4.0110 Scanner Software (3/65)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Wed, 23 May 90 19:38:04 EDT

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 0110. Wednesday, 23 May 1990.


(1) Date: Tue, 22 May 90 17:48:23 EDT (35 lines)
From: djb@harvunxw.BITNET (David J. Birnbaum)
Subject: Re: 4.0099 TeX answer; Scanner query

(2) Date: 23 May 90 11:28:47 (19 lines)
From: David.A.Bantz@mac.dartmouth.edu
Subject: Re: scanner

(3) Date: Wed, 23 May 90 13:16:34 EDT (11 lines)
From: cb%kcp.UUCP@XAIT.Xerox.COM (Christopher Bader)
Subject: Scanners and OCR

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 May 90 17:48:23 EDT
From: djb@harvunxw.BITNET (David J. Birnbaum)
Subject: Re: 4.0099 TeX answer; Scanner query (35)

Concerning Joel Goldfield's inquiry about the Datacopy OCR-Plus software,
be warned that this software is not fully trainable. Specifically, it
is hardwired for look-alike checking, so that if you train foreign
characters that look nothing alike to '1' and 'l' (for example), it
will not bother to look at the bitmaps, but will instead use its
"intelligence" to decide whether you mean a letter or numeral.

I made the mistake of purchasing such a package after calls to tech
support assured me that it was well suited for the project I had planned
using various Cyrillic materials. When I discovered these limitations
and protested, technical support first insisted that I was mistaken.
They then admitted that I was correct and insisted that this was not a
bug or a design flaw and that their system was perfectly trainable and
ideally suited for foreign languages because "we sell lots of them in
Germany."

My dealer took it back and sold me a Panasonic scanner and SPOT, which
I have been very happy with. Datacopy burned him by refusing to take
back the hardware or software, which meant he had to tie up his funds
until he could find another buyer who didn't need real foreign-alphabet
trainability.

I conclude that the Datacopy OCR-plus program is a bomb for foreign
alphabet work, although it may work acceptably with Latin alphabet
languages other than English. I also find Datacopy's treatment of
their customers and dealers unacceptable, exploitative, and abusive.
Caveat emptor.

--David

djb@wjh12.harvard.edu [Internet] djb@harvunxw.bitnet [Bitnet]
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------29----
Date: 23 May 90 11:28:47
From: David.A.Bantz@mac.dartmouth.edu
Subject: Re: scanner

--- Forwarded Message from Otmar K. E. Foelsche ---

We have tested the Siemens Scanner (400) with Omnipage and with
Textpert. The US Version of Omnipage does not include drivers for the
Siemens scanner at this point. We have been using the German version.
The results have been satisfactory. The scanner appears to be faster
than the Apple Scanner. We have also been using Textpert on the Siemens
Scanner. The results, after training, are acceptable. Accutext does
not include the Siemens driver. A phone call about two weeks ago
informed us that Accutext could not get the driver from Siemens.
MacWorld, on the other hand, mentioned that the latest update to
Accutext contains the Siemens driver. We have not received the latest
update...

Otmar Foelsche
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------26----
Date: Wed, 23 May 90 13:16:34 EDT
From: cb%kcp.UUCP@XAIT.Xerox.COM (Christopher Bader)
Subject: Scanners and OCR

I am one of the authors of Accutext, so of course I recommend it.
Caere's Omnipage is also good. You should not consider any OCR software
for the Mac other than those two, however.

The Xerox Datacopy GS Plus, which my company sells, is a pretty good
scanner. You may also want to consider the HP Scan Jet Plus.