Macworld Forums: Mac Equivalent to Microsoft Document Imaging? - Macworld Forums

Hi,
I'm switching from the "dark side" to the "Light Side" and have a question that virtually no one up to this point has been able to answer. I use a Macbook Pro at home & Windows XP Pro at work, and in MS Office (Windows) 2003 there's an Office Tool that called Microsoft Document Imaging that I use every day. It's an essential tool allows me to scan documents, perform OCR on the scans, and create multiple page .tif files. This is invaluable in making digital copies of documents like time sheets, attendance forms, handwritten notes, articles, tax documents, etc. It's extremely useful and handy. Unfortunately, this tool is not part of Office 2004 for the Mac, and I'm not holding my breath that it will be included in Office 2008. Meantime, I've asked every Mac user I know, the folks at the local Apple store, and several self-described Mac "experts" what the Mac equivalent of Office Document Imaging is, and nobody has been able to answer the question. I'm thinking I might be able to use Adobe Acrobat Professional 8, but this is new ground for me. My alternative is to run Parallels, install Windows, and run Office 2003 that way ... and I'd 'druther not do that, because the point of switching to a Mac was to get away from Windoze. Can anyone out there steer me in the right direction?

Acrobat can do those things, but it's expensive. Download and try VueScan. It has OCR and multiple-page TIF output, but I admit I've never tried that part of the program. I just use it for scans. The VueScan user guide is on that site.

moosensquirrel,
Thanks very much for replying to my post. I've downloaded and perused the VueScan manual, and it looks very close to Office Document Imaging in its capabilities. I've downloaded a copy and will check it out right away. If this does what it looks like it will do my question will be answered. Thanks again ... YOU 'DA MAN!
DrBubba
hisownself

I'll second Vuescan!!! /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Doc-I look forward to hearing about your results. Just made the switch to mac also and am trying to go paperless. Thanks. TRex

Check out:
WorkingPapers Pro ($99)
Dominion Software
http://www.dominionsw.com
This is an integrated document imaging and managment program that lets you scan, OCR, and organize your documents for easy retrieval.

Thanks for the tip. I checked and Working Papers Pro is no longer available according to their website. I'm still looking.

I got a copy of VueScan and have been trying it out. Thus far I've been unable to get it to scan more than one page at a time. I've been swapping emails with the developer trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong, but so far I'm not able to do what I need to do. If anyone out there can help me get VueScan to work I'd really appreciate the help. It looks like there is no Mac equivalent to MS Document Imaging (found in MS Office for Windows), and I'm finding this to be both amazing and a significant hurdle to making a "paperless" switch to the Mac. I can't believe that someone (including Microsoft) hasn't developed an app like this. If I could get VueScan to work I'd be a happy camper, but I can't yet so I'm still looking for the solution.

There are a bunch of excellent document imaging and management applications for the Macintosh, but they don't include OCR:
Optix
http://www.mindwrap.com

DocHaven
http://homepage.mac....n/DocHaven.html
Sonar
http://www.virginiasystems.com

DocumentWallet
http://www.receiptwa...umentwallet.php
Yep
http://www.ironicsoftware.com/

DevonThink
http://www.devon-tec...cts/devonthink/
EagleFiler
http://c-command.com/eaglefiler/

Journler
http://journler.com/
There are several separate OCR programs available for the Mac.

Mictrotek ScanWizard has OCR, abeit, you have to own one of their scanners to use it.

any luck?
I just started this quest myself.
so far i've found:
Newsoft - Presto! Pagemanager 7
Nuance - OmniPage Pro X For Macintosh
Readiris Pro 9.0
Working Papers 2.2.2
VueScan

I have been using a Fujitsu SnapScan for the past year for about 30-40 pages per week it integrates with adobe acrobat very well. It does two sided scanning at the same pass and it does multipage documents that none of my 3 other flatbed scanners could.
I strongly recommend them.

what are the Model numbers / Software versions?
Scansnap ???
Adobe Acrobat ???

The snapscan that I use is the FI-5110EOXM this model may have been updated. Whatever model you choose make sure it is mac compatible most of the Fujitsus are not. These do use a proprietary driver (not TWAIN) and therefore have to be mac ready to use them. They are otherwise very reliable and fast wnough for most desktop use.
They can scan to PDF format which is my preferred especially as PDF work so well with preview and spotlight.
I also have a full version of adobe acrobat 5 but do not think that it is necessary to use the Fujitsu scanner.