Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 Color Mobile Scanner
by Fujitsu Imaging
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Our Price: $799.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $199.99 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 Color Mobile Scanner
Customer Review: Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 -- makes scanning a snap
Summary: 5 Stars
Remarkably easy to use. Unpack box, install software, plug in scanner, load pages into document feeder, press the "SCAN" button and presto - neatly arranged, clear, color, pdf files of the documents. Automatically scans both sides of the page ("duplex" scanning), and automatically deletes any blank pages. I have already used it for papers of a number of sizes: check stubs, letter size, and those weird oversize insurance declaration pages.
Default operation is to scan to pdf files, but it also scans photos to ".jpg" format. I have little experience scanning photos, so I don't know whether these scans are high quality. They're good enough for e-mailing, or adding to the web, but I can't tell if they are publication or archive quality.
I didn't time the scanner, but a handful of pages takes only a few seconds. The manual claims that the scanner is slower when using USB power, but I didn't notice much difference using the default image quality settings.
Allows previewing of scans before saving, allows rename of files before saving and allows files to be saved in a specified folder. There are a number of options regarding image quality, compression, file locations, color detection and a host of others. Other than changing the target folder, the preset defaults are fine for me.
I successfully used it for a stack of about 15 sheets of paper - the automatic document feeder (ADF) managed the lot easily.
Small and easy to carry around, can be powered from USB or AC (both power cords are included). Folds up into a compact unit about 12 by 4 by 4 inches with all the working parts well protected, weighs just over 2.5 pounds (without the power brick, which is not needed if you use the USB power cord when traveling).
The only downside I can see is that the ADF is collapsible and is made of three pieces of somewhat flimsy plastic -- handle with care to avoid damage.
The included document manager seems to be nothing more than a fancy explorer. I don't need yet more redundant software. I have not tried the optical character recognition (OCR) or the business card reader (that is supposed to read a standard business card and convert to a Microsoft Outlook contact.
Other Comments:
1. If you want to use the USB power cable, you need TWO open USB ports on your computer
2. If you have a stack of paper that have been folded or stapled (remove the staples first!!!) the ADF will sometimes grab two sheets at once. Slightly 'fanning' the stack before loading the ADF helps
3. The scanner software needs a couple of additional features: (1) ability to delete a page before saving the scan; and (2) ability to rotate a page or more before the pdf is saved (the auto-rotate is very good, but not perfect)
4. The documentation states that the software is compatible with Windows XP or Vista. I installed on my Windows 7 32 bit Home Premium computer with no problems.
I'll report back in a few months when I've had more experience....
Customer Review: I Fell in Love with My S300 ScanSnap 2009 Review!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I will definitely make a video review on this once I'm finished with scanning all my documents.
I've just started scanning---What a breeze. This small portable S300 ScanSnap makes life easier.
For weeks, I've been using my expensive HP photosmart printer + scanner. I told myself,"Why buy a scanner solely for that purpose when I can just use the flatbed?" BIG MISTAKE. It took me hours just to scan my fave magazine articles.
I just recently quit my job to prepare for a new babe. Ive got loads of work articles and my fave hobby of cutting news articles I like. I just have to unload them bec of the babe!
ScanSnap S300 makes it so easy. I installed the software, restarted my computer, attached my scansnap and Go! The software is intuitive. There's ScanSnap Organizer and ScanSnap Manager.
The Manager is a no-brainer. You can scan double-sided or single-sided.
The Organizer just lets you organize folders or "cabinets" on the left side of the screen and drag your recently scanned files from the right. So on the left side Ive got "cabinet" folders named recipes, projects, baby care etc. On the right side Ive got my scanned pages which i can rename and allocate. Nice and Easy!
Scanning is easy. Just touch the Scan button and it does everything for you.
Its so light and takes less space. I was going to buy the most recent version of scansnap for $400, but I had to weigh down how much will I use it and space usage.
Since only 1-3 people will use this at home and I cant afford another clutter, small version it is.
ONLY QUESTIONABLE PEEVE : Will this work in Vista?
I think its says XP, but since our technology-infused household is still loyal to XP then my S300 is still a gem to behold.
If you have Vista, then you might just consider the newer version. I dont think they have this portable small device in Vista yet or I would have gotten it. I havent looked if its possible to upgrade to Vista.
But Boy! If this device can scan all my documents in less than a day. It's worth it!!!!!!
I'll update my review in a few months. For now I'm back to my scanning chores. bye!
Its a KEPPER.
ITS A KEEPER.
ITS A KEEPER.
(So enthusiastic, huh?----Well you should see me scanning from my flatbed scanner. What a pain! Now, I dont need to close/open the lid or wait for HPS slow scanning mechanism. ScanSnap just slides documents through and its scanned. Makes me want to cry. When I'm done with this I can focus on laundry for my coming baby)
I just hope it'll be durable. Almost $240 is a bit painful when I can buy more than 5 mega boxes of pampers! Then again--- my head's reeling bec its so efficient!
Customer Review: Happy with product in every respect - one bit of advice for .jpg scanning though
Summary: 5 Stars
Upon the recommendation of REALTORs® in my e-Pro® group nationwide, I looked into buying the Fujitsu Scansnap. Based on all the positive recommendations on www.amazon.com I bought it! I love it.
It is already saving me so much money. I've spent at least $750 in the past 3-4 years going to Kinkos to use their slow, flatbed scanner and spending 45 cents/minute on scanning various items as I need.
I am very happy that I finally bought a scanner.
***There is ONE piece of advice I would give all Fujitsu Scansnap S300 users, however.***
It is not easy to figure out how to scan something into a .jpg file versus a .pdf file. I read the user's manual and even called Fujitsu. No one could help. So, I bought a new computer (my last one's processor 'konked' out after 7 good years of use) and I still couldn't figure out how to get it to scan to a .jpg.
So, I sent an EMAIL to Fujitsu via their web site over the weekend. First thing on Monday morning, I received a simple, accurate response in how to make this work. I'm including it for everyone else's benefit.
To scan as jpeg you need to do the following.
Right click on your scansnap icon on the bottom right of your computer
screen and uncheck use quick menu
Right click on your scansnap icon on the bottom right of your computer
screen and choose scan button settings
Select the Application tab and choose "Scan to file"
Select the Scanning tab and under Color mode choose "Color"
Select the File option Tab and choose "JPEG"
Click apply and ok
Try scanning.
Best Regards,
Technical Assistance Center
Fujitsu Computer Products of America
800-626-4686, Opt 2
Last note about .jpg/.jpeg scanning: I had to hunt to find where the .jpg scanned to on my hard drive, after I scanned it. It was/is not a big issue though. I just went to Windows Explorer and did a search of my C/Hard drive.
***It would be nice if .jpeg files would scan to the Scan Snap Organizer file system too. Are you reading this, Fujitsu?***
I know this scanner is not primarly used for .jpg scanning, but it is very nice to have that option. I've already used it.
In conclusion, I think this is a GREAT scanner. I hope I think so a year from now.
Thanks to all of you who took the time to write a review on this product before I bought it.
Customer Review: Outstanding product
Summary: 5 Stars
This product is just outstanding in my opinion. I have used this little gem for about 2 weeks and I have just been blown away by its simplicity of use and quality of results. My initial budget was $200 but I decided based on other reviews to spend a little extra for this scanner. My personal requirements were fairly simple - ability to scan in receipts and simple documents. I have scanned in a little over 100 receipts/documents so far and here is what I see:
1) General scan speed is very nice. I can scan one receipt after another very quickly.
2) Quality of the scan is adjustable but the default setting seems just fine. The PDFs generated seem to be optimized just right between quality and size.
3) Small receipts are hard to scan in straight. The very first one I tried went in at an awkward angle but the software adjusted it to look right. I may just be naive about this feature (maybe lots of other scanning software has this now) but I was totally impressed.
4) The SnapScan software organizes all the files essentially into directories so I'm not locked in to a proprietary format.
5) Moving and renaming the PDFs are very straightforward.
6) The scanner itself is not the smallest but it's still small enough that carrying it around is not too bad. This was not my primary requirement so it's not an issue for me. It seems like it is solidly built but time will tell.
7) I have not tried the searchable PDF feature. This is really not that important for me so I can't say how well this works.
8) The only negative thing I have come across is that the software cannot edit PDFs that were created by other software. I had another PDF document that I wanted to append to one of the receipts I scanned in but could not. PDF format is supposed to be a standard but I understand there are different versions and nuances. This is more of an occasional nuisance than a serious issue.
Overall, I have not used this scanner for very long but everything I have experienced has been very positive, minus the one issue with "external" PDFs. This product is definitely worth the money I paid for. I highly recommend it.
Customer Review: Digital file cabinet
Summary: 5 Stars
I hate having paperwork sitting around my house, and this scanner has allowed me to eliminate piles of documents.
The bundled ScanSnap Manager software is okay, but you need Acrobat in order to fully realize its potential. I get around this limitation by setting up a scan profile to "Scan to Evernote." I let the scanning software perform the OCR immediately, which takes a few seconds depending on the document size, but it seems to do a better job than Evernote. Using the OCR in conjunction with Evernote's tags and notebooks, I'm able to keep everything nicely organized, easily search-able and accessible wherever I am. With my smartphone and Evernote, all my documents are at the my disposal at any given time.
As for the scanner itself, the small footprint is nice, but the reality is that this thing just sits on the corner of my desk. I have no need to take it with me, but it's nice to know that if I wanted to, I easily could. It handles pretty much everything I throw at it without damaging the source material. If it jams, it's almost always my fault. I recently scanned a batch of photos at the highest resolution and they turned out great.
I've embraced the paperless lifestyle. It sounds like a hassle, but it's quick and simple: document comes in, I scan it and shred it. The scanner provides me peace of mind in knowing I have a backup available when I shred old documents and receipts. If I ever get audited (knock on wood), I will not be rummaging through boxes of receipts, I'll be typing in a search field. Tax time should be relatively easy, since all tax-related documents are scanned and labeled as such. If I need to dispute a bill, I'll be able to find archived documents quickly and effortlessly. I haven't even begun to comprehend how some of the obscure documents I have scanned will come in handy.
I'm currently using this scanner with a Windows 7 PC, but if you really want to use the S300 with your Mac, I can confirm that it works. With a little help from Google, it's not that difficult.