One touch scanning/printer

[bytor99999]

I just got talked into buying a LexMark Pro 901 inkjet printer. The salesman quickly pointed it out as being the best printer/scanner to work with a Mac. Now, it might have been the one printer they were pushing that day, but he did make a strong case about it.

Anyway, I travel a lot. So I have lots of receipts that I have to scan in order to invoice for my work. I want it to be the easiest thing in the world. But it just never seems to be.

I have been using a Brother MFC-420 and it was a good printer all in one for a while, but their Mac software was terrible, it kept giving me an error message everytime I started up my MBP. Not that there was anything wrong, it would still work.

So I got a new MBP and swore I would not load the Brother software onto my new MBP. So I have been on the hunt for a good scanner, printer etc. I even just looked at scanner only solutions like Neat, but I just didn't think they thought about Macs when they made those, and Neat is just way too expensive for just scanning.

Back to the LexMark, it is billed as wireless, scan to pdf, scan to file (both to a computer), scan to email, scan to EverNote. So in theory I should put receipts onto the scan bed. Hit one button on the Printer/Scanner and it automatically scan and send the PDF to my MBP into a directory of my choosing without any more intervention.

1) scan to email, if you want to email through Go Daddy, GMail or Yahoo, you need a SMTP Relay server running on your machine. For Yahoo, you can sign up for Plus, but why spend extra money like that.

2) scan to EverNote requires scan to email to be configured and work. See #1

3) scan to file/computer, well the scan button on the printer works, but requires a lot of buttons to click to get it setup, then on the MBP after it scans you have a Finder window, pointing to the Pictures folder, and you have to select file type and then select your location you really want it to go.
3b) They have a Smart Solution, which you can set it up to work with one click and it will scan and put it on your computer at a location you prespecified. However, it doesn't work, the page to set it up is greyed out and says you have to have a connection between the printer and the computer, in which there is a wireless connection already. So that doesn't work.

So three hours of setup later, I still can't get it to work. What a waste, and I know OfficeMax won't refund my entire amount I spent on this printer.

So I really need the simple scanner solution, where I can put receipts on it and it scans to my computer where I want it. And I also like the ability to scan with one click and it go to EverNote, but not a big deal if it doesn't.
I would like this to be a printer/scanner in one solution.

Thanks for listening to me vent, and I really hope there is a great printer/scanner out there that works 100% wirelessly with printing and scanning, and is easy to set up and truly does what it says it completely does.

Mark

 

[flynz4]

I just got talked into buying a LexMark Pro 901 inkjet printer. The salesman quickly pointed it out as being the best printer/scanner to work with a Mac. Now, it might have been the one printer they were pushing that day, but he did make a strong case about it.

Anyway, I travel a lot. So I have lots of receipts that I have to scan in order to invoice for my work. I want it to be the easiest thing in the world. But it just never seems to be.

I have been using a Brother MFC-420 and it was a good printer all in one for a while, but their Mac software was terrible, it kept giving me an error message everytime I started up my MBP. Not that there was anything wrong, it would still work.

So I got a new MBP and swore I would not load the Brother software onto my new MBP. So I have been on the hunt for a good scanner, printer etc. I even just looked at scanner only solutions like Neat, but I just didn't think they thought about Macs when they made those, and Neat is just way too expensive for just scanning.

Back to the LexMark, it is billed as wireless, scan to pdf, scan to file (both to a computer), scan to email, scan to EverNote. So in theory I should put receipts onto the scan bed. Hit one button on the Printer/Scanner and it automatically scan and send the PDF to my MBP into a directory of my choosing without any more intervention.

1) scan to email, if you want to email through Go Daddy, GMail or Yahoo, you need a SMTP Relay server running on your machine. For Yahoo, you can sign up for Plus, but why spend extra money like that.

2) scan to EverNote requires scan to email to be configured and work. See #1

3) scan to file/computer, well the scan button on the printer works, but requires a lot of buttons to click to get it setup, then on the MBP after it scans you have a Finder window, pointing to the Pictures folder, and you have to select file type and then select your location you really want it to go.
3b) They have a Smart Solution, which you can set it up to work with one click and it will scan and put it on your computer at a location you prespecified. However, it doesn't work, the page to set it up is greyed out and says you have to have a connection between the printer and the computer, in which there is a wireless connection already. So that doesn't work.

So three hours of setup later, I still can't get it to work. What a waste, and I know OfficeMax won't refund my entire amount I spent on this printer.

So I really need the simple scanner solution, where I can put receipts on it and it scans to my computer where I want it. And I also like the ability to scan with one click and it go to EverNote, but not a big deal if it doesn't.
I would like this to be a printer/scanner in one solution.

Thanks for listening to me vent, and I really hope there is a great printer/scanner out there that works 100% wirelessly with printing and scanning, and is easy to set up and truly does what it says it completely does.

Mark

I think that the Fujitsu ScanSnap machines are the "gold standard" for Mac scanning. I have the ScanSnap 1500M and it works flawlessly. I used to use "Scan to folder" and then manually manage my scans with Apple's Finder... and it works very well. Now I have DevonThink information management software, and I can directly into DevonThink.

My color laser printer (Xerox 6180 MFP) has a scanner... but I pretty much never use that anymore... except as a copy and fax machine.

I personally would recommend against trying to put a printer onto your home nework via wireless. It is a PITA and generally fragile. It is much better to attach it to your router via an ethernet cable. Every computer in the house can still print to the printer... irrespective if it a wired machine (ie: iMac) or wireless device (ie: MBP or MBA).

/Jim

 

[bytor99999]

Thanks for the post. I decided to go back to my old printer I have been using for the past 4 years. My Brother 420CN. And I installed their ControlCenter onto my 4 month old MBP 15". Yeah, I know their software isn't the best and if I start getting those error messages I got on my 13" before, I will un install it. But it does have a 1 touch scan button on it, and I can have my laptop in the other room, and use my iPad to VNC into my laptop when I am at the printer/scanner, so that I can click the scan button on the laptop software.

I think the ScanSnap and document management software like you mentioned is the best overall solution, but I can't spend $600 yet. Just to scan in 15 receipts a week for an invoice. But I will definitely go that route in the future when I want to completely go paperless on everything.

Thanks

Mark

 

[MisterMe]

I just got talked into buying a LexMark Pro 901 inkjet printer. ...

Lexmark? As a rule of thumb, the only printer brand that is worse for Macs than Lexmark is Dell whose printers are rebranded Lexmarks.

As for scanning, my personal opinion is to stay away from all-in-ones. I own two scanners--a Canon CanoScan 8600F flatbed and a Fujitsu Scanscan S1500 automatic document feeder duplex scanner. As for image quality, the Canon has it all over the Fujitsu. However, the Fujitsu is indispensable for archiving double-sided documents. But I digress....

I read too many pleas for help from AIO users who have no trouble finding support for the devices' printer functions but who have major problems with manufacturer [and third-party] support for the scanning function.