From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Sep 2 16:58:10 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C9B3116A41F for ; Fri, 2 Sep 2005 16:58:10 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from kline@tao.thought.org) Received: from tao.thought.org (dsl231-043-140.sea1.dsl.speakeasy.net [216.231.43.140]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2148943D45 for ; Fri, 2 Sep 2005 16:58:07 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from kline@tao.thought.org) Received: from tao.thought.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by tao.thought.org (8.13.1/8.13.1) with ESMTP id j82Gw65v076700; Fri, 2 Sep 2005 09:58:06 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from kline@tao.thought.org) Received: (from kline@localhost) by tao.thought.org (8.13.1/8.13.1/Submit) id j82Gw4UD076699; Fri, 2 Sep 2005 09:58:04 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from kline) Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2005 09:58:04 -0700 From: Gary Kline To: Roger Merritt Message-ID: <20050902165804.GB76575@thought.org> References: <20050902030726.GA71012@thought.org> <5.2.0.9.0.20050902151101.00b7bec0@127.0.0.1> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <5.2.0.9.0.20050902151101.00b7bec0@127.0.0.1> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i X-Organization: Thought Unlimited. Public service Unix since 1986. X-Of_Interest: Observing 19 years of service to the Unix community Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: best OCR scanner?? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 02 Sep 2005 16:58:10 -0000 On Fri, Sep 02, 2005 at 03:21:03PM +0700, Roger Merritt wrote: > At 08:07 PM 9/1/2005 -0700, Gary Kline wrote: > > People, > > > > I want to scan ~400 pp of an out-of-print and out-of-copyright > > book (from 1913) and need to know what the best scanner is > > and if there has been substantial improvement in OCR > > software in recent years. This book has few footnotes > > or different typefaces, so it should make things easier. > > > > Oh, an if there is something that plugs into DOS/DOZE > > and just works, super. I'lll use my W2K box. (Hopefully, > > something that plugs into COM0 or COM1. USB okay too.) > > > > thanks for any clues; I've never used a scanner before! > > --yea, no kidding:-) > > I happen to have some recent experience on a Windoze machine that may be > useful. Of the several programs that Google found for me the one that met > my needs best was Textbridge. The others put every paragraph into a > separate text box, made correcting layout and formatting a nightmare. > Textbridge (at least the current version) seems to do a good job as long as > the print is reasonable clear. All the OCR programs I tried had problems > putting pictures in the right place. I don't know what's available for > FreeBSD, since I use my boxen for gateways, not even connected to printers. > I should warn you, though, scanning isn't quick -- figure about two minutes > per page (YMMV) plus any formatting fixup you have to do afterward. There > are industrial-strength applications out there, but they cost. > > Can't offer advice about hardware -- I've got an Epson flatbed, pretty > inexpensive but works good. Doesn't sound very encouraging... :( -gary > > -- > Roger > > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" -- Gary Kline kline@thought.org www.thought.org Public service Unix