Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!applix!scotte
From: scotte@applix.com (Scott Evernden)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: DAK Handheld Scanner
Keywords: DAK SCANNER
Message-ID: <1215@applix.com>
Date: 15 Jun 91 13:52:04 GMT
References: <973@compnect.UUCP>
Reply-To: scotte@applix.UUCP (Scott Evernden)
Organization: APPLiX Inc., WestboroMA
Lines: 23

In article <973@compnect.UUCP> daveh@compnect.UUCP (Dave Hultberg) writes:
>The latest catalog from DAK has a handheld scanner and software
>advertised for $149.
....
>...  The catalog wright-up makes this scanner look like just what I am
>looking for to scan in a large database that I only have available on
>paper right now.

You won't be happy.  There's simply no way that a cheapo OCR program will do
the job you want.  I've messed around a bit with these pathetic toy programs,
and they're really only useful if you enjoy the tedious manual "post-
processing" required to spot all the recognition errors.  If you are scanning
a pile of numbers, then you're really really going to be upset when you notice
letters and incorrect digits inserted.

You really need to think about getting some serious (Calera, Caere, etc) OCR
software to do what you need.  Else, hire someone to type in your database.
In lieu of that, order the DAK product, try it for a while until you see what
I'm talking about, and then send it back and pay the 15% restocking fee.

See recent April BYTE mag for more info on OCR software...

-scott