Free OCR software?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Milia
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Milia

I've just purchased an older Agfa Snapscan e20 scanner which comes
with ReadIris 4.17 for W98/NT which I guess is incompatible with my
XP Home. I've checked the cost of the present version of Readiris,
but it's well beyond my small budget. Are there by any chance any
freeware OCR programs for XP around? (I've done a search but don't
seem to find any).
 
Milia said:
I've just purchased an older Agfa Snapscan e20 scanner which comes
with ReadIris 4.17 for W98/NT which I guess is incompatible with my
XP Home. I've checked the cost of the present version of Readiris,
but it's well beyond my small budget. Are there by any chance any
freeware OCR programs for XP around? (I've done a search but don't
seem to find any).
Click to expand...

SimpleOCR
http://www.simpleocr.com/
 
Milia said:
I've just purchased an older Agfa Snapscan e20 scanner which comes
with ReadIris 4.17 for W98/NT which I guess is incompatible with my
XP Home. I've checked the cost of the present version of Readiris,
but it's well beyond my small budget. Are there by any chance any
freeware OCR programs for XP around? (I've done a search but don't
seem to find any).
Click to expand...

Too bad you're not a Mac user. I just got a free copy of Readiris Pro 7
on the cover of the January MacWorld (UK version). Not a demo - it's
complete.
 
This will run on XP Home without a lot of fussing around?

Does it conflict with Paperport Deluxe 7 or Textbridge Pro 9 on the same
Click to expand...
computer?

If you have Textbridge Pro 9 ( a pretty decent OCR program) why would you
even need simpleOCR?
 
Brendan said:
This will run on XP Home without a lot of fussing around?
Click to expand...

It runs on my XP Pro.
Does it conflict with Paperport Deluxe 7 or Textbridge Pro 9 on the same
computer?
Click to expand...

I don't have either program, so I don't know. If I did, I wouldn't need
SimpleOCR. I need an OCR program maybe once or twice a year.
 
Bill said:
It runs on my XP Pro.
Click to expand...

I don't know why I wrote XP Pro. I have XP Home.
Does it conflict with Paperport Deluxe 7 or Textbridge Pro 9 on the same
computer?
Click to expand...


I don't have either program, so I don't know. If I did, I wouldn't need
SimpleOCR. I need an OCR program maybe once or twice a year.
Click to expand...
 
Too bad you're not a Mac user. I just got a free copy of Readiris Pro 7
on the cover of the January MacWorld (UK version). Not a demo - it's
complete.
Click to expand...

' a cushy life for some ;-)
 
Just in case anyone might be interested, here's the mail I've just got
from Readiris Support whom I had contacted a few hours ago with the
question whether my old version of Readiris might be suitable for XP.

----
Readiris versions 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 (32 bits) are completely compatible
with Windows XP. The tests and verifications that we made don't raise
any particular problem.

However, you have to know that:
Windows XP can be installed by choice like a new installation or as
update of a previous version of Windows.

1 - if you have a previous version of Windows and that you decided to
install Windows XP like a new operating system from an either
formatted or virgin hard disk, you will be obliged to reinstall the
Readiris application.
2 - if you have a previous version of Windows and that you decided to
make the updating of the operating system toward Windows XP,
you will keep your therefore already installed informations and
programs that were existing on the hard disk and informed in the
registration basis of Windows. However, in this case, Windows XP will
maybe not take correctly the file informations and drivers of
Readiris.

If this is your case, proceed to the reinstallation of the Readiris
program.

REMARK:

If your version of Readiris was so ever protected by a software key at
the time of the installation under the previous version of Windows,
following the passage to Windows XP, the software key won't be more
valid because the identification number will now be also different
....and so the key. (If Readiris did not ever asked you a key in order
to continue, don't take account of the remark that follows)

It is necessary that you communicate us this new identification
number. This number can be found when you choose "register now" on
start up program and click "ok" after had put your serial number, you
will have another window with written "The identification number of
this computer is 31....". (long number)

I stay at your disposal for all complementary information regarding
the installation of Readiris application.
 
Jeff said:
It works for me.
Click to expand...


Wish the software did. I downloaded and isntalled it, but recognition is
much worse than Textbridge 9 (the IBM version) and formatting is
non-existent. A pity because editing is easy, if tedious. (I uninstalled
it, needless to say.)

I took a pass on OmniPage for $70 at CompUSA this week. I just don't use
OCR enough to justify that kind of cost when I have a somewhat accurate
application already, although I can easily imagine better.

Brendan
--
 
Brendan R. Wehrung said:
Wish the software did. I downloaded and isntalled it, but recognition is
much worse than Textbridge 9 (the IBM version) and formatting is
non-existent. A pity because editing is easy, if tedious. (I uninstalled
it, needless to say.)

I took a pass on OmniPage for $70 at CompUSA this week. I just don't use
OCR enough to justify that kind of cost when I have a somewhat accurate
application already, although I can easily imagine better.

Brendan
Click to expand...


I have not found any OCR software that works as advertised, except for
scanning the black and white equivalent of a one page letter.

OTOH I scan newspapers, magazines, etc., as "Images" using appropriate
settings such as "line", "256 shades of grey", or "millions of colors", and
save as "jpg" or "jpeg" files.

Works fine for my purposes.

Has anyone had any success scanning as OCR such things as a 3 column
magazine spread with color photos included?

What program was used? What scanner?
 
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