Scansnap s300: Fujitsu's Tiny, Dazzling Scanner
OK, not everyone will need or want a portable scanner- plenty of folks would be better off buying a larger, stationary model, or will want something that can make quick copies. Or perhaps you simply want to scan business cards or receipts in which case something smaller and lighter would be better.
But for those that travel and need a scanner, the Fujitsu Scansnap s300 is nearly perfect. Not only does it capture documents in excellent color, it is quite portable- they call it the world’s smallest duplex ADF scanner. Best of all, the duplex scanning works great, easily taking in both sides of a document or business card at once.
The software is easy to use, and straightforward- resizing, straightening, and ordering your files are pretty simple with the included programs. The OCR is quite good, capable of decoding text on-the-fly or handling the task when your computer is idle. And the scanner is fairly quick, especially when plugged into AC power- but you can instead choose to use two USB cables when an outlet is not available. Output can take several forms, including a direct-to-PDF option that is super simple.
There are a few quirks- it won’t work with a Mac, for instance, though a separate model (the s300m) is available. The automatic document feeder works, but only holds ten sheets. And, unique for scanners we’ve tried, the Scansnap does have consumables- meaning that you’ll need to buy new “pad assemblies” and “pick rollers” every so often (Fujitsu suggests each year). They aren’t expensive, but it does drive up the cost of an already not-inexpensive scanner- at $300 or so it packs a punch but carries an equivalent pricetag.
Available online and in stores, the Scansnap s300 is a great scanner for road warriors.
