New type of scanner: Maybe this will be the third scanner on my desktop. It would be useful to process books and magazines. My big flatbed is a pain to put books into and this new...

mtbear

Maybe this will be the third scanner on my desktop. It would be useful to process books and magazines. My big flatbed is a pain to put books into and this new scanner will take care of that annoying bend in the scan.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/czur-scanner-build-your-own-digital-library#/

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Yes, well scanners that work with books exist for a long time. They create b&W images that then are transcribed using OCR, all automated. No crease, no bend.

Some even reformat the text and pictures if any.

I do not see what the fuss is about. Anyone giving $$$ for this crappy project is a sucker.

mtbear

Yes I have one of those, have had one or another since about 1995. But putting books in it is a real slow cumbersome process. Since no one has one of these in their hands how can you possibly conclude that it is crappy? You probably thought that replacing hand cranks on your car with an electric starter motor was crap too.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

mtbear wrote:

Yes I have one of those, have had one or another since about 1995. But putting books in it is a real slow cumbersome process. Since no one has one of these in their hands how can you possibly conclude that it is crappy? You probably thought that replacing hand cranks on your car with an electric starter motor was crap too.

No, simply because this is a scam. They make folks think they are investing is a new technology which is not the case.*

If we were talking about something that scan a whole book w/o opening it that would be different.

Ah, oh, yes, this has already been done. It just cost a few millions of $$$ and used to read burnt or chemically damaged leafs of papers that could not be separated. (Scrolls found in the middle east were partially deciphered this way a couple of years ago.)

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* These are called overhead scanners.

Edit: I filed a formal complaint against this fund raising campaign. Let us see what happens.

Thank you for making me pay attention! :thumbup: :lol: :lol: :lol:

meatyore

I think if you read the Czur Fund-raising page carefully, they are not claiming to have re-invented the wheel. They have done a few things to bring book-scanning to the average consumer,they are NOT building a machine to scan antique books. The soft-ware is what they're selling- the software is designed to flatten the page and copy WITHOUT bending the book to near-90 degrees. This preserves the book, and the binding. They're accomplishing this at a price-point many consumers will be able to afford. IF you look at what is now available in book-copiers, you will see the abilities of the Czur stand out for price-point and for scanning abilities AT that price point

Rongnongno Loc: FL

meatyore wrote:

I think if you read the Czur Fund-raising page car... (show quote)

Average customer????

The price of theses things vary from $39.99 to $499.99 so, no. "Average customers" have a wide range of prices and features to choose from including half open books with rectified perspective..

JamesCurran Loc: Trenton ,NJ

I did find it rather interesting that they got a number of good-looking models and an American voice-over actor, but didn't get a native English speaker to fix the script of the video.

Glide1340 Loc: Hollywood, Fl

I don't want to sound paranoid but, considering some recent events, what a clever way for the Chinese to collect information. Before you comment, watch and listen to the video.

JamesCurran Loc: Trenton ,NJ

Glide1340 wrote:

I don't want to sound paranoid but, considering some recent events, what a clever way for the Chinese to collect information.

But what information? IndieGoGo wouldn't provide them with your financial details, so they best they could get would be the shipping addresses of a bunch of random people. What would that do for them that they couldn't achieve by just pulling names & addresses out of a phone book?

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Rongnongno wrote:

No, simply because this is a scam. They make folk... (show quote)

:thumbup: :thumbup:

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

Rongnongno wrote:

Yes, well scanners that work with books exist for a long time. They create b&W images that then are transcribed using OCR, all automated. No crease, no bend.

Some even reformat the text and pictures if any.

I do not see what the fuss is about. Anyone giving $$$ for this crappy project is a sucker.

We know, anyone who disagrees with you is a sucker, and idiot, or deserves to go out of business. All hail you... :roll:

meatyore

bkyser wrote:

We know, anyone who disagrees with you is a sucker, and idiot, or deserves to go out of business. All hail you... :roll:

I wonder how that 'Formal Complaint' is coming along? Last I looked, they far exceeded their monetary expectations. Mind you- these donations are not coming from poor dummies or old people getting phone-scammed. They put the product, and their information out there for the public. If I had questions about the product, I would query the developers first, lest perhaps my name go on record as the only dissenter to a valid product. A lack of questioning and curiosity is not a healthy approach. It lacks humility and assumes the dissenter knows more than the inventor! I am not saying that an occasional lame product does not squeak through the system, but most projects seem to have teeth. You put it out there, and the public At Large decides, and you vote 'no' by simply keeping your money in your pocket. Much too early to write an epitaph.

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

meatyore wrote:

I wonder how that 'Formal Complaint' is coming alo... (show quote)

Sorry, you misunderstood me, I was commenting on the fact that RG attacked me personally on another post, just because I disagreed with him, he decided that he hopes I go out of business. I may not be excited about the product, but I don't wish for anyone to go out of business, and certainly don't say that someone who is interested in backing any product is a sucker, just because I feel a certain way.

meatyore

I think this is a problem on many other-wise helpful websites where almost no conversation can remain civil due to combative and narcissistic people who hijack even the most benign conversations, such as this one involving a book scanner.
I see where the scanner funding is now at around 1000% funding- way over the top. I may copy this thread for them later so they can have a bit of a laugh!

cj6078

While I applaud technology,I question the validity of the cloud as the only means of compilation. If it is indeed presented as buying the technology, why not let it stand alone to accumulate on one's own hard drive, if you choose to, instead of having to pay a monthly fee to use their cloud. what happens to your data if something happens and you don't pay the fee? Does all your data go away? Just some thoughts that came past my mind.