Comments on: Towards the Paperless Office http://www.elharo.com/blog/tech/2006/08/23/towards-the-paperless-office/ Ranting and Raving Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:35:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Don http://www.elharo.com/blog/tech/2006/08/23/towards-the-paperless-office/#comment-12308 Don Tue, 05 Sep 2006 18:08:38 +0000 http://www.elharo.com/blog/tech/2006/08/23/towards-the-paperless-office/#comment-12308 As a follow-up to my earlier comment of "use a digital camera", Google now sponsors open-source OCR software. As a follow-up to my earlier comment of “use a digital camera”, Google now sponsors open-source OCR software.

]]> By: Vincent http://www.elharo.com/blog/tech/2006/08/23/towards-the-paperless-office/#comment-11298 Vincent Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:22:39 +0000 http://www.elharo.com/blog/tech/2006/08/23/towards-the-paperless-office/#comment-11298 You might want to look at what Fazal Majid has written on the subject: http://www.majid.info/mylos/weblog/2006/05/01-1.html You might want to look at what Fazal Majid has written on the subject:

http://www.majid.info/mylos/weblog/2006/05/01-1.html

]]> By: Don http://www.elharo.com/blog/tech/2006/08/23/towards-the-paperless-office/#comment-11297 Don Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:59:53 +0000 http://www.elharo.com/blog/tech/2006/08/23/towards-the-paperless-office/#comment-11297 I used to use a scanner, but it was so slow and the Mac software was so bad I gave up. Now, when I want to digitize paper, I use my Canon A95 digital camera. It's as easy as taking a snapshot (or a lot of snapshots), then sucking the images into the Mac. If I really needed it, I'd make or buy a digital-camera copy stand, where I clip the camera in place, put papers on it, snap and go. I'd spend up to $150 for such a stand, especially if it folded flat and I could store it in my bookcase. I don't have OCR, but that would be great. A small matter of programming, because the A95's JPEGS are easily crisp enough to OCR from. My main point is that scanners suck: in size, speed, and software. Digital cameras are the way to go, with some kind of copy stand. Best feature: you can use the camera as a camera, and you can upgrade it independent of the copy stand. I used to use a scanner, but it was so slow and the Mac software was so bad I gave up.

Now, when I want to digitize paper, I use my Canon A95 digital camera. It’s as easy as taking a snapshot (or a lot of snapshots), then sucking the images into the Mac.

If I really needed it, I’d make or buy a digital-camera copy stand, where I clip the camera in place, put papers on it, snap and go. I’d spend up to $150 for such a stand, especially if it folded flat and I could store it in my bookcase.

I don’t have OCR, but that would be great. A small matter of programming, because the A95’s JPEGS are easily crisp enough to OCR from.

My main point is that scanners suck: in size, speed, and software. Digital cameras are the way to go, with some kind of copy stand. Best feature: you can use the camera as a camera, and you can upgrade it independent of the copy stand.

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