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Kurzweil 3000
Versions 10
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is K3000?
- What materials can be read using K3000?
- What does the program cost to borrow?
- How do I know if I am eligible to borrow K3000?
- Where can I use K3000?
- How long can I check out the K3000 program?
- How do I convert my textbooks for use in K3000?
- Do I need to get all my written materials digitized?
- What will happen to my books when the ATC digitizes them?
- How long will it take for my books to be ready?
- When should I bring my books to the ATC for digitizing?
- Does my book have to be chopped if the ATC has it in its database?
- How to I get my books rebound?
- How is the reading quality of the digitized text?
- Do I have to buy a book even if the ATC has it in its database?
- What should I look for in selecting used books for purchase?
- What is "read-only protection" and how do I remove it?
- How do I change K3000's reading voices?
- How do I make different toolbars available in K3000?
The Kurzweil K3000 is a text-to-speech program with color-blocked word tracking and other helpful study tools. It was designed to aid students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder by reading aloud scanned text and providing helpful note taking skills.
K3000 can read any text that has been typed or scanned into the program. It can also read any text on the World Wide Web.
K3000 is a free, loaned program to students registered with the ATC. All other costs associated with the use of services are also
free of charge. These services include equipment checkout, training, and program manuals.
Students may contact Disabled Student Services (DSS) or the ATC to determine eligibility. At this time, K3000 is limited for use to only those
with a registered disability.
K3000 can be used at any of the computer stations at the ATC and the Herman B Wells Library. In addition, the program can be loaned to students and installed on a home
computer or laptop. The ATC also loans laptops to those students who demonstrate suffcient need.
K3000 is loaned to students on a semester basis. At the selected ending date of the semester, each program must be checked in or renewed at the ATC. The K3000 software needs to be uninstalled by an ATC staff member.
Bring your textbooks (and other written materials) to the ATC, where a staff member will convert it text into "digitized text."
This is what we call an "image" file (usually a .kes file), which K3000 recognizes.
Not necessarily. The ATC maintains a database of thousands of digitized books, with an emphasis on those most commonly used by students.
An ATC staff member will tell you if any of the books you need are in our database.
The spine of each book is removed from the book's pages and "chopped" so that that the sheets can be fed into our high-speed scanners.
When your books are returned to you after scanning, you can have them rebound.
The beginning of semester is the best time for K3000 scanning. During these busy times you should allow for two to three days for all
materials to be completed. During off-peak times, most materials can be processed within 24 hours.
The earlier you bring in your textbooks and materials to the ATC, the better. We want to have your materials back to you as close as possible to when classes begin. Getting books to
us early will expedite this process.
No. You need only present proof of ownership to receive a book that is in our database. A copy of the existing K3000 file will be made for you without having to chop and scan your text.
Chopped books can be rebound at a copy store such as Copies and More (located in the Graduate side of the Herman B Wells Library) or Kinko's and given a spiral or tape binding. Prices for binding range from $1.50 to $4.00 per book.
Copy stores such as Copies and More (located in the Graduate side of the Herman B Wells Library) and Kinko's rebind books using a spiral or tape binding. Prices for binding range from $1.50 to $4.00 per book.
The reading quality is extremely good though not perfect. Because many textbooks are designed to be visually appealing, graphics and unusual fonts can reduce scanning quality. This sometimes causes the K3000 reading feature to skip over small pieces of text or to mispronounce them.
Yes. Because of copyright laws, students requesting digitized text from the ATC must first give proof of ownership of
the text.
When buying used books, look for ones with pages free of ink pen markings and highlighting. These markings can be picked up by the scanner and recognized as unreadable text. If you must buy a book with highlighting, choose one that has a lighter highlighter color such as yellow. Avoid ones with dark colors such as blue, red, and orange.
Digitized books are delivered to you on a CD with the files "write-protected." This means you cannot use various study skills, such as highlighting, with the files.
To remove "read-only protection," first save the book to your computer's hard drive (to the Desktop or in My Documents, for example).
For each chapter's file, right click and select Properties. Deselect the checkmark in the box next to "read-only." Click OK and the file will be ready to be used in K3000.
To change the reading voice, use the "Reading Options" menu. Open the "File" menu at the top of the page and select "Tools." Then select
"Options" from the drop-down menu. A window will open with the tabs in a column on the left side. (In Version 7, the tabs will be on the top of the box.) Select the "Reading" tab. In the
"Speaker" section a drop-down menu allows voices to be changed. There are a range of automated voices for users to choose from, including both male and female.
Right click your mouse in the blank area to the right of the toolbars you already have open. A menu appears that gives you access to opening any toolbar you wish.
