Scanner for home - ScanSnap?

gsusser said:

I saw favorable mention of the Fujitsu ScanSnap here and am thinking of getting one. Which model is recommended? I like the looks of the S1300i, but is probably overkill, but....

I need it for scanning personal documents, i.e., passport, receipts, legal documents, etc. No heavy use.

Also, is it recommended to scan to PDF? The reason I ask is that I want a format that will at least last my lifetime as I plan to discard many of the documents that I scan.

I'd love a flatbed, but they seem to be beyond my needs, price range (a few hundred at most) and they're bulky.

I never owned a scanner (I'm using the same HP printer for about 10 years!) and know little about them except for the one I use at work.

Thanks.

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Generally speaking, great sheet fed scanners (like the Fujitsy Scansnap) are about 100X more useful than a flatbed. The flatbed can be used in a few extra cases (like scanning a book)... but in day to day use... it is way to slow, especially when you want to scan any documents or move toward a paperless office.

Our ScanSnap is used constantly... and we pretty much scan any paper we want to keep. The flatbed (on the MFP printer)... gets used a couple of times a year.

I read an interesting story on paperless offices that stated that just about everyone who tries to go paperless using a flatbed scanner ultimate quits do to frustration.

/Jim

My experience is exactly how Jim describes. Had a flatbed scanner on an all in one printer. It worked but was an absolute pain in the ass for more than a couple of pages. When I decided to go paperless I went with the ScanSnap S1500M. Have been very pleased with it. Scanned 3 file drawers worth of documents, all to PDF.

glenthompson said:

My experience is exactly how Jim describes. Had a flatbed scanner on an all in one printer. It worked but was an absolute pain in the ass for more than a couple of pages. When I decided to go paperless I went with the ScanSnap S1500M. Have been very pleased with it. Scanned 3 file drawers worth of documents, all to PDF.

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Same here.

For scans of books or passports, just take a picture with your smart phone.

-t

Another vote for any model of the ScanSnap! I purchased the S1500. New version is iX500

I have an all-in-one printer with a sheet feeder, as well as a separate flatbed scanner.

I got the S1500 ScanSnap due to the high recommendations. Once set up, you load the documents and it scans into searchable PDFs automatically. It is a dual sided scanner so one pass gets both sides, and when it assembles PDFs, it will optionally skip blank pages. It also sorts things right-side-up.

I purchased the PC version awhile ago as it came with full version of Adobe Acrobat.

The newer iX500 comes with Mac and PC driver software and can connect via USB or WiFi. The older S1500 was USB only.

What is really good about the Fujitsu, is the excellent feed mechanism for unattended scanning.

I got one of the original ScanSnaps, and man, that thing was great.

It is funny you say "no heavy use," as that thing will fly through documents. I'm betting you will likely find reasons to scan things that you weren't planning on previously.

My wife expresses significant affection for her SnapScan ... still trying to tell if she likes it more then me ...

Check Craigslist. I got a business class color laserjet all-in-one for like $300 5 years ago. Its internal page count was <30 pages...on a printer rated for 30,000 a month. And its scanner (with 100 page feeder) works great too.

I have the iX500 at work and it is QUICK!!

I also have the Epson GT-S50 which is equally BA.

I have a medical office and we do a TON of scanning so fast and reliable is a must and both of these fit the bill.