Lisa I can help you just a bit with the scannar I am not Sylvia but I'll have a go. You asked: 1. I saw on the PDI Web site that the ScanR has voice recognition capabilities something about you speak into a microphone. How quickly does the ScanR become accustomed to your voice? Why do you speak into a microphone instead of input the information on a keypad or something? The scannaris actually made for those who need something to read and not want to be bothered with a computer. I bought my scannar last summer when I was getting a new computer and had had a horrendous experience with ocr software on my former computer. You use the microphone/record feature only to identify the item scanned. This is the only inputting you can do with the device. There is no time period for the scannar to recognize your voice, the same way there is no time period for a tape recorder to recognize your voice.2. Does the ScanR come with a manual in Braille or other alternative formats? The scannar comes with the full manual in print and on a cassette as well as there is an "on board" manual. 3. Does the ScanR come out with new updated versions to make the ScanR better at OCR? As a matter of fact, there was quite a discussion between myself and one of the PDI people about this at csun last week. At the present time, there is nota Version 2 on the market. 4. Does the ScanR have the ability to change things like read in columns change the contrast etc. Yes, most definitely it does have many settings such as collumn mode brightness adjustment, contrast adjustment, however the defaults do quite admirably for most things. 4. Does the ScanR have the ability to change things like read in columns change the contrast etc. The Scannar has a serial cable which hooks up to it and the Braillenote.
Good question! I have never tried this but from how they describe it in the manual, when the Braillenote is plugged into the scannar, you have an extra message in the "save Document" which asks if you want to save to the Braillenote so it doesn't appear that you can read along with the scannar when scanning. How they have this set up is that you get different sounds as the scannar is progressing. There is no verbal feedback as there is in Openbook. 7. What do you personally use the ScanR for? I personally use the Scannar to read my bills. I have done some books on it and since most of my books are cookbooks, I have not had a great deal of success with them they have so many fractions such as 1/2 cup or the like that the scannar has trouble with that. 8. Does the ScanR just do typewritten documents like can it scan handwritten documents? The scannar will only do printed or type written documents. 7. If you scan a book on the ScanR can you have it somehow scan the pages of the book like you manually turn the pages and it scans them and then later it goes through the input process? No! The Scannar is a very very basic scan and read machine. 8. Have you had previous experiences with others scanners? If so which ones and how do whose compare to the ScanR? I have used Open Book previously. The reason I am considering purchasing the ScanR is that I don't have a computer here and sometimes wish I had the ScanR. I have also had openbook and Kurzweil on an hp scanner. The ocr in the scannar is far superior and it is much much faster than the old hp scanner. The ocr is much better too. I hope this has answered your questions. I personally love the scannar because you can read at 4 o'clock in the morning without having to start up a computer, and, if you want, you can bring it in your bedroom. Also it is extremely quiet when it scans. Good luck. Mary Ellen Earls
