ocr, flatbed scanners, "optical character reading"

[ernieah]

(1) I am considering a trial test of ocr and flatbed scanning as means of recovering "lost" programs from the printout'ed scripts of those same programs. I need tips on h\w and s\w, brands, prices, etc. - which ones are worth even trying, and which are NOT worth trying, etc.

All these scripts are simple ASCII-coded files (for example, perl scripts) with NO graphics and NO "special characters".

(2) If I chose to "go" with this, after testing it, I would be using a flatbed scanner on my personal Win98 machine, so cost, as well as quality, must be a consideration, for both h\w and s\w. (No "company" is paying for this - it will be me alone.)

(3) I would use the Unix "spell" program, or a Wintel spell checker, as an aid in finding mis-read characters, to speed-up, and increase the accuracy of, the proof reading.

(I have access to Unix, Linux machine which can read floppy disks in Wintel format, to enable use of the of the Unix spell" utility (which has provision to "exclude" programing "words" from the spell-check.)

(4) Any tips, preferences, etc. Thanks.

End-of-memo: Best to you..
from ernieah.

 

[AP81]

It's not so much the scanner, but the OCR program. Most OCR needs a resoultion of 600dpi to work. I have tried numerous resolutions ranging up to 1600dpi and there is no difference. I have also tried the same OCR software on a $50 scanner and a $260 scanner which both produced the same results.

My advice would be to purchase a mid-range scanner and spend some money on a quality OCR program. Which program, I couldn't really tell you as I have only tried a couple.

One piece of advice I can give is not to buy a super-slim scanner. These tend to have weaker lasers than their bulkier rivals.

Have a google around for some quality OCR software of visit a shop specialising in digital imaging and ask for some advice.

Hope this has helped you out a little.




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[ernieah]

AP81,

Thanks very much, AP81, for your prompt, and very relevant reply.

It was right to the point. I hope some more people speak-up, here, since I hope to get a variety of suggestions and experiences.



End-of-memo: Best to you..
from ernieah.

 

[kiddpete]

I have a Microtek 6800 which is probably out of your price range, but it comes with OCR which worked well when I tried it. See what the scanner comes with, and try that first. You can always get additional software.

How much do you want to pay for the scanner plus software? Microtek has a new i300 scanner which looks very nice, and goes for $200.

Good OCR software can be very pricey. Check out Omnipage and Paperport. Ask about competitive upgrades. I originally got Omipage Page Pro as an upgrade from the scanner's OCR package.

By the way, if you have a decent digital camera, you might consider using it instead of a scanner. I think it would work pretty well on printouts if you used a good tripod and lined things up properly.

 

[ernieah]

Thanks kiddpete - that's what I need: more input from people specially SPECIFIC comments, and maybe even more PRICES, since limited money is an important consideration for me. Tell me model-names, prices, and your experience with each, for OCR.

Thanks again.

End-of-memo: Best to you..
from ernieah.