#Cd-rom Database???
4 messages in this thread
I am trying to scan thousands of documents into a database of some sort.
The purpose is to retrieve these documents, grouped by product line or
manufacturer, when customers call. Now we have to run from filing cabinet
to filing cabinet and it is driving us nuts.
Any ideas on the hardware needed? I need a scanner, but do I also need an
optical disk? a 100MB harddisk?
How about software needs? It should have the functionality of a database
(search on different fields or keywords.)
Thanks,
Hector
Hector,
If I understand you right, what you want to do is to scan images of
these documents, which you can then call up onto the screen. Yes you can do
this–there are add-ins to dbase and paradox which will let you index
images, plus several packages specifically designed for the job.
On the hardware side, you probably do need an optical disk–a group
3 TIFF file at 300 dpi runs about 100k for an 8.5×11 page, so a 512meg R/W
optical will take about 5000 pages. There are better compression schemes
out there, and you can probably lower the resolution, but if you indeed
have 10s of thousands of pages, you're still looking at optical drives.
As for the scanner, well, we scan for a living…It sounds like you
get a relatively small number of new documents per week, but have an
enormous backlog. I would suggest that perhaps you need a light duty
scanner for the ongoing work, and then call a service bureau to go through
those filing cabinets of backlog. (Or we'll be glad to call you)
Frank
Hi, We have this sort of product, a package doing all the job you are
talking about, as a professionnal(ie big shops :hospital…). The problem
is that I don't know if we can help you, we're in Quebec,Canada and don't
support, at this time, States. BTW, I see an add in the last PCMag (april
28) page 278 for a product of this type named Imagic, I'm not sure it's
really MAGIC and had no chance to have a look. Pierre.
Hector,
Frank and Lisa Richards (76354,15) run a scanning service that I think is
nationwide in scope. You can start with them. If you're located newr the
Washington, DC area, you could also call us: TS Infosystems. We have a
service that may match your requirements (ie, scan documents; deliver on
CD-ROM). However, we are east-coast and mostly mid-atlantic.
..<Bob> 1-800-886-4874.