The one caveat about the Adobe and University of Wisconsin remote conversion
servers is that just as with converting using Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.05, if
the creator of the document has "locked" it against conversion, those
facilities won't work any better than anything else...they use the identical
software as the reader does and if the document has security protection,
they can't cope with it.
For the record, there's a very nice tool that will remove all protection
from a PDF document, allowing it to be saved as text in the event that the
document owner has secured it against such retention. I've used this tool,
called Advanced PDF Password Recovery (APDFPR) for a couple of years and am
extremely impressed with it. A slightly crippled demo (it can't handle PDF
files larger than 64K and the command-line interface is not available) and
full purchase information are available at:
http://www.elcomsoft.com/apdfpr.html
Bear in mind that depending on the format of the original, a text rendering
of a PDF document can be extremely difficult; sometimes even impossible; to
read. For example, the manual for my Linksys router is so completely
scrambled; with paragraphs being scattered seemingly at random all over the
place; that it takes a lot of real concentration and mental gymnastics to
understand it. I think that this is because the original was a two-column
document and when converted (and despite claims to the contrary), Adobe
simply doesn't do a very good job of rendering two-column items into a
single-column output. This is one of the issues I was referring to in my
original message. PDF is still a long, long way from being totally
satisfactory. Another problem...some PDF documents are actually based on
scanned images and these are 100% inaccessible unless you first convert the
file, then use a scanner to convert _that_ output a second time.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Freeman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, August 17, 2002 8:18 AM
Subject: Re: off topic question
I echo Walt's sentiments below.
However, both Adobe and the Trace Center offer Q&D servicdes by E-mail
whereby if you send a PDF document as an attachment, a text equivalent
will be E-mailed back to you.
Mike Freeman <[log in to unmask]>
Amateur Radio: < K 7 U I J >
... Ask not for whom the <^G> tolls.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Walt Smith" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, August 17, 2002 1:07 AM
Subject: Re: off topic question
Comments follow your questions.
1. Can I export a pdf file to text so I can read it with a screen
reader?
You don't say which screen reader you use, but the Adobe Acrobat Reader
Version 5.05 version with accessibility built in will allow the saving
of
some PDF documents, provided the creator of the document has allowed it
to
be saved as text. However, since this version of the Acrobat reader is
compatible with both the recent versions of JAWS and Window-Eyes, you
can
already read the document. PDF-to-text conversion is a _very_ sticky
subject and there are lots of issues that are too complex to go into
here.
I suggest you might want to try the Blindtech list. You can subscribe
by
sending a blank email to:
[log in to unmask]
2. Can you run screen reading software on a PDA?
No. Anew customized PDA for the blind (it includes no screen) called
LapTalk comes configured with Window-Eyes, although I don't think this
is a
true PDA. Freedom Scientific is developing a pair of true PDAs to be
called
PAC Mate that should be available by the end of the year. The first to
be
available will be a Braille model and a talking model is scheduled for
release in early 2003. These will be true PDAs; that is, they will run
the
Windows CE operating system and will run all regular PDA applications.
3. About a year ago people where talking about a cell phone that could
speech the text messages. I think you could bye some software that
would
make it do that. Any one know the software and the phones that it
worked on
or any cell phones with speech?
At the moment, there's really no phone that will work on most U.S.
cellular
systems that has this capability. I saw an announcement recently from
some
outfit in the U.K. that claims to offer speech on an extremely
high-priced
phone, but the whole package...phone, software, speaker, etc...would
cost in
the neighborhood of $1200 or more. It's not worth that kind of money to
me
to have a talking cell phone, even if it was compatible with systems in
this
country.
--
Walt Smith - Raleigh, NC
[log in to unmask]
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