When I get a new document to transcribe I don't have to ask a million questions about formatting. The Optacon answers them for me. Natalie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wilna Turnbull" <WTurnbull@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 7:08 AM Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Introduction from a Long-Time Optacon User > Yes, the Optacon may be of the old generation of technology, but nothing > can replace it yet. Especially if the layout of a document is familiar > it beats a scanner by far. > > -----Original Message----- > From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of DAVID PLUMLEE > Sent: 05 July 2010 08:40 PM > To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [optacon-l] Introduction from a Long-Time Optacon User > > I am an Optacon user who began using the instrument around 1980. I > obtained my first > Optacon from the Kansas City Optacon Foundation; and when that > organization disbanded, > those of us who still had Optacons were given letters saying that the > units were > now ours to keep. I use mine for a variety of reading tasks such as > checking mail > that doesn't read very well on the scanner, digging through instruction > manuals, > and reading some displays on some electronics. Several years ago, I > read Popular > Electronics and even built one or two small projects according to the > schematics > given in those magazines. > As I have told some friends, I can read things with an Optacon that no > scanner or > OCR device currently available on earth will touch. Since the > "decoder," "motor > controller," and "information processor," if you will, are all contained > in my mind, > I can understand a variety of print material because I can take that > camera anywhere > I want on the page or display. > I hope that a "new generation" of the Optacon can be fabricated. I'd > like to see > an instrument that would do better on modern appliance displays; I'd > like to see > some kind of "memory" so that a line could be "captured" and examined. > One problem > in reading modern displays is that the reading flashes off and on. I > can envision > an instrument that is still portable but equipped with a computer > interface that > would use computer memory and software to do the "capture" functions of > which I speak. > Also some of the contrast is poor on many displays, so that the current > Optacon models > will not read them. Additionally, some displays are recessed or set at > an angle > so that the standard Optacon camera will not read them. I have only the > standard > camera and a CRT lens for my Optacon. I did not obtain the "calculator" > lens for > my unit. > I would be interested in following an email list on the Optacon. I > found your email address in the March 2009 Missouri Chronicle. I > look forward to hearing from you. > to view the list archives, go to: > > www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l > > To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: > > optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the > quotes) in the message subject. > > Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a > message to: > > optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the > quotes) in the message subject. > > Please Note: This email and its contents are subject to our email legal > notice which can be viewed at http://www.sars.gov.za/Email_Disclaimer.pdf > to view the list archives, go to: > > www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l > > To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: > > optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the > quotes) in the message subject. > > Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message > to: > > optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the > quotes) in the message subject. > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 5258 (20100707) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5258 (20100707) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com to view the list archives, go to: www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject. Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject.