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Atiz scanner comes in at lower price point
October 29, 2009 | 8:07 am
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By Paul Biba
While I don’t think that most of our readers will be buying a scanner, I cover this because I find the technology extremely interesting. It’s one thing to read an ebook, it’s another to find out how one is made.
The new scanner uses digital SLR cameras, so if improved cameras appear they ca be just swapped out, instead of having to replace the entire unit. Their Pro version will supposedly scan up to 700 pages an hours, but I presume this is only with books in top condition. The v-shaped cradle was designed to put less strain on old books.
Their scanners run from $6,000 to $14,000 and you can find them here. Thanks to Michael von Glahn for the link.
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Comments:
In light of the concerns people have for the loss of the used and Mom-and-Pop bookstores, maybe this is something those small shops should be seriously considering. Scanning (already owned) books, in order to transfer them to digital formats, is like making yourself a tape of an album you owned. It is generally considered acceptable as long as the electronic copy isn’t resold or distributed without the express permission of the copyright holder.
Perhaps if the bookstores could cover themselves with some document the customer signs, to the effect that they agree the copy is for personal use only, and they are not to redistribute under penalty of law, the bookstores could make good money charging for the conversion of printed books to digital formats.
You can also just make your own:
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-High-Speed-Book-Scanner-from-Trash-and-Cheap-C/
There’s several different ways of doing it, and you can find instructions on the Internet if you search. If you have two digital cameras (no, you don’t need SLRs), most of the job is already done.
Yes, if you have the time to scan and OCR your books. My thought was that most people don’t have that time, but they might pay to have it done… giving small and used bookstores a new service they could offer, to help keep them afloat.
There is actually a company that will scan your books for you for a minimal fee (something like $.04/page). I’m not sure if they use the Atiz BookDrive, but they certainly take all the hassle of self-scanning. I found the link here;
http://www.blueleaf-book-scanning.com/
They advertise free return shipping, and first 100 pages free.
Cheers.