Obviously we think that the myReader is the best low vision auto-reader on the market,  no question!  Below is a collection of some of the most frequently asked questions about myReader. Click on the question to read the answer.

What is an auto-reader?
What is the difference between an auto-reader and a video magnifier?
What do you mean by rearranged text?
What is automatic reading?
What are Column, Row and Word layouts?
Which layout is best?
How are rearranged text and automatic reading produced?
Does myReader perform OCR?
If myReader takes a snapshot of the page, how can I do activities that require movement, like handwriting?
I like to be in control of my reading. If I don’t like the sound of automatic reading, are there alternatives?
Can all documents be presented with rearranged text?
Will rearranged text and automatic reading allow me to read faster?
Video magnifiers make me queasy and tired so I can’t read with one for very long. Will rearranged text and automatic reading allow me to read for a longer time?
Who conducted these independent tests?
Are these advanced new features complicated to use?
Can myReader display high contrast, inverse video and false colors like a video magnifier?
Can I use myReader with my PC?
Is myReader’s design ergonomic?
I want to look at a page that is landscape format and it will only fit on the platter sideways, how can I look at that?
Do I have to line my page up perfectly on the platter?
How much room does myReader take up?
What is SmartSense technology?

What is an auto-reader?
It's a whole new concept in low vision equipment. Instead of just making things bigger like a video magnifier, it takes the information on a page and displays it in a way that makes it much easier for a person with low vision to read.

What is the difference between and auto-reader and a video magnifier?
The most important difference is that the auto-reader doesn’t need an XY table. Instead, it has Rearranged Text and Automatic Reading, which allow people with low vision to read faster and for longer periods without getting as tired as they do with video magnifiers.

What do you mean by rearranged text?
Well, what happens is that myReader splits the text of your document into individual words, and joins them together again in one of three different layouts, Column, Row or Word. It strings all of the lines in the document together so you don’t have to keep searching for the start of the next line.

What is automatic reading?
Automatic reading is where myReader moves the document across the screen for you, at a speed you set.

What are Column, Row and Word layouts?
In Column layout, the text is presented in a single column that fits neatly on the screen, like the teleprompters used on TV shows. In Row layout, the text is presented as a continuous line that scrolls across the screen. In Word layout, one word at a time appears in the middle of the screen.

Which layout is best?
Column layout is best for most users.  In this layout the text is arranged to use the whole screen and less movement of the text is needed. Row layout suits people who need larger maounts of magnification. 

How are rearranged text and automatic reading produced?
After you have placed your page on the platter, MyReader takes a snapshot of the page and stores it. It then uses advanced document analysis techniques to find the text on the page and process it. All this happens behind the scenes. All the user has to do is read.

Does myReader perform OCR?
No. The document analysis that myReader does is part of what OCR is. However, in computers, OCR also works out what each letter is and replaces it by a computer-generated font. MyReader displays each word as it looked on the page but magnified.

If myReader takes a snapshot of the page, how can I do activities that require movement, like handwriting?
There is a live mode available, where you can watch your movements on the screen. This means you can do handwriting or any activity that requires motion.

I like to be in control of my reading. If I don’t like the sound of automatic reading, are there alternatives?
Yes. You have plenty of choices. As well as automatic reading, you can manually move the text using the trackball built into the control panel. Of course, you only have to move in one direction rather than in two directions, as you would with a video magnifier and XY table, and you don’t have to worry about finding the start of the next line. You can also quickly step through your document a screen at a time with one button stroke.

Can all documents be presented with rearranged text?
No. Some documents, like tables, would be harder to read if the text was rearranged. Also, the document analysis techniques used to split the document into individual words and join them together again are not  perfect. Documents with multi-colored backgrounds or with text wrapped closely around pictures can’t be rearranged. For these documents, and indeed for all documents, there is always the option to read them in their original layout using automatic reading. Handwritten documents are also best read this way.

Will rearranged text and automatic reading allow me to read faster?
Yes. Independent tests have shown that rearranged text and automatic reading allow people to read faster than with a video magnifier.

Video magnifiers make me queasy and tired so I can’t read with one for very long. Will rearranged text and automatic reading allow me to read for a longer time?
Yes. Because myReader rearranges the text to use the whole screen, the speed at which the text moves is reduced by four or more times. This greatly reduces the discomfort felt seeing enlarged text scrolling rapidly across a line horizontal window on the screen. If neccessary, movement can be completely elminated by reading the rearranged text page by page. 

Who conducted these independent tests?
The tests were conducted by the Human Interface Technology Laboratory, New Zealand and paid for by a Technology for Industry Fellowship from the New Zealand Government's Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.

Are these advanced new features complicated to use?
No. All the complicated stuff is done behind the scenes, and myReader remembers the user’s preferences even when it is switched off. Reading a page can be as simple as pressing one button and turning a dial to start the text moving at the user’s preferred reading speed. After this, the user just has to read.

Can myReader display high contrast, inverse video and false colors like a video magnifier?
Yes. In fact, myReader has all the important features that video magnifiers have.

Can I use myReader with my PC?
Yes, myReader and your PC can share the same screen. With the footswitch, you can either swap between the PC output and myReader, or choose a split-screen display.

Is myReader’s design ergonomic?
MyReader has been designed using ergonomic principles. Its built-in LCD display is at the correct height, not perched on top like many video magnifiers. In addition, the display has height adjustment and tilt angle adjustment. The LCD is flicker free and radiation free. External VGA and DVI displays operate at 75Hz, which produces far less flicker than the 60Hz refresh rate that most video magnifiers operate at. In three easy steps, myReader folds up into a compact package with a handle enabling it to be transported from place to place.

I want to look at a page that is landscape format and it will only fit on the platter sideways, how can I look at that?
Just put it on the platter sideways. A simple control allows you to turn the page the right way round on the screen. You can even do this if you have placed the page upside down.

Do I have to line my page up perfectly on the platter?
No, myReader will automatically straighten it for you.

How much room does myReader take up?
The footprint of myReader is about 18 inches by 12 inches. Because there is no XY table to slide back and forth, that's all the room you need. And you can fold it down when not in use, so it takes up less height.

What is SmartSense technology?
SmartSense technology is made up of a high-resolution image sensor, powerful processing capability and sophisticated document analysis software that enables myReader to recognize, rewrap and control the text in documents it scans.