Specifications:
Footprint: 12 x 5
Document feed: 20 sheets
Speed: 15 ppm
Twain compliant: Yes
Max resolution: 600 DPI
Max paper size: 8.5 x 14
Platform(s): Windows and Mac
Visioneer Strobe 500
The Visioneer Strobe 500 doesn't have the strongest performance of the scanners we considered, but does have a unique trick - you can remove the scan head from the "docking station" and take it on the road, using its USB cable to connect to a laptop for power and document storage.
The included software includes Visioneer One Touch, which enables one-button scanning using up to six preset destinations; Kofax VRS image enhancement technology to improve OCR results and decrease file size; Nuance Paperport for searchable PDF creation; and Nuance OmniPage for layouts. The included Mac software is not as robust, but does handle most of the common scanning functions, including deskew.
User reviews of this model have been mixed. While most have been pleased by the small form factor and the ability to take it on the road, there have been numerous reports of paper jam problems, slow operation and excessive noise.
Kodak i2400Specifications:
Footprint: 16.5 x 16
Document feed: 50 sheets
Speed: 30 ppm
Twain compliant: Yes
Max resolution: 600 dpi
Max paper size: 8.5 x 34
Platform(s): Windows and Linux
Kodak i2400
Though Kodak itself is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, its printing and imaging operations appear to be as strong as ever. And the i2400 scanner is a sign that the company may have a future by doing things just a tiny step or two better than the competition.
This is a mid-range scanner that enables scanning, processing, and managing differing types of files. It offers built-in Smart Touch functionality to automate common scanning profiles with little or no training or programming required. A dual-LED illumination system speeds up scanning by eliminating the need for a warm-up period prior to use, and provides better light for better clarity.
The company touts the reliability and durability of its scanner, particularly the document feeder, and backs it up with a three-year warranty. And this unit has some additional flexibility in that it offers an optional Flatbed Accessory to handle books and other non-standard scanning chores.
Xerox Documate 262i
Xerox
(800) 648-0410
www.xeroxscanners.com/en/us/products/item.asp?PN=dm262i
Price $715.00
Specifications
Footprint: 13 x 6.5
Document feed: 50 sheets
Speed: 38 ppm
Twain Compliant: Yes
Max resolution: 600 dpi
Max paper size: 8.5 x 38
Platform(s): Windows
It is fast and efficient, with dual-sided scanning and the ability to select from up to 9 pre-set scanning modes. provided software includes full versions of Nuance PaperPort 11 for document management and OmniPage Pro 15 for OCR; a copy of Kofax VirtualReScan 4.2; and a 30-use demo of EMC Captiva QuickScan.
The Documate has had some negative user comments, generally based on reliability after the first year of use. But the preponderance of reviews have been positive, and this scanner compares well with other units in its class, particularly for large-document feeds such as tax returns with associated notes.
10 Rules For Choosing An Office Scanner
The decision as to which scanner is best for an accounting office is not easy, because the marketplace offers devices that vary widely in price and purpose. Today there are desktop scanners, portable scanners, business card and receipt scanners, photograph scanners, check scanners and bar code scanners, to name just a few. Most of these are stand-alone devices that connect to the PC via a wireless, USB or (in the case of older technologies) serial port connection. In addition, there are scanners that are part of an all-in-once solution - printers that also double as fax machines and scanners, or fax machines that double as scanners.
The scanner is integral to the firm's workflow and document management systems, and the wrong choice can create delays and frustration to staff and clients alike. To reduce the likelihood of a catastrophic failure, we've winnowed down the field to focus on desktop scanners, and generated a list of "10 Rules" to follow when making a selection.
1) Decide what you want the scanner to accomplish. Trying to use a handheld or portable scanner to do heavy-duty scanning will only bring heartbreak. Likewise, the requirements for photo scans are far different than for document scanners. It may be necessary to invest in more than one type of scanner to achieve different missions.
2) Pay more to get more. Some scanners are virtually given away as a loss leader, or are wrapped into an "all-in-one" printer that costs almost nothing because they make up the revenue loss in overcharging for print cartridges. Either way, unless you are doing extremely light scanning, these are the wrong solution for an office. Pay a little more for a sturdier product.
3) Allow for the Footprint. This is the term that refers to how much space the scanner will take up on the desk or table. Smaller is generally, but not always better.
4) Choose Flatbed or Feeder. Scanners are either defined as flatbed (you hand place each document to scan it, which generally results in fewer off-angle scans) or feeder (in which multi-page documents are fed through, faster). For most high-end scanners, a document feeder is the way to go, though this may occasionally result in paper jams or off-angle scans.
5) Network or USB. This is a function of how many people will use the scanner, and where it will be located in the office. But if more than one person will use the scanner, it will generate less dissension if the scanner is networked so that each person can run their own scans. An alternative is to appoint a single person to do all of the scanning, using a USB connection to that person's desktop PC.
6) Twain Compliance. Twain is the industry-standard Application Programming Interface for scanners. It just is not worth messing with proprietary interfaces, when most of the standard document management and illustration software uses Twain.
7) Resolution is fine, unless you are doing photos. Resolution of the output is less critical than it used to be, when scanners could produce images with as little as 75 dpi (dots per inch). Most now are above 1200 dpi, in a range where the human eye cannot tell the difference. Unless, of course, you are scanning in photos and images.
8) CCD Scanners are generally better. There are few companies still making the old drum-style scanners, so the choice is generally between a charged-couple device (CCD) or Contact Image Sensor (CIS). For high-speed document scanning, CCD is the better choice. CIS scanners are usually at the low end of the industry.
9) A document feeder is a strong choice. Today, documents that need to be scanned seldom come in single pages, so that a multi-page document feeder can easily pay for itself. The best combination may be a scanner that permits both single and multi-page scans.
10) Preview the software. Software does not rate highly on the list of things professionals examine before buying a scanner, but in truth it should be at the top of the list. The software should allow the scan to be saved in a number of formats, including editable PDF files. It should include a scan-to-text program, for those documents that need to be editing (and this should be the best quality program you can get, not a 30-day trial). And it absolutely must include the Kofax VirtualScan software, which is specifically designed to clean up old or damaged pages, so everything going through the scanner doesn't have to be pristine and lovely. Software is the real prize in scanning; the hardware is secondary.
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About the Author: Bob Scott has provided information to the tax and accounting community since 1991, first as technology editor of Accounting Today, and from 1997 through 2009 as editor of its sister publication, Accounting Technology. He is known throughout the industry for his depth of knowledge and for his high journalistic standards.  Scott has made frequent appearances as a speaker, moderator and panelist and events serving tax and accounting professionals. He has a strong background in computer journalism as an editor with two former trade publications, Computer+Software News and MIS Week and spent several years with weekly and daily newspapers in Morris County New Jersey prior to that.  A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in journalism, Bob is a native of Madison, Ind |
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