Personal Computer News


Optical Reader For Mass Market

 
Published in Personal Computer News #095

Optical Reader For Mass Market

Optical character recognition is at last available for the mass market with the launch of the Omni-reader from Oberon International. (Tel: 0442-3803)

The Omni-reader is a device that lets you read the printer word directly into a computer via the RS232 port. Previous machines that could do this cost from £6,000 to £10,000. The Omni-reader is a breakthrough at a price of £458.85, although it is limited.

The four typefaces it is capable of reading are courier 10, courier 12, letter gothic 12, and prestige elite 12. It may also be possible, at a later date, to load new fonts from the host computer.

Omni-reader is a manual system that uses a scan head moved across a line of text by hand, using a ruler as a guide. The data is output via an RS232 port as ASCII characters, and the accuracy depends on the quality of the text to be read. Oberon claims that on average there will be only one error per A4 sheet.

At the moment there is software for the IBM PC only, but Oberon will be bringing out software for CP/M systems, the Apple IIe and IIc, the Mac, the Lisa, and the Sirius. The complete package also includes full details on the RS232 connection.