[bksvol-discuss] Re: The great scanner review project!

The only thing I would change on the form is the price of the scanner since a 
lot would go by that and there may be only one review for that scanner and 
prices do change. I got my for $253 and now they are cheaper.
Skype contact bobwichitaks phone 316-524-5454
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Donna Smith 
  To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2008 4:35 AM
  Subject: [bksvol-discuss] The great scanner review project!


  Hi all.

   

  The lovely friends of BookShare have agreed to create a page for scanner 
reviews on their web site.  I have agreed to be the initial recipient of all 
reviews and to put them in a consistent format before passing them along to 
post.  To this end, I have created a Scanner Review Form and want to get your 
feedback before launching into the project for real.  So please, let's get 
feedback on the form before we start to fill it out.  

   

  Attached are two RTF documents.  One is the blank form I hope we can use, and 
one is this same form filled out by me for the OpticBook 3600.  I'm providing 
my filled-out form to help you decide if the format works.  

   

  I'm also pasting in both documents below my signature in case anyone would 
prefer to use this form via e-mail instead of opening an attachment.  

   

  I'd like feedback on the following:

   

    1.. What do you like about the form? 
    2.. What would you change about the form? 
    3.. What do you think of the RTF attachment versus pasting in the body of 
an e-mail?  Does it really matter? 
    4.. Any other comments? 
   

  Thanks much.  I really think this will be a useful resource once we build it. 
 Who better than us who put these scanners through their paces on a regular 
basis are qualified to review them?  

   

  Donna S

   

  Scanner Review Form

   

  Scanner type:  

   

  Reviewer's name:  

   

  Reviewers e-mail:  

   

  Date of review:  

   

  Approximate cost of scanner:  

   

  Speed:  

   

  Pros:  

   

  Cons:  

   

  Additional comments:  

   

  Ordering/purchasing advice:  

   

   

  Scanner Review Form

   

  Scanner type:  OpticBook 3600

   

  Reviewer's name:  Donna Smith

   

  Reviewers e-mail:  donnafsmith@xxxxxxxxxxx

   

  Date of review:  02/02/08

   

  Approximate cost of scanner:  $256 includes shipping

   

  Speed:  7 seconds per page plus 5 seconds lapse time

   

  Pros:  It's designed with the scanner bed close to one edge so that you can 
place the crease of the book directly on this edge and scan the full page 
without losing characters in the margin.  This makes for very easy, fast and 
accurate one-page scanning.  As the scanner bed is a typical size, you can also 
scan in two-page mode if you choose.  It's quiet and lightweight and the cover 
removes easily so that you can turn it in any direction to scan.  The set-up 
was easy and worked with JAWS.  If you have an OCR program you like, you can 
just download the driver from the manufacturer's web site and pass on the 
installation altogether.  It also performs as a copier.

   

  Cons:  Photo scanning is not the best.  It's buttons are placed on the top 
and to one side of the scanning bed and it's easy to press them inadvertently.  
This doesn't do much except cause you to have to switch applications and exit 
whatever function you initiated.  Of course, with use, you learn not to press 
these inadvertently.

   

  Additional comments:  I love this scanner!  It's so fast and accurate that I 
now often scan most books in one-page mode because I don't have to exert so 
much hand pressure to press down the crease and I don't break the back of the 
book I'm scanning.  However, for some books, I still use the two-page mode 
scanning and it works beautifully for that as well.  I use it with both 
Kurzweil 1000 and FineReader and have absolutely no complaints.

   

  Ordering/purchasing advice:  I purchased it through Amazon which seems to 
have the lowest price.  It shipped through Tiger Direct.

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