while I agree that the price seems high, the fact is that it will be worth it to some people not to have to buy a computer, an OCR program, a camera that the ocr program will work with, learn how to use the ocr program, experiment with camera position to get correct focus, define OCR workflows to be efficient, and deal with what happens to reading when your virus scanner kicks in or there is a new FLASH update or a Windows update or a Java update or that there are new app updates when all they want to do is to quickly read some mail. You are comparing apples with oranges. some people will find the convenience of having one unit to be worth paying the extra money to purchase. A senior citizen who has just lost their vision and has limited experience with a computer isn't going to want to have to learn a screen reader before they can read, even if they do learn one eventually. There are lots of products that I wouldn't buy that others find completely reasonable, depending upon there needs, their ability, and of course whether they can afford it. The market will decide if this is a reasonable product in the long run, but it doesn't make sense to ignore the value to some people of not having to put the pieces together and to not have to learn what one needs to know to get the pieces to cooperate. Automobiles all do pretty much the same thing but look at the variation in price? Some people save a lot of money by purchasing parts and building their own computer, but I don't have the time or knowledg to do that so I pay a good deal more to get one that has already been assembled and tested because it is worth paying the money to have that done by someone else. I've used OmniPage for some time, but I admit that forgetting price, K-1000 is easier to use. I wouldn't pay the difference but it is worth it to many people. We need to keep this in some sort of perspective.
Best regards, Steve Jacobson On Thu, 3 Nov 2011 12:35:02 -0400, Buddy Brannan wrote: >You couldn't use a webcam, the resolution isn't good enough. You'd need a >dedicated document camera, such as the Hovercam, Pearl, or one of the Abisee ones. Even so, putting such a system together would be a lot less than $2500. >-- >Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA >Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY >On Nov 3, 2011, at 11:55 AM, David wrote: >> Just out of curosity: >> >> I could get myself a netbook PC, costing about 400 dollars. A webcam for >> another 10 or 20 dollars. The OCR - like Omnipage - for about the 150. I am already the owner of Window-Eyes, hence the "human sounding readout", could be cared for by Eloquence. With that equipment, I could do a ton of other activities - like notetaking, internet surfing, music listening. Ok, with a somehow bigger and more bulky pack of units - maybe. Still, no matter how I turn that calculation, It will make me do a lot more, for less than half the price. >> >> So, here is my honesthearted question: What is the real benefit of 2500 >> dollars out the door? Wherein lays the benefits. What is it, that this unit can offer, that the above solution could not? If all it gives me, is a somehow smaller unit, I don't know, if that still could justify the price. And, if I wanted to do it small, I could have used a cellphone, that I already have, and got some OCR software for that one; couldn't I? So, once again, in what way is it, that I would be benefitting at all, from digging out 2500 dollars for yet another gadget in my luggage? >> >> Any feedback welcome! >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Chao, Matthew (DOC) >> To: Buddy Brannan ; GW Info Discussion List >> Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2011 4:42 PM >> Subject: Re: the reading easy price >> >> Ouch! That's a lot when you consider that you could have a computer >> (multipurpose item) AND OC software and scanner for about the same price. Oh, and isn't this stuff supposed to get cheaper with advances in technology?--Matt. >> >> >> >> >>> Buddy Brannan <[email protected]> 11/3/2011 11:28 AM >>> >> Makes the Intel Reader at its sale price (which may even still be in effect) >> of $895 look cheap. Or there's Docuscan Plus on a netbook with a Hovercam. Not exactly an all in one solution, but the price is a bit better. Or of course, KNFB Reader. Understanding that Intel and KNFB are neither one freestanding, although one can get a stand for the Intel Reader and it's still cheaper. >> -- >> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA >> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY >> >> >> >> On Nov 3, 2011, at 11:20 AM, Sandra Fouts wrote: >> >> > I thought it was something like that. To much for me. >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: Butch K [mailto:[email protected]] >> > Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2011 10:11 AM >> > To: [email protected] >> > Subject: the reading easy price >> > >> > Hi, the price on the GW catalog web page for read easy is $2495 >> > >> > Butch >> > If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender >> > only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. >> > >> > GW-Info messages are archived athttp://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can >> > manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. >> > If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender >> > only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. >> > >> > GW-Info messages are archived athttp://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can >> > manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. >> > >> If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender >> only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. >> >> GW-Info messages are archived athttp://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can >> manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. >If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only. >If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. >GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can manage >your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv.
