The Bottom Line
I scan a lot of documents and having a portable scanner definitely makes life easier when I don’t have to carry as much.
Pros
- Scans documents directly to PDF or JPEG.
- Can be packed in laptop bag.
- Can be powered by USB port only.
- Scans a variety of documents.
- Reasonably priced.
Cons
- TWAIN/ISIS® are not supported.
- Compatible with Windows only.
Description
- Weight: 3.08lb (1.4kg).
- Dimensions: 11.18 in. x 3.74 in. x 3.03 in. (284mm x 95mm x 77mm) (W x D x H).
- Can scan at Normal, Better, Best and Excellent modes in Black & White or Color.
- Maximum of 10 sheets can be scanned at one time.
- Can scan paper weights of 17 to 28 lb.
- Output - PDF or JPEG
Guide Review - Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 Color Mobile Scanner
I had the chance to work with the Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 and I have to admit it’s quite the scanner. Not only is it very portable, lightweight and easy to use but you can also run it on USB power only if you don’t have an electrical outlet available.
One of the features that enabled Fujitsu to create such a compact scanner is that rather than using CCD technology they have used CIS (Contact Image Sensor) technology which uses much smaller components. Setting up the scanner gave me no problems and I was able to begin scanning right away. An interesting addition with the Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 is a software program - OrganizeMY ™ Electronic Filing Cabinet For Dummies® , which lets you create an organizational structure for whatever you scan. The program has folders which are located in “My Documents” so you don’t waste time hunting for them each time you scan items.
The scans can are very clear, even if the original document was a bit faint; using Excellent mode resulted in great scans. The Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 can be used for scanning photos in addition to other paper documents and since it’s a sheet-fed scanner you can get through a pile of photos very quickly. While you can’t scan images directly into a graphics program you can save them in JPEG format to open in a graphics program.
The Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 portable scanner is an ideal solution for mobile professionals who need an economical and easy to use scanning solution while they travel.
Note:For any Mac users, Fujitsu is working on Mac compatible version which will hopefully be available Spring 2008.