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From: Jim.Fruchterman@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jim Fruchterman)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: KPR VS Arkenstone
Message-ID: <18988@bunker.isc-br.com>
Date: 24 Apr 91 21:00:04 GMT
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Index Number: 15164

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Hey, Willie, the problem with Discover isn't that it isn't accessible,
but rather it is cumbersome to use with speech: nested menus, direct
screen writes, all that stuff.  TrueScan used direct screen writes,
too, which is why there are now a dozen different front ends for
TrueScan: EasyScan, IRIS, OsCaR, Docuread IDB, etc.  The impression
that I have of Discover isn't that it is more accurate per se, but
that it gives you access to more features that are shielded from the
user.  The PC-KPR is trying to make a less complicated menu interface
and so it eliminates features that are there on the board that both
products share(and scanner too).
One of the problems of OCR products is that commercially they are
sold to power user types: who else spends $5000 and up on a time-saving
peripheral?  That's why TrueScan only works on an AT- power users
weren't buying XTs three years ago.  The interfaces are aimed at the
sophisticated PC user.  The application of OCR as a reading system
attracts a less power-user crowd: many are moving to the PC for the
OCR!  The challenge for vendors is to satisfy both user camps: the
people who are the visually impaired power users and the people who
just want it to read and they don't want to learn about the PC at
all.  That's one reason why we took the standard TrueScan interface
and made it work better with speech: its aimed at the power user.
 EasyScan is aimed at the beginning user.  It still is too complex

for the non-PC person, so there is pressure to simplify it more...

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