Computers and Other Gadgets at the Library:
                                           General Directions and Troubleshooting
                                                          [HowTos, WhatNots, and Other Pieces of Advice]
 
Kurzweil Reading Machine

A. Using the machine:
Turn on power.  The machine immediately tells you how to use the front three keys on the keypad for primary activities
and how to get audio help.  Place a book or page of typed information on the Xerox-like glass plate.  Press left front
key on keypad. Wait about 30 seconds for scanning, then another 20 seconds or so till the voice starts reading the
text aloud.  Adjust volume and speed of voice.  There is a little clicking noise made when the machine can handle
another page.  Then change the page, press the left front key on the keypad to scan again.

B. Setting up the machine:

• Plug in keypad to the phone connector found UNDER the chassis, right side.  (You have to rock the machine up

on its back to even see the place for the connector to fit.)
• Earphones: two audio connections are under plastic lip on right front of machine.  These are not visible as you

look at machine.  Left audio is for earphones.  Right audio is for tape recorder.
• Speaker is automatically ON unless earphones are plugged in.  Put another way, the speaker goes off as

soon as the earphones are plugged in.
• Volume and voice speed knobs are yellow and on the right side of machine.  Knob closest to front controls

volume.  Knob behind that controls voice speed.
• Power switch is, I think, called a "rocker" switch.  It is hidden under the left side, two inches back from

the front under the plastic edge (in front of power cord connector).
• A large print user's guide, "The Reading Edge: A Kurzweil Reader" is available as Item 520 on Reserve

in the Library.

1. Set up machine as above
2. Plug tape records (available as Item 521 on Reserve) into a power outlet
3. Plug tape audio jack into RIGHT audio connection under the plastic lip on the right front of the machine.

These two audio connections are not visible as you look at the machine.  The machine must be rocked back
to see the connection points.
4. With a tape running, start to scan documents or pages.  Whatever is being transmitted to the headphones

will be simultaneously taped.