PaperPort Software

[Jeff Zylstra]

I have a user who used PaperPort and would like to try it again.  I've heard the version 14 is not a good version because they dumbed down the editing of PDF and TIF files, and also the performance isn't all that good when opening folders (possibly an indexing issue?).  What versions are known to work fairly well?

[JohnGage]

I believe 9 is widely considered the best version, but you'll have OS compatibility issues past XP.  I have 11 installed on my workstation and it works well but is sluggish when using large (50+ item) network folders.  IMO the document editing has never changed over the various versions although perhaps Nuance made some poor decisions in v14, wouldn't be the first time.

[Jeff Zylstra]

I believe 9 is widely considered the best version, but you'll have OS compatibility issues past XP.  I have 11 installed on my workstation and it works well but is sluggish when using large (50+ item) network folders.  IMO the document editing has never changed over the various versions although perhaps Nuance made some poor decisions in v14, wouldn't be the first time.

Version 14 had very mixed reviews from the website that I saw, and both of the things that I mentioned were complaints.  I can find version 12 on Amazon or Froogle, but can't find any other older versions.  Just wondering if 12 is/was a viable version for use with Windows 7?  Also, would be interested to see what others here think of version 14?  Thanks in advance.

[Alice Mooney]

We're using v9 and still on XP.  Heard bad reviews about higher versions.  I don't know what will happen when they start with VDI later this year. No one's asked me what insurance uses now that needs to be taken in to consideration.

[Ben Thoele]

Version 9 with service pack 3 is the best for Windows XP users.  If you need Windows 7 support, I'm not sure.

[Ben Thoele]

I don't know what will happen when they start with VDI later this year. No one's asked me what insurance uses now that needs to be taken in to consideration.

That's awesome that they aren't talking to you about your applications before doing a VDI deployment.  This sounds like the intro to classic fail. 

[Sherry Burrell]

I use ver 12.1 on windows 7.

[Lynn Stillings]

PP9 is not compatible with Win7, only XP. If it's XP stick with 9. If Win7 I would go with 12. The issue we found with 14 is it has lots and lots of features for cloud usage that we don't want or need, and it was sluggish. We would still be on 9 if we could. v12 is OK, but we think they reduced the user friendly-ness (is that a word) from v9.

[Alice Mooney]

I don't know what will happen when they start with VDI later this year. No one's asked me what insurance uses now that needs to be taken in to consideration.

That's awesome that they aren't talking to you about your applications before doing a VDI deployment.  This sounds like the intro to classic fail.

Yup, I agree. I've seen those involved have several meetings and I'm hoping they just haven't got to the insurance stuff yet. Otherwise insurance users will be out of luck.

[Jeff Zylstra]

PP9 is not compatible with Win7, only XP. If it's XP stick with 9. If Win7 I would go with 12. The issue we found with 14 is it has lots and lots of features for cloud usage that we don't want or need, and it was sluggish. We would still be on 9 if we could. v12 is OK, but we think they reduced the user friendly-ness (is that a word) from v9.

Good to know that there is at least a semi-viable option.  I've seen Nuance separate functions and create more packages over the years, and usually not to the user's benefit.  I will investigate version 12. 

Also, has anyone ever tried this software? 

http://www.lucion.com/terminology-paperport.html?gclid=CKfIjv2s_LUCFexaMgodhD4Ajg

It looks like it has a little less features than PaperPort, but I feel I need to look at alternatives to PP.  Does anyone else have any good alternatives to PaperPort?

[brinkerdana]

"It looks like it has a little less features than PaperPort, but I feel I need to look at alternatives to PP.  Does anyone else have any good alternatives to PaperPort?"

No, but I'll be interested to see what you find out.

I liked using PPT to organize documents prior to attaching them in TAM or emailing them to clients, companies.   Last good version I used was V9.

[Mark]

I used PaperPort back when I worked with Trisha -- but here -- we have no need/use for it.  We don't really stack and unstack... not sure why because that's what I did all day long with PaperPort.  eTFile can stack and unstack, etc, but we don't even use that feature.  I've shown it to many people and there is no interest because there is no need.

Definitely not implying that you shouldn't have a need for it.  That was basically my whole Job at Horton.  Stacking, grouping, attaching.  Rinse & repeat.  wonder why I'm not there anymore?   

Jeff, maybe you'll want to take a step back and look at your workflow and determine if this is a feature that you do really need.  Maybe you did that already, or maybe you're just wanting to try this and see if it makes sense, I don't know.  Just tossing out my two cents!

[Jeff Zylstra]

I used PaperPort back when I worked with Trisha -- but here -- we have no need/use for it.  We don't really stack and unstack... not sure why because that's what I did all day long with PaperPort.  eTFile can stack and unstack, etc, but we don't even use that feature.  I've shown it to many people and there is no interest because there is no need.

Definitely not implying that you shouldn't have a need for it.  That was basically my whole Job at Horton.  Stacking, grouping, attaching.  Rinse & repeat.  wonder why I'm not there anymore?   

Jeff, maybe you'll want to take a step back and look at your workflow and determine if this is a feature that you do really need.  Maybe you did that already, or maybe you're just wanting to try this and see if it makes sense, I don't know.  Just tossing out my two cents!

Thanks, Mark.  I'm think my employee already took your advice and has figured out a new workflow.  I think she figured out that although the workflow was different, it took the same amount of time and effort, so it was a net zero change.  I will still investigate PP, or the Lucion software, but it's less important than it was a day or so ago.  Thank you.

[Robin Deatherage]

I have another Nuance product, PDF Converter.  It works well, has a lot of the same features of PaperPort.  There is a document assembly area to help you move pages around, similar to the stack and unstack but not exactly.  It also has formtyper included like PaperPort.  It's not as user friendly as PaperPort but it's a good option.  I don't recall if PaperPort has this or not, but in PDF Converter, you can take a PDF and turn it into a Word or Excel file and it does a pretty good job of getting everything converted correctly, very little clean up needed if any.   

[Jeff Zylstra]

I have another Nuance product, PDF Converter.  It works well, has a lot of the same features of PaperPort.  There is a document assembly area to help you move pages around, similar to the stack and unstack but not exactly.  It also has formtyper included like PaperPort.  It's not as user friendly as PaperPort but it's a good option.  I don't recall if PaperPort has this or not, but in PDF Converter, you can take a PDF and turn it into a Word or Excel file and it does a pretty good job of getting everything converted correctly, very little clean up needed if any.

Exactly what I was talking about, where they split off features and "dumbed" down the product, only they didn't make it any faster or easier to use.  I think they need to stop "improving" on PaperPort for a while and just perfect it so that it works fast and reliably.  All this non-sense in version 14 is just another way to separate users from their money without adding any useful features, but still charge more and more for the product.  JMO, of course.

[Robin Deatherage]

Something else I just thought of, unless it's changed in recent versions, PaperPort does not work on a terminal server but PDF Converter does. 

[Bob]

Since we went to W7 stopped using PP as it required updating version 9.x to 12.x.  I just use Adobe and print to that.   Pretty much used PP for month-end reports but just printing to PDF works fine so we never replaced nor now do I feel need to..

[Mark]

FWIW, the free PDFCreator (not to be confused with PDF Creator) can combine images as well.  There is a pause button on the program, then you print whatever it is to the virtual printer, and you cna re-order, then combine.  Can print to many image file types (pdf, tiff, jpg, abc, xyz, bbd, 123, etc)

[Jeff Zylstra]

FWIW, the free PDFCreator (not to be confused with PDF Creator) can combine images as well.  There is a pause button on the program, then you print whatever it is to the virtual printer, and you cna re-order, then combine.  Can print to many image file types (pdf, tiff, jpg, abc, xyz, bbd, 123, etc)

Thank you, Mark.  I am assuming that you are talking about the free one from PrimoPDF.Com.  In reviewing these programs, it is clear that I haven't kept up over the year, and that many of the free PDF "reader" or "printer" program offer WAY more free features than they used to.  It would seem that most free "reader" programs allow you to not only complete PDF forms, but many will now let you save the completed forms as well. 

And many of the PDF "printer" programs allow you to add, delete, or reorder pages as well as combine PDF files.  Some also allow extensive watermarking and/or comments to be added.  Makes me think that we no longer really need a PaperPort type of product anymore. 

I checked out that Lucion "File Manager" program and it looked like it was heavy on the "file manager" aspect, where it would set up "file cabinets" where you could store different types of files including Outlook Emails, and have it indexed and searchable with keywords.  In my experience, that is what brought PaperPort to its knees, so I'm not too keen on that type of thing.  Besides, it needs to be attached in TAM anyways.

Bob, I don't know how convenient Acrobat is for Month End reports, but I will say that FinePrint's "PDFFactory" software is very handy and convenient for unattended printing of reports such as nighttime utility reports.  You print to it like a regular printer, and report after report will keep on printing without prompting.  This allows you to name and save a file at that time when all the print jobs have finished. You can then add, delete or reorder pages at that time, or split the pages into a new file.  It's very flexible, completely intuitive, and rock steady reliable.   It also automatically saves a file just in case the power goes out before you've had a chance to save the file in the morning.  It makes being "paperless" a convenient thing.

Perhaps a blog on the subject of various flavors of PDF software and the choices by someone who is knowledgeable would be in order...  I know that is NOT me.

[Mark]

The free PDFCreator I'm referring to is Open Source and downlaoded from SourceForge.net.

[Jeff Zylstra]

The free PDFCreator I'm referring to is Open Source and downlaoded from SourceForge.net.

But of course.  Silly me.  I should have known it was open source!    These things seem be a dime a dozen now.  Apparently competition is good for development, as all of them seem to be pretty capable.

[JohnGage]

I have heard that the most recent version of Paperport was redesigned so that it will work in a Terminal Service environment.  I have no experience with it myself but it's a logical change for Nuance.

[hchb]

I use Version 12.1 on Windows 7 and love it.  Works great for what I need and the annotation doesn't lag, which was an issue on the previous version we had... although now I can't remember which one it was.

Good luck!

[Terry Evans]

PaperPort Professional 12.0 on sale for $27.95 - http://www.purplus.net/papr121.html