create it." -- Peter Drucker
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Shannon
>>Sent: Friday, April 24, 2009 1:21 PM
>>To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Scanners and OCR software. Again. Still.
>>
>>Hi, all,
>>
>>Last year, my voc rehab counselor bought me the latest version of
>>Openbook. This is a really cool thing, but I haven't used it since
>>the scanner I had at the time was invented roughly around the time of
>>the dinosaur.
>>
>>Anyway, I'm running errands today and I kind of want to price some
>>scanners at the Evil Empire (aka WalMart). Can I buy any old scanner
>>on the market and have it work with OCR software, or do I have to get
>>only a specific kind?
>>
>>Thanks so much!
>>
>>Shannon C.
>>
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