I just received this press release and have not had time to investigate it. If anyone has seen this equipment, please post a comment and let us know what you think about it. My first reaction is that the term "ripper" is not a great one to use (especially in the headline), since we don't want to rip/destroy books (and that's how people are going to interpret that word)!
BTW This is obviously a manual book scanner. Looks like the cameras are not included. The camera used would impact the quality of the digital images.
First Consumer Book “Ripper” Is Now Available From Atiz Innovation
Former “The Apprentice” Finalist Nick Warnock’s Latest Venture Aims to Revolutionize When, Where and How You Read Books
Los Angeles, California – November 15, 2007 – Consumers, avid readers and family archivists now have a tool to help them preserve and share their personal libraries. Atiz Innovation, Inc., (www.atiz.com), the leaders in automatic content digitization, today announced the release of BookSnap, the first digital book ripper designed for individual consumers. BookSnap transforms printed books into the widely available PDF format, allowing users to access their favorite books on common devices such as a laptop, PDA or eBook reader—anywhere and at any time.
With a price of $1,595—compared to commercially focused products that cost upwards of $20,000—and the ability to digitize books at rate of 500 pages per hour, the BookSnap is set to transform the way in which consumers digitally convert and access books and other printed material.
Just as the MP3 became the foundation for the digital music industry, the PDF is a prerequisite for the eBook reading device industry to take off. BookSnap represents the first attainable consumer solution to make this happen.
“We designed the BookSnap for people who have always wanted to digitize their personal libraries but haven’t had a viable way to do it – until now,” said Nick Warnock, president, Atiz Innovation. “We sat down and said, ‘Can we innovate reading?’ How do we take what we are doing with our professional products and make a version tailored to the consumer?’ The result gives archival power to everyone, and changes the way people convert and access their books collections.”
Major features of the BookSnap include:
o Quantity – You don’t have to waste days just to scan a single book. BookSnap digitizes books at a rate of 500 pages per hour, making the scanning process much faster than traditional scanners.
o Quality – The flat images generated by BookSnap look much better than the curled pages generated by flatbed or overhead scanners and yield higher accuracy when converted to text using OCR software.
o Spread the word – BookSnap can output to PDF format, allowing users to read their favorite books on devices such a as a notebook, PDA or eBook reader – anywhere, anytime.
Hardware
Featuring a V-shaped book cradle, BookSnap allows for face-up scanning and keeps handling to a minimum, thereby reducing wear and tear on books. The cradle utilizes a unique auto-centering feature, which eliminates “margin crawl” issues that are common with typical scanners. All output files will have consistent margins and borders.
Software
A complete software package is included with BookSnap and completely automates the ripping process, making it as simple as the push of a button. In addition, the BookSnap Editor allows for post-ripping processing, including cropping, page resizing, brightness adjustment and DPI settings. In addition to PDF, BookSnap can output files to JPEG and TIFF formats.
Pricing & Compatibility
The price of BookSnap is $1,595. It is compatible with various models of Canon digital cameras on the market today including Canon Powershot G7, Canon Powershot A640, Canon Powershot A620, Canon Powershot S80, and Canon Powershot S3 IS. BookSnap is available now at www.atiz.com.
“Recently, there has been a lot of candid discussion about the efforts of some very influential organizations—Google, Microsoft and the Library of Congress, to name a few—to create a universal digitalized library, available throughout the world” said Warnock. “While this is a noble cause, it is one that will take considerable time, effort and money. BookSnap will not only empower individuals to enjoy eBooks, but also have a role in creating and sharing content.
BookSnap is available now at www.atiz.com.
“Think of the implications,” continued Warnock. “People around the world will now be able to create and share their own digital libraries. Your favorite books and other treasured printed materials will be preserved for generations to come. BookSnap allows you to carry hundreds of your favorite eBooks with you to read anywhere and at any time.”
Technorati tag:
Digitization
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