SimpleOCR is exactly what it claims to be: a simple OCR application. It does not have advanced options or feature spectacular performance, but it is free. That said, it recognizes most of the text I tried out, saving me a lot of typing.
I tested the application with a two-column text, and it had no problem. Tables, however, are a different matter, and if you need to scan them you should look elsewhere. The recognition process is about average. There are multiple misses and mistakes, even with machine print type of characters. Nevertheless, if you are planning to scan some text this program will prove to be of invaluable help.
You can use SimpleOCR with your scanner, or even if you do not have one, you can use it directly on scanned images of text.
The program is also intended for handwriting OCR. However, that process is not so simple. The application will need a minimum number of words in order to learn your handwriting. And even then, not all handwritings can be easily recognized. The demo specifically states that “linked letters” will not be identified. If you plan to do a lot of these, the demo advices you to practice accepted handwriting techniques.
You will be able to save your recognized text as a Microsoft Word file (.doc), or simple text file (txt). This is, as stated, a very simple program. Simply select what you want to recognize, let the program do its work, and select the location where you want to save it. The only real option you have is to select an area with the image, for everything within to be treated as such. You will need to register to use the handwriting recognition feature beyond the initial 15 days.
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