newbie question

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mannybraff

I'm pretty confused googling this newsgroup. What I need is a flatbed
scanner that will create computer documents from about 200 pages of
typed poems. I need to convert these poems into WORD documents or
something similar for word processing. I don't need to scan photos or
graphics or anything color. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
I'd like to keep the price under $250, but I'm not sure how much these
things cost.
Manny
 
----- Original Message -----
From: <>
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.scanners
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 4:07 PM
Subject: newbie question

I'm pretty confused googling this newsgroup. What I need is a flatbed
scanner that will create computer documents from about 200 pages of
typed poems. I need to convert these poems into WORD documents or
something similar for word processing. I don't need to scan photos or
graphics or anything color. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
I'd like to keep the price under $250, but I'm not sure how much these
things cost.
Manny
Click to expand...

Most of today's bottom line scanners ($50-75 US) will do fine.

Quality of scan however may depend on the quality of paper and the quality
of printer used in printing the doucuments.
Docs printed with inkjet printers (as a rule) do not OCR very well.
www.scantips.com
http://www.scantips.com/basics4c.html
 
I'm pretty confused googling this newsgroup. What I need is a flatbed
scanner that will create computer documents from about 200 pages of
typed poems. I need to convert these poems into WORD documents or
something similar for word processing. I don't need to scan photos or
graphics or anything color. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
I'd like to keep the price under $250, but I'm not sure how much these
things cost.
Manny
Click to expand...

Just about "any" flat bed scanner will do the scanning that you need
(300-600 ppi grayscale). The more expensive ones will add some
features that you don't need and probably do the job faster, and some
software that you DO need, particularly OCR software. Often the OCR
packaged with a cheap scanner isn't very good. Just make sure the
scanner you purchase comes with "some" OCR software, then go to this
site (www.scantips.com) and order a copy of Omnipage Pro 14 for $99.99
(special upgrade price from whatever was included with your scanner).
Omnipage is good OCR software, perhaps not the best, but good enough
to do the job you need to do.

By shopping carefully you should be able to get a decent scanner for
under $100, and for another $100 good OCR software. YOu might want to
consider a refurbished Epson scanner. I haven't visited their web site
recently, but about 6 months ago I got a good deal on a used model
3170, which is probably a lot more scanner than you want. Check out
what they have to offer at
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/ClearSave.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&ref=zav

but be sure that whatever you buy comes with OCR software.
Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/
 
The epson 2480 suits your needs, scans fast at 300dpi and the bundled
software includes an ocr program (don't remember the name right now)
that yields surprisingly good results...and it's way cheaper than $250.
(99 euros in Spain).

regards
 
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