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Plustek Technology's BookReader transforms printed words into text or PDF files with audio output, which can be saved in MP3 or WAV format for future access. With the press of one button - and some editing to clean up the optical character recognition (OCR) errors - the Plustek BookReader converts printed text into speech with a relatively lifelike voice, given that it is a computerized one. Additionally, when in use, the BookVoice software vocalizes many of your computer's navigational actions and offers other accessibilityfriendly features.
INSTALLATION AND SETUP
Installation is plug-and-play easy: Unlock the BookReader by pulling back the lock head on the bottom, plug the USB cable into your Windows XP or 2000-equipped PC, and plug in the unit. Switch on the Plustek BookReader and insert the CDROM into your computer, which self-installs and automatically restarts the computer. On restart, you are prompted to load the BookReader "BAT" disc, which then provides a digital version of the eight pages of instructions. (Note that the navigation in the digital version is ill-conceived, requiring the user to return to the first page to move to a subsequent one. It also doesn't offer search. In this case, the printed booklet is much more usable.) Ultimately, installation is so simple that it hardly requires instructions at all.
The best software installations prompt me to download from the web, so I'm sure to have the most current version. The next best software installs and then pushes me to the web to check for updates. Unfortunately, the Plustek did neither. When I visited the site and checked the FAQ, I saw the question, "How can I update my BookReader software version?" The answer was that I should open the BookReader software, go to the menu, select Help, and then update online. However, this doesn't refer to the default BookVoice software; it is actually in reference to the OCR software included, ABBYY FineReader (which end users will not interact with under normal circumstances).
One overriding concern for this product: To succeed in a global market, more attention will need to be paid to translation and globalization issues. While most users aren't surprised by the awkward translations of help manuals, FAQs in online help sections should be worded carefully. The BookReader's FAQ...