First, I received an email today from someone who was looking for feedback on the Atiz BookDrive DIY. I also received an unrelated comment today about the Atiz machine. So, I'm turning to you all for help. If you are using the Atiz BookDrive DIY and willing to share your impressions of the machine, please contact me. I'll summarize and anonymize the comments for the blog. Thanks!
Second, occasionally I look for a sales/marketing web site for the Scribe machine for digitizing books, but never find one. There must be one, right? So, if you know of a legitimate sales/marketing site for the machine, please let me know. Thanks!
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Digitization
8 comments:
I thought the Scribe book machine was created by the Internet Archive for its own use and was not for sale.
We use the ATIZ Bookdrive DIY here at George Mason U and I'll be happy to correspond with anyone about our experiences (all good).
Here's a blog post where I posted a bit of info:
http://timesync.gmu.edu/wordpress/?p=556
-- W. Grotophorst
I've heard from someone who has confirmed this. The machines are built specifically for the IA and the software seems to be integrated into the specific process that the IA is using. It has been suggested that it would be too complicated to de-couple the machine from the software and then make the machine its own sale-able product. If the machine is that cool/useful, however, why doesn't Brewster Kahle partner with someone who could make it a sale-able product?
BTW I had thought the Scribe might be for sale because I had heard a price at one point. Perhaps early on, Kahle thought about selling it. Who knows.
Scribe machines are not for sale, but the equipment and dedicated scanner operator can be leased from the Internet Archive.
Some more information on the Scribe lease arrangement, looks like NCSU and UNC each have one. The nice thing with the Archive value proposition is that it is then hosted via globally distibuted datacenters, so you don't have to pay for storage costs (which can easily dwarf the cost of a scanning machine/operator).
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2008/03/10/story7.html
The Atiz Bookdrive DIY has been an enormous help to our Archive/Scan department here at the North Essex Registry of Deeds (MA). The Bookdrive allows us to image, process and upload thousands of documents each day and allows us to provide the public web access to documents previously only available at the Registry. Great product.
I am a student at UC Berkeley.
I have been scanning the hell out of books, notes, and campus event flyers easily. I scan ALL my books and load them onto my watch, eliminating the need to carry 40lbs of books on my back, its great! Now I laugh at other students who lug around books; I also thank my book scanner everyday for all the chiropractor bills I will save on in the future, because I currently don't affect my posture or health with a heavy back pack. I know i am the only one on campus doing full digital scanning of my books. I can see the value in this technology and I have randomly asked students how they feel about losing their books and not carrying 40 lbs daily; and remember that's 40 on an easy day off to the library! I can scan 500 pages an hour on average. I scan much more than books, including ALL of my paperwork, bills, pictures, forms, business paperwork, private docs, etc. etc etc. I am barely using all of the features that the software package offers, however I love it. I have always dreamed of using a faster scanner, other than my now excruciatingly slow flatbed. I can't wait to see what products ATIZ will come up with next.
Sincerely,
David A.
University of California, Berkeley
Does anyone have any cost info on the Atiz machines?
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