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Epson Perfection 4870 Photo with OSX Tiger
iListen 1.6.8 for Mac OS 10.4 Tiger
Tiger Dictionary
Finally!
New Powermacs ATI 9600 max dual resolutions
Spinning Web pages
Why Stuffit Must Die
Epson Perfection 4870 Photo with OSX Tiger
From Glenn Bowman
Dear Charles Moore,
I have recently loaded OSX Tiger on my G5 Mac. While most things seem to be very happy with the change, my Epson Scanner (which you recently reviewed) is not recognised by the Epson software. This not only knocks me out of using the Epson interface (although oddly Vuescan has no problem recognising) but also blocks OmniPage Direct Pro which insists on scanning through that interface. Can you help please? I cannot really afford to lose either for long.
Many thanks,
Glenn Bowman
University of Kent
Canterbury, U.K.
Hi Glenn;
You are ahead of me as I don't have Tiger installed yet. The incompatibility with Tiger that you are experiencing is almost certainly a software issue, since VueScan still works. Silverfast SE also came bundled with the Epson 4870 I tested. Have you tried it? Presumably, Epson will release an update patch at some point.
A report here also notes troubles with getting Epson scanners to work with Tiger: http://www.macintouch.com/tiger04.html
as does this MacSlash entry:
http://macslash.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/29/1156254&mode=thread
One of the posters their suggests trying reinstalling the old drivers since Tiger manages metadata differently now.
The same probably goes for OmniPage Direct Pro, which likely needs a driver or version upgrade in order to work with tiger. Unfortunately, the developer has not been specially ambitious about it in its Mac OS software up-to-date.
If reinstalling the drivers doesn't work and you are really stuck, the best I can think of to advise in the short run is to bite the bullet and downgrade to OS 10.3.9.
Let me know how you make out and if you discover any better workarounds.
Charles
iListen 1.6.8 for Mac OS 10.4 Tiger
From John Padfield
Hi Charles,
I just read your review of iListen titled "Charles Moore Reviews iListen 1.6 Dictation Software For OS X Friday, June 13, 2003" and wanted to know if you've done any testing of this product since June 2003. I ask, because as an educator, I am very interested in using a Mac based speech recognition-typing product, but need some "hard data" before I drop my hard earned dollars! I read where MacSpeech just released the latest version for Tiger and would love to read an unbiased evaluation. Thanks for any assistance!
John Padfield
Solvang, CA
Hi John;
I use iListen regularly for production, so I guess I could say that I'm constantly testing it, although the last full review I posted was the 2003 article. Changes since then have been incremental, although this latest 1.6.8 release is significantly faster on my 700 MHz iBook than the 1.6.6 and earlier builds were. I'm currently running OS 10.3.9, but hope to be up and running in Tiger in a couple of weeks.
I've been using iListen since the first public beta abut six years ago, and it's come a long way since then, but it's been a lifesaver for me from the get-go.
I have it on good authority (David Pogue among others) that Dragon Naturally Speaking (PC only) is the class of the field in dictation software, but I'm very pleased with how the latest versions (especially 1.6.8) perform on my relatively old and slow Macs.
The only other choice on the Mac platform is IBM/Scansoft ViaVoice, but it's no longer beng actively developed and I'm not sure about Tiger compatibility, althoug it works with Panther.
When you can get ViaVoice X working, it's quite satisfyingly fast and accurate, but VVX is also rather flaky and cranky, breaks easily, and can be a bear to install and get up and running. It is quite responsive on my 700 MHz G3 iBook and 550 MHz G4 PowerBook, but lately I've been using iListen for the most part.
iListen, in my experience, is a lot more tractable and forgiving, and easier to install and get working properly than ViaVoice. It also lets you dictate virtually anywhere you can type, which is a substantial advantage. Another plus for iListen for dual-booters is that it comes bundled with iListen 1.5.6 that works in OS 9 (version 1.6.x is OS X only).
ViaVoice comes with an Andrea AK5370 headset, which is the only mic I've tried that wirks with VV. It also works with iListen, although MacSpeech does not recommend it.
One mic that is recommended by MacSpeech is Mac Mice's MicFlex USB Desktop Microphone, which may appeal to you if you like no-headset mics. You can read my recent review here: http://www.applelinks.com/pm/more.php?id=2006_0_1_0_M42
The best-performing mic I've used with iListen is the VXI iParrott iP ST Stereo Multimedia Headset, which is superb. My review is here: http://www.applelinks.com/pm/more.php?id=951_0_1_24_M42
However, it's also a PlainTalk type mic that won't work with newer Macs and is out of production. However, there are current model VXI headsets that will work. MacSpeech offers the VXi TalkPro Xpress Microphone/Headset, which is an is an advanced version of the iParrott 10-3 with a superior quality Gentex noise canceling microphone. MacSpeech notes that sensitivity is higher with the VXi TalkPro Xpress. This makes it ideal for all environments and works particularly well with quiet and soft spoken voices.
I’m not thrilled with the correction function in either application, and find it much faster to just correct inaccurate transcription manually, but the programs do “learn” if you have the patience and time to use the correction facility.
More info here:
http://store.macspeech.com/
Hope this helps.
Charles
Tiger Dictionary
From Duncan Dixon
Hi Charles,
I've installed Tiger on one partition of my PowerBook and am enjoying playing with it. One feature I don't think I've read about anywhere is that it includes a very fine dictionary/thesaurus -- The American Oxford.
It's very fast and also includes a good range of Canadianisms (always a good indication of how global a dictionary's coverage is).
Hi Duncan;
Thanks for the report. I had read about the dictionary support feature somewhere, and it's great to hear that it works well.
Charles
Finally!
From Eolake Stobblehouse
Under the new Mac OS X Tiger, the browser (Safari) now tells us, if we try to connect to a web site without being connected to the Internet, that we indeed are not connected to the Internet!
Finally!! Both Mac and Windoze has been telling us that "the web site does not exist" or some such nonsense. Especially beginners are hugely confused by that.
They finally got a sensible message in there. And it only took ten years!!
You can say what you will about computer programmers, but they *will* get it right eventually, even if it takes decades...
Yours, Eolake
http://stobblehouse.com
Charles
New Powermacs ATI 9600 max dual resolutions
From Nullan Blankenship
Charles,
Great summary article on the new PowerMacs on Applelinks.com
I haven’t been able to find this on Apple’s site or google so maybe you can help. If I order one of the Macs with the ATI 9600 and want to drive two displays... What is the max resolution on each display? Is the 1920x1200 across two displays or can I have 1920x1200 on each?
Thanks!
Hi Nullan;
I don't know. Here's what it says on ATI's Radeon 9600 tech. specs. page:
# Dual Digital display controllers
# Drive any combination of 2 Digital or analog displays with independent resolutions and refresh rates
# Dual integrated 10-bit per channel palette DACs operating at up to 400MHz
# Dual 165MHz TMDS transmitter (DVI 1.0 compliant) # ADC and DVI-I connectors
http://www.ati.com/products/radeon9600/radeon9600prome/specs.html
Perhaps someone in readerland will be able to provide a more satisfactory answer.
Charles
Re: New Powermacs ATI 9600 max dual resolutions
From Nullan Blankenship
It's been pretty frustrating. Apple Store and Apple's support number guys don't know and keep referring to native resolutions. If you find out from your readers, I'd certainly appreciate it!
Spinning Web pages
From Eolake Stobblehouse
Subject:
I have long been frustrated with the clunkiness and bugginess of Golive and I wanted a more nimble app for web page creation. I think I have found it in:
http://www.optima-system.com/pagespinner/
It is not WYSIWIG, but easy to use, and it has now a live preview. (Just press cmd-Y and a browser updates instantly in the background.)
Also I got CamSpinner thrown in for free, and it is a really versatile and easy to use app for recording movies with a web cam.
http://www.optima-system.com/camspinner/
Yours, Eolake
http://stobblehouse.com
Thanks for the report, Eolake.
Charles
Why Stuffit Must Die
From peterb
I thought your readers might be interested in this little rant:
"Take This .sit and Stuffit" -- Why Stuffit Must Die"
http://www.tgr.com/weblog/archives/000361.html
Regards,
peterb
Hi peter;
Interesting rant, but I don't agree with the author. Stuffit compressed files in my testing can be about one third smaller than ZIPs, a significant issue for us folks sending attachments over dial up connections (Broadband will not be available where I live for another five years, I'm told). And OS 9 compatibility is a significant issue for some of us as well. I still use OS 9 on my WallStreet PowerBook, and while Stuffit Expander 7.3 will open ZIP files, all formatting is lost.
Charles
Turnagain Arm tides...
From: kevin shaffer
Hi!
This link gives the page at the ADN with a story, and also there are links to other bore tide places (images) not in Alaska.
http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/6455051p-6334964c.html
~ Kevin
Hi Kevin;
Yes, we have the highest tides in the world here in Nova Scotia (Bay of Fundy)
Charles
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Charles W. Moore
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