Plustek book reader
By Paul Biba
This is just so neat. According to Cool Hunting it lists for about $700.
Text-to Speech Peripheral Device
The Plustek BookReader features highly accurate OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and auto document orientation. This combination guarantees correct output for TTS (Text to Speech). You only need to press one button, and the Plustek Book Reader will convert printed text into high quality speech with a lifelike voice.
Plustek’s BookReader integrates high-speed scanning, natural voice synthesis (for read back) and highly accurate text-to-speech and optical character recognition (OCR) functionality, all in one device. Additional features, especially designed for the vision impaired, include: magnifying functions, font controls, volume controls, speech controls, bookmark functions, PDF reading, etc. All of them combined make BookReader a highly versatile computer companion.
The BookReader comes with OCR and text-to-speech (TTS) software. Both of them allow the scanner to copy and read the documents scanned.
To use these features, the user simply places a book or document on the scanning platen and, with the touch of one button, the book is scanned for one’s reading pleasure. With a single touch, the Book Reader transforms printed words into audio output which can be saved in MP3 format for archiving and later access.
Embedded OCR guarantees accurate scan results and allows the software to rotate disoriented text to generate a clearer message for the user. The unit comes with Plustek patented SEE Technology which uses a curved lamp to provide a clear scan of the book without distortion along the spine of big, bulky books.
February 24th, 2009 at 1:15 am
I want one!
I hope the Author’s Guild doesn’t hear about the text to speech function or they’ll be suing for audiobook royalties.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:35 am
I highly recommend this scanner. I have no use for the text-to-speech function, however. If you are like me, I recommend that you get the OpticBook 3600, if it is still available. I do not believe the hardware has changed, and I think I paid $250 for mine from Tigerdirect.com. I have also seen these scanners on Amazon.com. The basic software that comes with the 3600 is quite good, in my opinion.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:49 am
It looks to me like this is an Opticbook 3600 with new text to speech software. The Opticbook 3600 has several “models” that only differ in the software included with it. I’m actually intrigued by the Plustek A300, which they claim can scan an A3 sized book in 600 DPI color at 3 seconds per page.