There is also premeer programming. They have several o.c.r programs ranging from $89 to $199. I tried text cloner several years ago but it was okay. Their web address is www.premeer-programming.com ----- Original Message ----- From: James Nuttall To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2004 12:52 PM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Fw: Help Needed OCR To Voice Reader Recommendations Hello Michael/Lois: Many OCR programs can be set up as a one-button click situation. You can do that with FineReader Pro ($150). A more expensive solution the one that would allow your mother to scan and read books as well is her mail would be Kurzweil 1000 http://www.kurzweiledu.com/ ($1000). It has a big price but is the easiest software for those were blind to use for scanning/reading. Jim Nuttall -- Michigan Louise <lougou@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Forwarded from another list. ----- Original Message ----- From: "mpm1634" To: Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2004 8:16 PM Subject: Help Needed OCR To Voice Reader Recommendations > > > My mother is totally blind and lives alone, 50 miles away from me. > Because of her blindness, she used to hold her mail for me to read > to her when I came to town. > > Unfortunately, this didn't allow her to read her mail in a timely > manor, so several years ago I bought her a computer with Window Eyes > software, a scanner, a Read IRIS O C R program and an all in one > printer fax scanner. Things worked well. All she had to do was > feed the mail into her scanner and the computer would read it to her. > It was extremely easy for he r, considering she is not computer > literate. With just one or two buttons to push she could listen to > her mail. > > All went well until it was time to upgrade her operating system to > Windows XP. All the other programs on her computer had to be > upgraded including Read Iris. Unfortunately, the latest version of > Read IRIS doesn't work like the old one did under Windows 98. As a > result, the O C R program no longer reads her mail for her. Now she > must hold it again until I can come into town read it to her or fax > it to me so I can read it over the phone. > > I have tried various OCR software packages and haven't been able to > make them work. I hate to keep throwing good money after bad so I > was hoping some of you could suggest the following for me so I fix > this: > > First, does anyone out there know of an inexpensive, stand alone OCR > reade r that does not rely on, or need a computer interphase?? The > least expensive I can find is $3,100 and I just don't have that kind > of money. I would even be happy to find a used one. > > Second, if there is no such thing as an inexpensive stand alone > reader, can anyone recommend a good, inexpensive O C R software and > scanner bundle that is easy to install and not too complex for > someone who is not computer literate to operate? > > Third, do any of you know of any firms in the Los Angeles (Santa > Monica) area that can recommend and install new O C R software that > will work in conjunction with a Hewlett Packard printer scanner fax > to read her mail? > > Thanks in advance for all yor help. > > Michael > > > > t > > > hold her mail again for me to read to her whenever I come to town. > > > > > > > > and she feed her was able to until it was time to upgrade to > Windows XP. > >