Scanning Clients for Document Image Storage

Path: emory!europa.asd.contel.com!uunet!ogicse!psgrain!ee.und.ac.za!olsa99!aim1!deon From: deon@aim1.UUCP (Deon Botha) Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix Message-ID: <98@aim1.UUCP> Date: 11 Mar 92 14:28:52 GMT Organization: Aztec Information Management I need to scan hand-written pages and keep a document database in an online database, most probably Informix Online 4.1. a product I work with extensively. I need to clarify some issues, mostly regarding an approach to the front-ends. 1.) Using the HP IIc scanner and its MS-Windows based scanning utility; how can I approach transferring the scanned image to the back-end server without physically logging as a user and firing up a ftp file-transfer followed by some Informix front-end process to store the image file. IOW is there a clean approach to the "scan + transfer to unix via e-net + store in DBMS" cycle. 2.) What is the best image format (i.e. compressed TIFF) to use for these pur- poses. Screen legibility, printer output (HP IIIp) and size of BLOB are priorities. 3.) Is Windows my best bet? I personally find it an unstable platform for demanding applications (Application Error - Terminating too common for me). Should I not look at Macintosh or OS/2 or even eliminating the PC front- end entirely and scanning direct from Unix. 4.) Can one scan direct from a Unix terminal? IOW does SCO Unix (our O/S of necessity) support scanners (maybe on a SCSI bus?). Any other pointers will be greatly appreciated. -- ............................................................. Deon Botha :Tel: +27 (21) 419-2690 Aztec Information Management :Fax: +27 (21) 21-1040 deon@aim1.aztec.co.za