Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2003 23:30:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Chien <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Notes: Rapid scanning of texts for conversion to digital format on PC.
Learners of Japanese often encounter the problem of having to carry about
multiple books and texts in order to study Japanese at a classroom, with a
private teacher, or at a remote location.
One of the solutions that works wonders for me is the Canon DR-2080C
5lbs/2.5kg ~$700 USD high-speed document scanner. This scanner can be found
for sale at the many stores listed in www.shopper.com. The single feature
which sets this scanner apart from regular flatbed scanners is the ability to
scan both sides of any document in one pass! Other features include rapid 20
pages per minute (single sided)/40 pages per minute (double sided) maximum
scanning rates when connected by USB 2.0 or the included SCSI card, scanning in
color or B&W, and the relatively straight paper path accepts many different
paper types from those commonly used in most text books to those used in
magazines.
In actual use, the Canon DR-2080C gobbles up almost all types of paper
stockes without a problem, and I've just completed scanning of over 500+ sheets
of paper cuttings from magazines and laser prints without any problems. At
200dpi and in grayscale, expect about ~350 double-sided sheets scanned over USB
1.0 connection to a 2Ghz P4 PC.
One of the nice features of the Canon is the ability to deskew and
auto-crop each scan to optimize each scan. Deskew means if the paper is
slightly rotated during a scan, it will be automatically straightened.
Auto-crop means the scanner will try to find the edges of the paper and save
only that part of the scanned image, not the black, empty borders.
These features along with the ability to save to TIFF, BMP, JPG and PDF
formats make this an extremely capable and flexible scanner.
Quite possibly one of the nicest, trouble-free scanners around with a
maximum scan rating of 500,000 scans, the Canon DR-2080C has been a lifesaver
for me in converting many of my primary texts into JPEG files that I can now
view on my portable 2lbs Toshiba Libretto mini-notebook
(www.silverace.com/libretto/) as well as be able to print as many copies as I
want to mark up and practice on.
I only wish that the publishers would make books available in electronic
format in the first place to eliminate the hassle of having to scan everything.
As an example of the speed at which this scanner operates, in a short
period of only two days of use, I've been able to scan the following titles:
Complete Japanese Adjective Guide
Making Sense of Japanese Grammar
An Innovative Approach to Speaking and Reading Japanese
Japanese for Everyone - Main book, Workbook, Kanji Workbook
Berlitz Japanese Workbook
Kanji Power 1
The entire 1006 Kanji flash cards set
During this period, the scanner easily kept up a 300+page per hour scan
rate, making this one of the faster methods by which one can input documents
into a PC short of using a digital camera setup. The ability to take 50-100
pages in the feeder at once, along with a relatively straight paper path
reduces the need for operator intervention and the occurence of paper jams.
Natually, the scanning process does require one to either have a
photocopied set of the book to be scanned, or simply, as I've done, have the
spine of these paperback books cut cleanly off at a local print shop, such as
Kinkos, for about $1 per cut. Doing this on a second copy of the book allows
you to keep a copy in original bound state for easy reference if you don't want
to cut your only copy.
One can later either have the set rebound (tape binding would bring a cut
book closest to the original condition and quite usable), hole punched for keep
inside a binder and/or as-is so you can pick which pages/chapters to take with
you to class or remote locations without the need to take the entire book
along.
Quite happily, the books noted above will fit easily in the space of two
CD-R discs, and can easily be put onto any computer, such as the portable
Toshiba Libretto, Sharp SL-C700/750/760 PDAs, Sony U-series mini-notebooks, JVC
Interlink mini-notebook, etc. for easy reference to them in a lightweight
1-2lbs package.
Although I only have the Toshiba Libretto, I can say that having the
ability to refer to numerous textbooks without having to carry the bulk and
weight of numerous texts is a godsend! No more carrying a huge briefcase of
books to lessons every week! No more problems about marking up passages during
a lesson, then having to worry later about not being able to read the original
text anymore, no more problems about what to do when you need more practice on
a workbook, but have filled in the blanks already earlier. Coupled with any
portable printer, one can easily print as many copies for one's use anywhere!
A future move that will happily save even more weight and bulk would be to
move the entire body of texts to a Sharp SL-C760/750/700 series PDA. Easily
fittting into a medium sized man's pant pocket or shirt pocket, this PDA could
then be easily used in the classroom or any remote location to bring along
numerous textbooks in a very convenient to carry form factor! Nothing like
being able to replace 20-50lbs worth of books with a 250g/8.8oz PDA!
http://sharp-world.com/corporate/news/030516.html
=====
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The latest news and information for the Toshiba Libretto owner.
http://www.silverace.com/libretto/
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