Fujitsu ScanSnap ix100: Pocket Scanner for iPhone
Fujitus ScanSnap iX100, a portable scanner with battery for document capture. Here are our impressions of use and tips on buying.
Resetting the paper daily affairs is not what we see around the corner, but reduce the storage, management and circumvent the limits that the information printed pose in order term and longevity of the information, is something that we have been already at hand.
The computer, mobile devices combined with the scanner, especially laptops, are the key to the system that we can approach this goal. It is in this context that we examined and tested Fujitsu ScanSnap iX100, a mini document scanner produced by a specialist in the field of optical capture devices is among the absolute market leader.
Fujitsu document scanners produces professional, high-level, suitable for offices and businesses, while the model Fujitsu ScanSnap iX100 is a product that is within the range of consumption, designed for the home or for the professional on the go, and that competes with a decent (although not crowded) group of competitors also of low cost, with respect to which rises to some peculiarities, including quality of materials, assembly, functions.
As with all document scanners its purpose is not to acquire photographic images (although in an emergency can do it but with a low quality) and cannot handle large sizes, but is designed to ” eat ” the paper, turn receipts, invoices, business cards, brochures and so on into digital documents to be stored on your computer.
Fujitsu ScanSnap iX100, How it is done and what it does
The first thing that strikes you once you open the box of this accessory is the size and weight. Fujitsu ScanSnap iX100 is about 25 cm long and weighs less than 4 ounces. It is really very small and manageable, a true ” all in one ” that ends up in a bag, and you forget that you have; with its shape, wand contains the feed motor, the pinch roller, the scanning light, the guides for the acquisition and ejection of the card and the rechargeable battery.
The controls are minimal: we have a switch to turn on or turn off the Wi-Fi, one for setting WPS and one to start dragging the paper. The two spies, one says if it is on or off, the other is whether or not connected to Wi-Fi and in which mode (direct or local network).
The Wi-Fi is the real key of Fujitsu ScanSnap iX100. Although it has a classic USB cable for charging and one physical link, the wireless will be the most simple and immediate to use. It can be connected to a network generated by a router or, much better, using a direct connection via Wi-Fi. In the latter case the scanner turns into a hot spot which will link depending on the device, we’re using a Mac, a PC or a portable device, be it iOS that Android. To proceed in the configuration, you first need to install drivers and software support.
Fujitsu ScanSnap ix100 – Configuration
This can happen in two ways, using a CD included in the box (if you still have a reader) or by downloading the package from the Internet, from the page of the supporting software. The most negative experience we had with the Fujitsu ScanSnap iX100 was precisely with the various installation and setup.
Nothing dramatic or impossible to overcome, but the whole process is confusing starting with the fact that the CD is a single installer, while the Internet is required to download several files; after having opted for the Internet, in two different attempts, we found a long wait, to the point that push us to use a CD player that we dusted off from the tray. We then found still to fight with a series of intricate steps, including presetting, installation and updates.
After installing from CD, Software between essential and accessory, we have to supernumerary downloaded 300MB update. Eventually, we found ourselves with six different and separate folders: OCR software developed by Abby, Cardminder (for the acquisition of credit cards), the folder with the app for updates, the folder with the essential software, that with the manuals and finally ScanSnap Organizer, not counting other two folders located in My Documents (Library and ScanSnap ScanSnap Organizer) and Abby that ends up in the user folder.
Inside the folders a myriad of applications not always intuitive to use and, which could be integrated into one (because they create an app to configure the wireless different from Snapscan manager which in turn is a separate one for the recovery of the configurations?), Mixed Folders service applications. Probably a simplification of this flow would avoid many inexperienced users to be disoriented.
Once the little linear installation process, the rest of the steps was instead very linear. You connect the scanner to the computer’s USB port and launch the setup application that will take us by the hand, with some questions, towards the use of the device.
In particular, we can choose whether to use the scanner connected via USB or Wi-Fi (and the icon on the dock will change accordingly). In the latter case, we will have to decide whether to connect through the router or directly, using the network generated by Fujitsu ScanSnap iX100. We chose the second option.
We paid duty in relation to the connection via USB or via Wi-Fi with the router, because if the machine is connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi Internet browsing is blocked, but the system seems to us much more transparent and logical and acquisition also faster. When we need to read a document, we will activate the network and pass the scanner.
On the other hand, it is not a scanner with a sheet feeder, where we can put stacks of documents to be scanned, and therefore capable of blocking even for tens of minutes to access the network, but of a system that takes a sheet at a time and which is essentially made to be seen while running, so it will be difficult to do anything else with your computer, even navigate, while we use it.
During the setup process, we are also asked if we would like to enable the acquisition through a mobile device. In this case, we will have to download a free application that serves this purpose. An interesting aspect is that if we are connected directly to the scanner with Wi-Fi, the device includes a system which must refer, computer or mobile device, and behaves accordingly. Just open or close the app on your phone or tablet.
There is also a third option, which allows the computer to control the direct acquisition on the mobile device, but we found this option is not very useful. Basically if we can acquire directly with the mobile device, it is better, also for reasons of settings, proceed with this option instead of blocking the scanner on your Wi-Fi, home office and download documents instead of the computer, inside the phone or iPad.
Fujitsu ScanSnap ix100 – How does this work?
Complete initial configurations there is little else to do to start working. We can choose to scan your document in PDF or Jpeg, in color or black and white and determine quality. We have left to choose the software that has an option for automatic, always getting good results.
To activate the scan we will have to actually open the front door that also functions as a power switch. Subsequently, if we are to space limitations, we can also open a door to push back the page just acquired, to us, by turning the sheet at a right angle, pushing it to go back. The acquisition is performed by pressing the large button surrounded by a blue light that is to the right of the scanner.
The acquisition is very fast. Fujitsu speaks of the fastest portable scanner on the market; we do not know whether it is marketing or reality, but an A4 sheet completely full of text with a couple of pictures of small size, of 300 dpi in color, is passed in about six seconds. Scanning at 600 dpi, only useful if there are very small characters, or font a bit complex, requires about twenty seconds.
At the end of the scan, the application will ask us what we want to do with the document. Here, we have many options. We may, among other things, decide to send him to a folder (which actually seemed to us the most natural thing), or use other service applications, from storage to that to create a document in PDF rechargeable, send it by email or have it read by OCR, convert it into searchable PDF document even from Spotlight.
Other functions are handled by the various applications that are found in the software package and on which, unfortunately, there are not a lot of information or instructions. We tested, even if only superficially, ABBYY FineReader for ScanSnap, an OCR to which you can send the scanned text that seems to do a good job in the digitization. In the market, there are still many applications OCR excellent quality that can take the place of the one provided in the bundle.
The mobile version of the application, one that allows you to control the scanner with an iPhone, iPad or Android phone, it’s the opposite of the baroque park installations for Mac: it is a basic but functional app., limited to capturing and store documents.
Once captured, we can then decide what to do: send them by mail or send them to a third party application that could, for example, play reading characters using specialized applications. All this app does it in a concise, but rapid, swift and nimble, turning the iPhone combined to Fujitsu ScanSnap iX100 in a basic but powerful tool for the mobile office.
Conclusion
The Fujitsu ScanSnap iX100 scanner is a flawless product from the point of view of the hardware and design. It’s small, light, very quickly and accurately acquire and read documents. Put next to a smartphone or tablet, is ideal for the professional or the student who needs to acquire while traveling documents to store in the computer or to send to colleagues. It is very interesting for the house, for those who use the scanner to store receipts, invoices, warranties of appliances and devices. Just press a button and everything ends up inside the computer.
The only limits are derived from the Fujitsu ScanSnap iX100 software kit; Fujitsu has not spared, providing applications for virtually all purposes, but the budget is marked by an installation process ruffled and complex, which leads to the hard disk is a plethora of applications whose functions and operation must be discovered for a and a not always be clear in their conception even after being used for a few days.
Fortunately, the basic function, what passes for the commissioning and operation of the scanner, either on mobile on a desktop computer, the reason why someone should buy the Fujitsu ScanSnap iX100, are not affected by these problems, and there you may even forget the existence of a large part (if not all) application installed opting for those of third parties.
Review
PROS : Setting easy, Fast, efficient and transparent operation, Agile use alternatively between PC and mobile device, Really portable.
CONS : Complete software bundle but confused and not always up, Price.
- Overall
