I’ve used TextBridge Pro version 1, copyright 1997 (for the home market) and Presto! Page Manager version 2.3, copyright 1997 (came with my scanner).

What Does the Box Hold?
The box included a manual, a CD-ROM, and an install notice that apply to OmniPage Pro 10.
The OmniPage Pro User’s Manual’s 64 pages contain chapters on Welcome (help and support), Installation and Setup, Introduction to OmniPage Pro, Processing Documents, Settings and Commands, Saving and Exporting, and Technical Information (troubleshooting). It is well written and laid out. It’s worth your time to read through before installing and using the program.

Running the Program
Although you can install and start using OmniPage Pro 10 in just a few minutes do not expect to master it and produce great output in only an hour or two. Its clean, simple appearance hides a very powerful program. Like all such programs it takes time and practice to master.

It’s also important to remember that OmniPage Pro only recognizes machine-printed characters such as laser-printed or typewritten text. However, it can retain handwritten text, such as a signature, as a graphic.

You can convert your image files to text through three methods: Auto OCR, Manual OCR, or OCR Wizard. The Toolbox changes to match the method you choose. The User’s Manual has large illustrations showing each Toolbox and its commands.

As usual when I get a new program, I try to learn by accomplishing tasks I want to do anyway. This time I had several projects waiting. Project 1 involved converting a scan (provided by my brother) of a poor copy of a typed poem. I had promised my aunt to put it in a fancy format suitable for hanging on her wall. I set the program up for Auto OCR. While it only identified one problem (it didn't recognize a quotation mark) after converting the image to text, I found that it had misread commas as periods and put in strange punctuation. When I examined the original TIF file, I found that it was of very poor quality – commas were blobs and there were lots of extraneous marks in the background. This emphasizes that low quality originals give poor OCR results.

You can go into the Text View Pane and make corrections there or, after saving the file, you can go into your associated word processor (MS Word 97, in my case) and make the corrections there. I could have avoided some of my difficulties with this conversion if I had read the Help File first. Under the major section Selecting OmniPage Pro Page Settings, I found the sub-section Settings Guidelines. At the beginning of the guide, it says, 

Project 2 involved scanning a box with instructions for the Bedtime Tales Teddybears we got for Christmas. Again, I used Auto OCR. Although the converted text only needed two corrections and one spelling verification, it had many extra lines. The conversion process did not center all the lines that should have been centered. I had to correct them in MS Word. Overall, I was pleased with this conversion since I had already tried to do it in Presto! Page Manager where it required extensive formatting and spelling corrections.

In Project 3, I scanned a page from a library cookbook, which I had copied years ago, from within the program. This time I Used the OCR Wizard. It didn't read the text well; I had to make lots of corrections during the proofreading process. It didn’t form a border around the picture well. I tried processing the page again with Manual OCR. I did the zoning this time and nothing came up in proofreading. It turned out that I had zoned everything graphic. I changed the zones to text by right clicking on each one. Unfortunately the conversion went no better than before on the text but the picture came out right.

When you scan from within OmniPage Pro 10, you don’t see the original document being scanned and you can’t choose how much of it is scanned at one time. If you have a high quality letter or book page, this is no problem. If you have text on a color wood grain background with pictures, it’s a real problem as I found out in Project 4. I had a grill pan with instructions on its large box. First, I tried scanning directly from the program with disastrous results. Then I scanned the box in Presto! Page Manager. I did each section of text separately. I used the OCR Wizard to process all the text images at once. The program started converting the first image while it continued opening up the other files in the background. Once it processed the first image, it opened up the proofreading window. I didn’t realize that it went from one document to the next without letting you know when it changed documents so I got confused. Some of the images converted well others required extensive corrections. Some text was converted to strange graphics. Some of the wood grain was converted to letters. Actually, I didn’t expect that OmniPage Pro 10 would be able to do a great job so I was happy that I didn’t have to type everything and do all the format everything from scratch. It did save me a lot of time.

Caere promises that OmniPage Pro 10 will give you 

For Project 6, I tried some pages from one of my printed cookbooks. First, I scanned them. I did three scans (black & white, greyscale, and color) since the recipe title was in a grey band. Second, I converted them using the OCR Wizard. The recipe title didn’t convert in the greyscale image. Two fractions in all the scans didn’t convert. Everything else was perfect.

Because the fractions weren’t recognized, I tried a recipe from another cookbook on pink paper. This time everything converted properly with no mistakes.

Other Comments
After an image has been converted, the program can read it aloud to you. Unfortunately, on my system, the words have a distorted echo to them. The voice is female and doesn’t use natural pauses. However, if there are many errors its immediately apparent.

The program has many more capabilities that I haven’t fully explored. I tested some of them briefly. 
 

1. Web Page Creation 
   you can save your text as an HTML file. They claim “WYSIWYG output means you're only a click away from turning documents into web pages.” I saved one of my pages and looked at it in Netscape Communicator 4.76. One line of text and one graphic weren’t centered which is easily fixed if you know any HTML coding at all.
2. Microsoft Office Integration 
   Perform OCR functions directly from your favorite Microsoft programs for hassle-free OCR. Works with Office 97, 2000 and XP. I tested this in MS Word 97. Two commands were added to the File menu: Acquire text which brings up OmniPage Pro 10 interface and Acquire text settings which brings up the OmniPage Pro 10 Options dialog box. The same commands were also added to Excel 97.

Installation
When I inserted the CD-ROM, the Main Menu came up which allowed me to install products, view the readme file, visit the Caere web site, or browse the CD. After I chose to install OmniPage Pro 10, I had to accept the license agreement and complete my user information (I needed the serial number that was on the CD-ROM envelope). Then I had to select my country and the location for the program files (unusually, this screen showed all my physical and logical hard drives with their free space) and start the install. 

After the program files were installed, the scanner selection screens appeared. First, I had to choose the manufacturer and model of my scanner. Second, I had to type in my own name for the scanner. Third, I had to choose the proper TWAIN driver. Scanner drivers are usually installed through your scanner software or from Windows. This is the trickiest part of the whole install since the file names may be cryptic and there may be more than one. For instance, I had to choose between VistaScan V2.40 and VistaScan32 V2.40. Look your driver name up in your scanner documentation before you begin the install. Finally, the finish screen appeared. 

After that, a dialog box appeared with the following message: 

My install went fairly quick and without a hitch. It took longer than normal since I did many screen captures until it was time to actually install the program. Then I closed my screen capture program.

Bottom Line
I had no problems running OmniPage Pro 10. Everything worked smoothly. It had no problems working with several files at once unlike TextBridge Pro version 1. Do I think you should buy OmniPage Pro? That depends on your needs and your finances. 
If you don’t have a separate OCR program, get one. Don’t use the one that came with your scanner unless it is a recent, full version. If it’s old or has SE, Light, or Lite in its name get a new program. Crippled and old versions are so frustrating to use that you won’t do so. Presto! Page Manager is useless for OCR. TextBridge Pro version 1 is slow and doesn’t handle multiple documents well. I don’t know how the more recent versions perform. The latest one may be fine if you only have an occasional document to OCR.

OmniPage Pro 11 has a long list of new capabilities. The following sound most useful to me: It can recognize documents in 114 Languages under three alphabets including multiple languages on a page. It can convert PDF files to documents you can use like Word, Excel, or HTML. It can save documents in PDF format for archiving or sharing.

If you have a lot of documents to OCR and plenty of money get OmniPage Pro 11. If you don’t have a lot of money you may want to search for less expensive programs. Don’t pay money to try them out though. $40 here and $60 there for programs that don’t meet your needs will quickly add up to the cost of OmniPage Pro 11.

Minimum System Requirements 
Intel Pentium processor or equivalent, Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0, 32 MB RAM, Required hard disk space: 50 MB to install application files and Caere Scan Manager, SVGA monitor, minimum 800 x 600 (256 colors or higher), Windows-compatible pointing device, CD-ROM drive for installation. 

Minimum System Requirements for OmniPage Pro 11
Windows 95, 98, ME, XP, NT 4.0, or 2000, Intel Pentium processor or equivalent, 32 MB RAM (64 MB Recommended), Required hard disk space: 115-170 MB depending on operating system requirements, CD-ROM drive, SVGA monitor, minimum 800 x 600 (256 colors or higher). 

My System
I installed OmniPage Pro 10 on a Gateway P5-200 with a Pentium 200 MMX CPU 64 MB RAM, a primary 20 GB hard drive and a secondary 8.4 GB hard drive. It has a UMAX Astra 1200S SCSI scanner. Its operating system is Windows 95.

Vital Statistics
I have found OmniPage Pro at various CompUSA stores in the past. On February 7, 2002, I checked Half.com for OmniPage Pro. At that time no one was selling OmniPage Pro 10 however several copies of OmniPage Pro 11 were listed. If you wish to check current availability of either program at Half.com, choose computers on the home page, and then enter "OmniPage Pro" in search block. Look carefully at the description for each entry since Apple & PC versions are mixed together.

You can find further information about OmniPage Pro 11 at <http://www.caere.com/products/>. 

The estimated street price of OmniPage Pro 11 is $499.99. Upgrade from any OCR program to OmniPage Pro 11 for $149.99. Order today by visiting the online store or by calling 888-781-1189. If you are interested in corporate licensing, please fill out our interest form.
 

• On-line sales
• Where to Buy
• Scanners for OmniPage Pro
• Full contact