Software has excellent database, poor OCR

MacNN has reviewed the latest update to Neat's scanning software, NeatWorks for Mac 3.0. The suite scans receipts, business cards and full-sized documents, using intelligent optical character recognition (OCR) to append metadata to the scanned files. The software has a database for tracking trends and printing reports -- Version 3.0 adds tax categories for the U.S. and Canada, with support for individual tax forms. The company has also added Quick Look integration and workflow improvements, such as keyboard shortcuts, blank page removal, better speed, and an improved report interface.

The reviewer found the scanning capabilities to be fast and accurate. The database capabilities were also strong, with good reporting and tax documentation tracking. The Intelligent OCR struggled however, creating a bottleneck between the scanning and database portions of the suite. The reviewer had to make numerous corrections to most of the scans, slowing progress when scanning in hundreds of receipts, as many new users would likely want to do.

NeatWorks 3.0 requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or higher on an Intel Mac and works with NeatDesk or NeatReceipts scanners and other scanners from HP, Canon and Fujitsu. It is free with the purchase of a Neat scanner, or $80 as standalone software.

by MacNN Staff